Background Guide

German Democratic
Republic (1949)
“The government of the
German Democratic Republic
rejects secret policies. It works
for the people, and only the
people, so it does not need to
keep secrets like the
warmongers.”
-Walter Ulbricht
Dear Delegates,
Welcome to WUMUNS 2014! My name is Robert Brachman, and I am
thrilled to be your director. In this committee, we will explore a time that is often
forgotten by the world, but was critical in the development of Europe and the
Western world. After World War Two, East Germany became the Sovietcontrolled German Democratic Republic (Deutsch Demokratische Republik,
DDR). This committee will be recreating the delicate period when global power
was balanced between the Allied Forces and the Union of Soviet Socialist
Republics (USSR), before the Cold War began to heat up. We will begin on
October 10th, 1949. Successful research will including achieving familiarity with Soviet
policies and leadership styles as well as forming a preliminary answer to some of
the following questions: How will the DDR become powerful in Europe? How will
the DDR handle Western influences such as in West Berlin, where many of their
educated youth are emigrating to? Individual decisions by cabinet members
could impact the fate of the entire DDR and effect the strength and presence of
the USSR in Europe.
As a delegate, you will be portraying historical figures who would have
wielded influence in the DDR, West Berlin, the USSR, and various Western
nations. The ultimate goal of the committee depends on the individual you
represent, be it to create the strongest pro-Communist DDR possible, despite
potential sabotages by Western thinkers and ideals or create the strongest proWestern DDR possible, despite potential sabotages by Communist thinkers.
Now, a little bit about me. I am a sophomore at Washington University in
St. Louis and currently do not have a major, but I am leaning towards Economics.
While at school, I devote a lot of my time to the Washington University
International Relations Council as both a director at this conference and as part
of secretariat for our college conference. I also actively play on one of Washington
University’s Ultimate Frisbee teams, Contraband. If you have any questions
about the school, conference, life, or most importantly, the committee, please
contact me at [email protected]. I cannot wait to birth a communist
nation with all of you in October!
Sincerely,
Robert Brachman
Contents
Committee Background…………………………………………….. 1
World War I……………………………………………………………..……. 3
Interwar Period……….…..…………..….……………………………..…. 4
World War II…………………………………………………………………. 5
Post-World War II.…………………………………………………………. 6
Development of Political Parties…..………………………….. 7
Delegate Positions……..….…….…….…….…….…………………...…. 10
Bibliography…….…….…….…….…….…….……………………………... 16
Committee Background
Historical
Information
Image Credit:
WikiMedia Commons
The geographic location that eventually emerged as Germany has three
natural boundaries: the Baltic, the Rhine, and the Alps, on the north, west, and
south, respectively.1 These natural borders made Germany safe from foreign
invasion. However, with little room to maneuver away from each other, there was
a great deal of infighting among local tribes.
During the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, while France, England, and
Spain began to develop into centralized monarchies, Germany developed in a
more decentralized manner.2 The German emperor, being both the king of
Germany and head of the Church, oftentimes had his attention elsewhere,
allowing autonomous regions to sprout inside of Germany. Such regions
included, but were not limited to, noble families’ lands, religious towns, and
economic hubs, all of which were large in wealth, but often minimally loyal to the
crown.3 This disunity defined the politics of Germany for most of its history.
These autonomous German polities eventually united under Otto von
Bismarck. As the Prussian Prime Minister, Bismarck constantly made and
manipulated alliances in order to create a united Germany and to exploit the
balance of powers.4 When Bismarck first became prime minister of Prussia in
1862, Prussia’s power and influence was about equal to that of the Austrian
Empire, which contained a sizable German-speaking minority.5 Bismarck set out
to isolate the rival empire to more easily engage in war and limit the Austrian
sphere of influence.6
In so doing, he negotiated alliances with Italy, France, and some of
Austria’s historical allies such as Russia.7 He also developed an economic
alliance, the Zollverein, with other German polities to make trade both easier and
more profitable.8 Ultimately, when the Seven Weeks War began, Prussia had
successfully isolated Austria from the rest of Europe, making for a short war.9 In
the Treaty of Prague, Austria had to cede the territories that Prussia had captured
to it, as well as stay out of German affairs.10
Bismarck’s next strategic target was France, who had become suspicious
and weary of the Germanic state. Bismarck negotiated with the other European
nations to ensure that there would be no intervention in the case of a Franco “History of Germany,” 1.
“History of Germany,” 3.
3 “History of Germany,” 3.
4 “Germany,” 2.
