Establishing and Consolidating Communist Rule in the GDR, 1949-1961

Vocabulary-style flashcards covering the key concepts, organizations, and policies involved in the establishment and consolidation of the GDR from 1949 to 1961.

German Democratic Republic (GDR)

A state established in October 1949 in the Soviet zone of occupation, based on communist ideology and allied to the USSR and other Eastern European states.

Federal Republic of Germany (FRG)

A capitalist state formally established in May 1949 from the US, British, and French zones of occupation, allied with the USA and Western Europe.

Eastern bloc

The name given to a number of Eastern European 'satellite states' under Communist governments that were allied to the USSR after the Second World War.

Ministry for State Security (Stasi)

The GDR government department formed in 1950 that developed an extensive surveillance system, commonly referred to as 'The Stasi' or 'The Firm'.

Socialist Unity Party of Germany (SED)

The ruling political party of the GDR, formed in April 1946 by the merger of the KPD (German Communist Party) and the SPD (German Social Democratic Party) under Soviet pressure.

Ulbricht Group

A group of German communists, including Walter Ulbricht, who were trained in the USSR to prepare for the spread of communism in Germany following the Second World War.

Politburo

The senior policy-making committee of the SED, consisting of $15$ to $25$ members, where the majority of political power and decision-making in the GDR resided.

Volkskammer (People's Chamber)

The parliamentary body of the GDR whose seats were predetermined by the SED before elections; its primary role was ratifying laws decided by the Politburo.

Länderkammer (States Chamber)

An upper house in the GDR representing the five historic German states ($Länder$); it was abolished in $1958$ as it was surplus to SED requirements.

Democratic centralism

A Marxist-Leninist concept claiming that democracy is achieved by the people giving the central government authority to make decisions, which then pass down to regional and local levels.

Bizonia

The economic unit formed in January $1947$ by the merger of the US and British occupation zones in Germany.

Truman Doctrine

The $1947$ US policy established by President Truman to provide political, military, and economic support to democratic nations under threat from communism.

Containment

A key principle of US foreign policy after the Second World War focused on preventing the spread of communism.

Marshall Plan

An economic policy launched in $1948$ that allocated $13$ billion to Western European states to aid recovery and prevent the spread of communism through prosperity.

NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization)

A collective security alliance established in $1949$ by Western European countries and North America against the USSR.

Warsaw Pact

A military alliance of Eastern European communist states led by the USSR, established in $1955$ as a response to NATO.

People's Enterprise (VEB)

A nationalised factory or industrial centre in the GDR run by the government and organized on the socialist principle of 'workers\' brigades'.

Production Co-operative

Groups of craft-workers in the GDR encouraged to work together under state direction; by $1960$, one-third of craft-workers were under state control.

Collectivisation

The state taking over privately owned farms to combine them into larger units where machinery, property, and livestock could be shared.

Junker

The class of wealthy German aristocratic landowners who owned large areas of land, particularly in eastern Germany, until their land was forfeited in post-war reforms.

Stalinallee

A major street in East Berlin developed as a prestigious propaganda showpiece; later renamed Karl-Marx Allee during the de-Stalinisation process.

Peaceful Co-existence

The foreign policy pursued by the USSR under Nikita Khrushchev, emphasizing the avoidance of nuclear war through cooperation with the West on mutual interests.

COMECON (Council for Mutual Economic Assistance)

An economic organization led by the USSR from $1949$ to $1991$ to coordinate economic activity among Eastern bloc and other socialist states.

Grenzverletzer

A term for 'border assailants' who attempted to flee across the Berlin Wall; over $5,000$ were caught and at least $136$ were killed by security forces.

Operation Rose

The code name for the efficient and secret operation carried out on $13$ August $1961$ to seal the border between East and West Berlin.