1. 4. Social Change
1.1. Impact of WW2 meant women were now the heads of families
1.1.1. SED saw women as mothers AND workers
1.1.1.1. 1949 two year plan required 250,000 more workers, in which the SED encouraged women to work
1.1.1.1.1. They provided maternity care and nurseries for free
1.1.1.2. Set up the Democratic Womens league of Germany
1.2. Working class benefited from the SED goverrnment
1.2.1. Middle class lost their position and wealth as they were considered enemies of the proletariat blocking the path to a classless society
1.3. Religious change
1.3.1. SED abolished religious schools in 1946
1.3.2. SED controlled higher education system and introduced youth dedication service in 1954
1.3.2.1. Initially the church condemned children in the service to eternal damnation
1.3.2.1.1. However eventually stated that the service did not clash with Christian faith and church was forced to cooperate with the state
1.3.3. After WW2 there were 15 million protestants and 1 million catholics in GDR
1.3.3.1. Meant that the church was still overly powerful
1.3.4. League of culture
1.3.4.1. Controlled cultural initiatives and sought to develop socialism and emphasise anti-fascism
1.4. Trade Unions
1.4.1. Free German Trade Union
1.4.1.1. Ran by SED which almost all working males were a member of
1.4.1.1.1. Allowed SED to ensure ideological control over workers
1.5. Youth in the GDR
1.5.1. After WW2 virtually all teachers dismissed because of affiliations with the nazi parti and were required to retrain
1.5.1.1. Curriculum was overhauled to emphasise socialist values
1.5.2. SED wanted to achieve equal opportunity for all children in education
1.5.3. Law for the Democratisation of German Schools
1.5.3.1. Private and religious schools abolished
1.5.3.2. Centralised curriculum introducing standardised textbooks
1.5.4. Workers and Peasants from poor backgrounds were now given opportunities in education
1.5.4.1. If workers were loyal to SED they were given the responsibility of managing factories
1.5.5. Polytechnic Education introduced from 1956
1.5.5.1. Polytechnic schools formed for children between 6 and 16
1.5.5.1.1. Focussed on science and maths
1.5.5.1.2. It was compolsory to have weekly work experience
1.5.5.1.3. Fitness was also encouraged
1.5.5.2. Resulted in a rise in graduates
1.5.5.2.1. Rise in education standards in science and maths
1.6. Overall
1.6.1. Success
1.6.1.1. Law for the deomcratisation of German schools led to percentage of uni students from working class backgrounds increasing
1.6.1.1.1. 19% in 1946 to 36% in 1949 with the number of universities and colleges doubling during the GDR
1.6.1.2. Free German Youth movement had 3 million members by 1950
1.6.1.3. GDR 1949 constitution made womens pay equal to men
1.6.1.4. Education in schools less gender specific
1.6.1.5. Religious education in schools abolished and replaced with Marxist Leninist ideology
1.6.1.6. Jugendweihe of 1955 required teenagers to pledge allegiance to the GDR and socialist values
1.6.1.7. Healthcare free for all from state hospitals
1.6.1.8. Pensions available to all men 65 above women 60 above
1.6.1.9. Unemployment benefit was not needed as work was found for all citizens
1.6.2. Failure
1.6.2.1. Sport and paramilitary still played a role in the curriculum
1.6.2.1.1. Military service compolsory for boys in 1962
1.6.2.2. Teachers monitored closely to ensure they did not deviate from the regimes ideology
1.6.2.3. While women did enter jobs many of these were low skilled, low paid labour
1.6.2.4. GDR focussed more on class participation at the expense of female equality
1.6.2.4.1. 1961 women peace and socialism survey revealed poor progress in the drive for equality
1.6.2.5. financial incentives like additional rations encouraged women to reproduce
1.6.2.5.1. Abortion was still strictly limited
1.6.2.6. At the end of the war there were 15 million protestions and 1 million catholics in the GDR
1.6.2.6.1. By 1970's half of the population were still christians
1.6.2.7. Rationing remained until 1958
1.6.2.8. Accommodation was a problem because dresden and Berlin had been devastated by bombing
1.6.2.8.1. The soviet style buildings that replaced them were dreary, functional buildings (Poor but efficient architecture)
2. 1. 1953 Uprising
2.1. Causes
2.1.1. Miscommunication between Moscow and East German politburo
