The German Democratic Republic: The Search For Identity

206 Pages·1985·3.847 MB·English

by  Henry Krisch

THE GERMAN
DEMOCRATIC
REPUBLIC
WESTVIEW PROFILES • NATIONS OF
CONTEMPORARY EASTERN EUROPE
tCzechoslovakia: Profile of a Socialist Republic at the Crossroads of Europe,
David W. Paul
Hungary: A Nation of Contradictions, Ivan Volgyes
Romania: A Developing Socialist State, Lawrence C. Graham
Bulgaria, William Welsh
Poland, Ray Taras
Yugoslavia, Lenard Cohen
The German Democratic Republic: The Search for Identity, Henry Krisch
■f Available in hardcover and paperback.
ABOUT THE BOOK AND AUTHOR
This important new overview of the German Democratic Republic
focuses on the country's search for identity and legitimacy throughout
its history. Dr. Henry Krisch analyzes major aspects of East German
life—political, economic, cultural, and societal—to answer the funda­
mental question of the nature of the GDR. Arguing that East Germany
has been shaped by history to an unusual degree, he explores the
country's historical background, including the Soviet Zone, the origins
of the GDR, and the leadership of Ulbricht and Honecker, and examines
the role and structure of the party, state, and military and security
forces. The main emphasis of this book, however, is upon current
problems and on likely responses to them in the near future. Issues
such as the viability of communist politics in a technologically advanced
society, the relationship of the GDR to a common German heritage and
a competing West German state, and the country's role within the Soviet
alliance system are examined in detail, and current social concerns,
including the peace movement, cultural trends, the role of women and
youth, and the prime importance of sports, are discussed.
Dr. Henry Krisch is associate professor of political science at the
University of Connecticut. He is the author of German Politics Under
Soviet Occupation (1974) and is most recently a contributor of a chapter
on the GDR armed forces in Soviet Allies, edited by Daniel Nelson
(Westview, 1984).
The center of East Berlin includes the old city hall (Rotes Rathaus), restored St.
Nikolai church, and new buildings in the background. Photo courtesy of the
GDR Embassy, Washington, D.C.
THE GERMAN
DEMOCRATIC
REPUBLIC
The Search for Identity
Henry Krisch
Westview Press / Boulder and London
Westview Profiles/Nations of Contemporary Eastern Europe
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any
form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any
information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.
Copyright © 1985 by Westview Press, Inc.
Published in 1985 in the United States of America by Westview Press, Inc.; Frederick A.
Praeger, Publisher; 5500 Central Avenue, Boulder, Colorado 80301
Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data
Krisch, Henry.
The German Democratic Republic.
(Westview profiles. Nations of contemporary Eastern
Europe)
Bibliography: p.
Includes index.
1. Germany (East). I. Title. II. Series: Nations
of contemporary Eastern Europe.
DD280.6.K75 1985 943.1 85-11508
ISBN 0-89158-850-7
Printed and bound in the United States of America
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Contents
List of Illustrations.......................................................................................ix
1 The GDR in Time and Place...........................................................1
The Historical Background of the GDR (Before 1945).................1
The Soviet Zone and the Origins of the GDR
(1945-1949) .............................................................................. 5
The Consolidation of the GDR (1949-1971)................................ 10
The Geography of the GDR.............................................................22
Notes...................................................................................................26
2 The Political System of the GDR....................................................30
The Ruling Party..............................................................................30
The Socialist State............................................................................35
The Armed Forces............................................................................41
Notes...................................................................................................49
3 The GDR in the World...................................................................53
The Role of Foreign Policy.............................................................53
Links to the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe............................58
Relations with the First and Third Worlds....................................65
Notes....................................................................................................70
4 The GDR in Germany.....................................................................74
Two German States: One German Nation?.....................................74
The GDR and the German Past.....................................................83
Notes...................................................................................................87
vii
viii CONTENTS
5 The GDR: A Socialist Industrial State.........................................90
Planning and Industry.....................................................................90
Agriculture.........................................................................................103
The GDR in the World Economy..................................................108
Notes................................................................................................ 114
6 Managing a Modern Society........................................................120
Regime and Society...................................................................... 120
Church and State.............................................................................122
The Peace Movement.......................................................................125
Expression and Suppression of Dissent.........................................129
Cultural Life.....................................................................................135
Notes..................................................................................................140
7 Social Policy in the GDR..............................................................146
Women and Social Policy................................................................146
Youth and Social Policy..................................................................153
Education and Sports......................................................................158
Notes..................................................................................................168
8 Facing the Future...........................................................................173
Notes.................................. 178
Selected Bibliography.................................................................................180
Acronyms....................................................................................................183
Index............................................................................................................186
Illustrations
Tables
2.1 Trends in Membership of Selected Mass Organizations
(1971-1981).................................................................................. 42
2.2 GDR Military Expenditures.............................................................46
3.1 Growth in Diplomatic Recognition of the GDR
(1949-1974).................................................................................. 55
3.2 Critical Items in GDR-Soviet Trade (1980)................................ 62
3.3 GDR Military Personnel in Selected
Third World Countries.................................................................67
3.4 GDR Trade with Third World Countries in 1982 ....................... 68
4.1 Selected Data on Inter-German Travel..........................................80
5.1 Industrial Production in the GDR, 1936 and 1975 ..................... 91
5.2 Political Leadership of the GDR Economy..................................94
5.3 Housing Plans and Accomplishments............................................96
5.4 State Subsidies of Basic Goods and Services (1979-1982).......... 98
5.5 Monthly Earnings in Selected Occupations (1981).........................99
5.6 Consumer Durables per 100 Households.....................................100
5.7 GDR Energy Sources.......................................................................101
5.8 Composition of the GDR Labor Force by
Gender and Branch.....................................................................102
5.9 Land Use in GDR...........................................................................104
5.10 Per Capita Consumption of Selected
Foodstuffs in the GDR (1970-1983)...................................... 108
5.11 Patterns of GDR Foreign Trade....................................................109
5.12 Inter-German Trade (1980-1984)..................................................114
7.1 Annual Births in the GDR and Infant Mortality
Rate (1978-1982)....................................................................... 148
ix
X ILLUSTRATIONS
7.2 Number of Students in Varying Fields at Start
of Honecker Era and Today......................................................164
Figures
7.1 The Integrated Socialist Education System in the GDR..........160
Maps
The German Democratic Republic............................................................xii
Photos
East Berlin.....................................................................................................iv
Marching construction workers................................................................12
Demonstrators in East Berlin....................................................................13
Soviet forces intervene...............................................................................13
Freedom fighters in East Berlin................................................................14
Honecker greets a group of youngsters..................................................20
The city of Stralsund.................................................................................23
The annual rally in East Berlin................................................................41
GDR military units.....................................................................................44
Honecker and Kirschschlager meet in East Berlin.................................69
Brandt and Stoph meet in Erfurt............................................................77
Former Soviet Ambassador to the GDR, Pytr Abrassimov..................77
Kohl and Bahr exchange the Basic Treaty..............................................78
"Normality" on the road to Berlin..........................................................79
Honecker and Kohl meet in Moscow......................................................82
Improvements on the Wall.......................................................................84
Rostock on the Baltic coast......................................................................Ill
An anti-nuclear rally.................................................................................127
The Schauspielhaus, East Berlin..............................................................136
Marita Koch, Olympic champion............................................................166