5 “Bismarck and Unification,” 1, accessed May 17, 2014,
http://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/higher/history/nationalism/unification/revision/1/.
6 “Bismarck and Unification,” 1.
7 “Bismarck and Unification,” 2.
8 “Bismarck and Unification,” 2.
9 “Bismarck and Unification,” 2.
10 “Bismarck and Unification,” 2.
1
2
1
Prussian War.11 After doing so, an opportunity for war presented itself. The
throne of Spain was vacant. The crown was offered to a relative of William I, the
Prussian king.12 This caused an outrage in France, where the media and public
exploded, and Bismarck released a highly edited telegram, the Ems Telegram,
seemingly insulting the French Emperor Napoleon III, and goading him into
war.13 After winning the war, Prussia signed the Treaty of Frankfurt with France,
fully unifying the German nation-state.14
The unified Germany quickly became a prominent European power. Its
production capacities underwent huge expansions and overcame those of Britain
in key sectors of the economy, such as mining and steel production, as well as
leading new sectors such as the chemical and electrical industries.15 The boom in
the economy led to German imperialism, following the idea of Wetpolitik.
Wetpolitik was the German idea to expand their borders and take as much
coastline as humanly possible, pushing Europe closer to World War I.16
Monument to
Franco-Prussian
War
Image Credit:
WikiMedia Commonc
At this time, Britain had the world’s strongest naval force and Germany
had the world’s strongest land force. Germany sought to form the world’s second
strongest naval force, one that could pose a challenge to Britain’s navy.17 The
thought behind this decision was threefold. First, with a strong navy, Germany
could expand the limits of its empire and extend off the European continent.
Second, a strong navy was a unifying factor among the citizens of the state since
rivaling the power of the British navy was something the various social classes
“Bismarck and Unification,” 3.
“Bismarck and Unification,” 3.
13 “Bismarck and Unification,” 3.
14 “Bismarck and Unification,” 3.
15 “German Foreign Policy, 1871-1914,” accessed May 17, 2014, http://web.mit.edu/afarrell/Public/1742papers/GEISSGERMAN-FOREIGN-POLICY.PDF.
16 “German Foreign Policy, 1871-1914,” viii Introduction.
17 “German Foreign Policy, 1871-1914,” 76.
11
12
2
could do together, overcoming the dissent and hate between the classes. Third, it
gave the monarch a power that the Reichstag (the German legislative body) was
unable to monitor.18
World War I
Prior to World War I, the five major powers of Europe were AustriaHungary, Germany, Russia, France, and Britain.19 Proactively securing safety on
the east, Bismarck signed an alliance, called the “Triple Alliance”, with AustriaHungary and Italy in 1882, and signed a separate alliance with Russia.20
However, there were conflicting interests between what Austria-Hungary and
Russia wanted, and the Kaiser broke off the alliance with Russia in 1890.21 France
and Russia then started secret negotiations to ally against Germany. Then, in
1904, France and Britain entered the Entente Cordiale, bringing peace and even
alliance to the two nations, despite how long they had been at war with each
other.22 It was now three of the five powers of Europe (the Allied Powers),
Britain, France, and Russia, allied against the Central Powers, Germany, AustriaHungary, and Italy. War was imminent.
On June 22, 1914 Austrian Archduke Franz Ferdinand was assassinated.23
Austria wanted to use this as an excuse to invade Serbia, but feared Russia’s
involvement.24 Germany, however, had promised Austria that they would back
them if conflict with Russia did break out. On July 28 the Austrians declared war
on Serbia, and by July 30 Russia had mobilized its armies.25 Germany saw this as
the perfect excuse to declare war on Russia, and did so the following day. Then,
on August 3, Germany declared war on France, beginning the fight between the
combined Allied and Central Powers.26 Germany initially wanted to move forward
with the Schlieffen Plan, which called for quickly surrounding and conquering the
French army, sparing no troops in their own reserves.27 However, Belgium would
not let them pass through unimpeded, so the plan was stalled and England was
given enough time to join the war.
The failure of the Schlieffen Plan meant a two-front war for Germany.
They originally wanted to defeat the French faster than the English could react,
and then bring their troops to the Eastern front to handle the Russian army. The
split German army was forced to take a more defensive stance on the Western
line, and trench warfare ensued. On the Eastern front, Germany made great
headway, eventually saving the Austrian army from the Russians.28 Eventually
the German backed Bolshevik Revolution gained power in Russia, and the new
president, Lenin, did not want to continue fighting while politically unstable. This
led to the 1918 truce between the Central Powers and Russia.29
The Western front, however, did not fare as well. After several failed
offensive attempts, the Germans began getting pushed back. Further, the
Americans joined the Allied Powers in warring against Germany after some of its
own ships were sunk.30 The reinforced Allied Powers proved too much for the
“German Foreign Policy, 1871-1914,” 76.
