Social reasons for the rise of the Berlin wall

What was forced collectivisation?

Despite political and economic pressures, in 1960, Ulbricht continued with the second wave of collectivisation.

How was forced collectivisation enforced?

Enforced brutally and as a result, food production declined and in 1961 rationing was introduced.

What is collectivisation?

A policy where governments force small, private farms to combine into giant, state-run farms.

What happened after receiving Marshall Aid?

West Germany had become a prosperous country and people living there had a higher standard of living than East Germans.

Why was East Germany less prosperous?

They received little aid from the Soviet Union, there were few consumer goods available and people were unhappy at forced collectivisation of agriculture.

What happened to the communism in East Germany?

It became deeply unpopular.

Many chose to move to West Berlin, allowing free travel to other parts of Germany and the West

How many East Germans fled to the West from 1949-58?

Approximately 3 million.

Many were professionals and skilled labourers.

What did the mass exit threaten?

To collapse the economy of East Germany.

Especially when a second wave of collectivisation happened, meaning food production declined and in 1961 food rationing was reintroduced.