2.1.1.1. Ulbricht summoned to Moscow and told to soften economic policies
2.1.1.1.1. However the East german government announced further productivity targets leaving many workers feeling exploited
2.1.2. Resentment of Stalinist economic policies
2.1.2.1. Collectivisation, productivity targets etc contributed to uprising
2.1.3. Border Control
2.1.3.1. Borders between East and West becoming stricter angering the East German citizens
2.2. 16th June 1953 workers on the Satlinallee building project went on strike to stop government increasing working hours without more pay
2.3. Following day thousands of workers also went on strike demanding to end ulbrichts economic policies
2.4. Soviet tanks were tolled out to stop and suppress the uprising
2.5. Impact
2.5.1. Demonstrated the Soviets willingness to forcefully crush rebellions
2.5.2. Many East Germans now wanted to escape the regime and emigrate to west
2.5.3. Policy of increasing working hours without increasing pay was ended
2.5.3.1. more consumer goods now being produced to improve standards of living
2.5.4. East German Government grew its secret police, the stasi
3. 2. GDR Economic policies
3.1. Collectivisation
3.1.1. Believed to improve efficiency of agriculture by merging smaller individual plots to on large plot of land
3.1.2. Many farmers abandoned their farms and emigrated to the west
3.1.2.1. Drop in supply of food to cities
3.1.2.2. Led to lower skilled farming force in East and hence worse harvests
3.1.2.2.1. Rationing reintroduced in 1961 (failure)
3.1.3. Over the 1950's collectivised land grew to a thrid of all East german farms by 1958
3.1.4. Policy was partially successful as benefits took a while to be experienced and rationing was reintroduced as a result
3.1.4.1. However by 1962 over 85% of farms were collectivised
3.2. First Five Year Plan (1951)
3.2.1. Aimed to nationalise industry and set productivity goals
3.2.1.1. Controlled social activities for the workers and virtually all aspects of their life
3.2.2. Had a primary focus on developing heavy industry like iron, steel and chemical industry
3.3. Second Five Year Plan (1956)
3.3.1. Placed emphasis on producing consumer goods and technological progress
3.3.2. Resulted in economy growing 12%, living standards improving and lower food prices
3.3.2.1. The number of workers leaving to the west stabilised
3.3.2.2. East was still falling behind the growth of the West
3.4. Seven Year Plan (1959)
3.4.1. Goal to develop GDR economy along the same lines as the soviet unions
3.4.1.1. Industrial growth fell with the plan
3.4.1.1.1. More people emigrated to West until the introduction of Berlin Wall
3.5. New Economic system
3.5.1. Introduced in 1963 to bring greater flexibility for workers
3.5.1.1. Allowed workers a portion of the profits
3.6. Overall
3.6.1. Success
3.6.1.1. By 1962 85% of agricultural land had been collectivised
3.6.1.2. First 5 year plan was successful in achieving its aims in Iron and cememt production
3.6.1.3. Second 5 year plan resulted in 12% economic growth and construction of first nuclear reactor in GDR
3.6.1.4. Slight improvement in living conditions
3.6.2. Failure
3.6.2.1. Collectivisation in the short term was a disaster
3.6.2.1.1. Many new farmers had little experience and more experienced farmers left for the FRG
3.6.2.2. Economic plans had over-reliance on development of heavy industry
4. 3. Political Policies
4.1. Success
4.1.1. Under Ulbricht the politburo emerged as the dominant decision making body of the GDR
4.1.2. Judicial system continued to be packed with party loyalists
4.1.2.1. 86% of public prosecutors were members of SED
4.1.3. Over the 40 year period 240,000 were prosecuted for political reasons
4.1.4. The Stasi had 13,000 permanent members by 1955 and thousands of informal members
4.1.4.1. Spied on hundreds of thousands of GDR citizens
4.2. Failure
4.2.1. GDR failed to win the support of vast swathes of east german citizens
4.2.2. 1953 workers uprising
4.2.2.1. A strike against the raising of working hours that morphed into a protest against the government
4.2.2.2. Uprising generally was a failure but it did force concessions (Ulbricht diluted the socialist project
4.2.3. Berlin wall was erected in 1961
4.2.3.1. Preventing mass migration to the west
4.2.3.1.1. By then 2.6 million had fled the GDR