The German Democratic Republic Since 1945 (studies In Russia & East Europe)

## Kilometres The Bezirks of the GDR with their capital cities (formed 2 3 July 195 2) Many bridled at this, first and foremost, social democrats. Others, especially communists who wanted to develop socialism with a German face, were perceived as just as dangerous. The most startling post-war event in communism was the denunciation of Stalin by Khrushchev at the twentieth CPSU congress in Moscow in February 1956. This legitimated the view that a communist party can be in error. As it turned out de-Stalinisation never really got off the ground in the GDR, mainly due to the skilful use of power by Walter Ulbricht, the SED leader. Another turning point was the building of the Berlin Wall in August 1961. Until then those who did not agree with the direction the state was taking could leave. Emigration after 1961 was illegal so internal emigration became the norm for those, perhaps the majority of the population, whose first loyalty is not to the GDR state. Today the GDR state is very powerful; the communist party dominates the instruments of control and coercion and at its back is the Soviet Army. It may appear ironic that a party which professes to be Marxist should have constructed a strong state, an entity which Marx and Lenin agreed had to be smashed. Soviet experience here is very relevant. After the October Revolution Lenin discovered that the Russian working class, in whose name the Bolsheviks had seized power, was quite unable and unwilling to construct the type of socialist society he envisaged for Soviet Russia. This led to the communist party usurping the role of the working class in constructing a new society. Power was concentrated in the party and a large party bureaucracy gradually emerged. Through the nomenklatura or system of appointments it came to control the state apparatus, the armed forces, the political police, indeed all institutions of significance. The state reappeared in a new guise. It was rehabilitated when it was discovered that it was a powerful weapon in the struggle to build a new society. The state as such was not evil, it only became evil when it fell into the wrong hands. Hence in 1945 the Soviet authorities reopened Buchenwald, for instance, to incarcerate German political prisoners, implying that concentration camps are not in themselves evil, it all depends on who is being kept in them. Germans found in and after 1945 that they were in no 1 Germany: the Victors and the Vanquished Index The GDR is the most successful (in terms of living standards) socialist state but one of the least loved. Yet the GDR has formidable achievements to list, especially in education and health. On the other hand her feeling of insecurity has led to a creeping militarisation of society. The GDR provides communist states in the Third World with military training and expertise; she also trains security and police cadres. Hence the impact is being felt outside Europe. Does the GDR now present the face of the ugly German to the non-communist world? Her development is worthy of attention. As the Soviet Union's closest ally in Eastern Europe she may play a more important role there in the future as economic growth slows and tensions rise. She has, however, problems of her own which will require much hard work to resolve. Nevertheless she is the most stable socialist state in Eastern Europe at present. Will this continue? Will mass discontent mount as living standards stagnate? Just how important will the West German response be? The GDR is torn between East and West. If she is to weather the economic storms she requires closer links with West Germany and the West but politically and militarily she needs a closer relationship with the Soviet Union. ' ... competent and wide-ranging, covering not only political history but also the economy, education, culture, the position of women and foreign policy.' Leslie Holmes, Soviet Studies ' ... the main strength of this work is that it provides a mass of facts and figures in the main text and is yet eminently readable.' Roger Woods, Slavonic Review Front Matter....Pages i-xiv Introduction....Pages 1-5 Germany: the Victors and the Vanquished....Pages 6-41 The Impact of Stalinism, 1949–53....Pages 42-66 Completing the Building of Socialism, 1953–61....Pages 67-102 State, Society and Developed Socialism....Pages 103-148 Real, Existing Socialism....Pages 149-194 Back Matter....Pages 195-282 Germany: The Victors And The Vanquished -- The Impact Of Stalinism, 1949-53 -- Completing The Building Of Socialism, 1953-61 -- State, Society And Developed Socialism -- Real, Existing Socialism. Martin Mccauley. Includes Index. Bibliography: P. 265-273.