“History of Germany,” 10.
20 “History of Germany,” 10.
21 “History of Germany,” 10.
22 “History of Germany,” 10.
23 “Germany During World War One,” accessed June 1, 2014, http://www.firstworldwar.com/features/germanyduringww1.htm.
24 “Germany During World War One.”
25 “Germany During World War One.”
26 “Germany During World War One.”
27 “Germany During World War One.”
28 “Germany During World War One.”
29 “Germany During World War One.”
30 “Germany During World War One.”
18
19
3
Central Powers; Germany’s allies quickly surrendered and Germany soon
followed.
Interwar Period
On May 7th, 1919 Germany was presented with the Treaty of Versailles.31
The Germans had originally believed that they were to be agreeing to a treaty
based primarily on President Wilson’s Fourteen Points. However, the treaty
formulated by the Allied Powers was far more severe. Germany was forced to
cede locations such as Alsace-Lorraine to France and other nations.32 Further, in
what became known as the “War Guilt Clause,” Germany had to accept full
responsibility for the start of The Great War.33 This responsibility was
accompanied with the burden of having to pay for the material damages,
destroying Germany’s economy. Furthermore, fearing future German aggression,
“the German army was to be limited to 100,000 men” and “the Navy to vessels
under 100,000 tons, with a ban on…a submarine fleet.”34
The Treaty of Versailles, however, did not address the causes of the war.
This led to the Central Powers viewing it as a punishment, and so they began to
violate the military and economic terms of the treaty.35 International politics,
especially in Europe, were further destabilized as the losing nations sought to
revise and disobey the burdensome parts of the treaty.36 Furthermore, the War
Guilt Clause, and other punitive measures inflicted on Germany, left the German
public angry at the outcome of the war, especially since no foreign troops ever
stepped on German land. This allowed for right wing radical parties, such as the
Nazi Party, to gain popularity throughout Germany as they played to German
pride and promised the remilitarization of the once-proud nation.37
German
Hyperinflation
Image Credit:
WikiMedia Deutsche
“Treaty of Versailles, 1919,” accessed June 1, 2014, http://www.ushmm.org/wlc/en/article.php?ModuleId=10005425.
“Treaty of Versailles, 1919.”
33 “Treaty of Versailles, 1919.”
34 “Treaty of Versailles, 1919.”
35 “Treaty of Versailles, 1919.”
36 “Treaty of Versailles, 1919.”
37 “Treaty of Versailles, 1919.”
31
32
4
The full effect of the Treaty of Versailles would not be felt for another
several years. Beyond the radical national politics and unbalanced international
politics, economies began to suffer, especially Germany’s. Following the war
reparations, 1920’s Europe faced an inflationary period, with the German
deutschmark even experiencing hyperinflation.38 This is an extreme form of
inflation, where the price of goods increases daily at a seemingly exponential rate.
Promising to remilitarize and to fix the economy, Adolf Hitler and his Nazi Party
were able to gain power.
World War II
Hitler began his political career in 1919 in the National Socialist Party.39
Hitler began spreading messages of anti-Semitism and of a superior Aryan race
through this party. In 1921 Hitler became the Führer (leader) of this party, which
had since become known as the National Socialist German Workers’ Party
(NSDAP), or Nazi Party.40 In 1923, Hitler and the Nazi Party tried to take control
of Munich in the Beer Hall Putsch, leading to his imprisonment. Hitler used the
trial to garner support for his political campaign as he publically bashed the
Weimar Republic, which held power at the time.41 While imprisoned he wrote
Mein Kampf (My Struggle), his political manifesto.42 Despite the party’s growing
success, the Nazi power stalled as the German economy started growing again.
Then, in 1929, the Great Depression shocked the world economy, and the Nazi
Party obtained an unforeseen increase in membership.43 Following the 1930
election, Paul von Hindenburg maintained the presidency, but was coerced into
declaring Hitler his chancellor.44 Following Hindenburg’s death in 1934, Hitler
became president. Using his new found power, Hitler decreed that the will of the
people was expressed through the Fuhrer, not votes, and he ended the Weimar
constitution and began his dictatorship.45
After gaining power, Hitler began to invade and annex surrounding
smaller nations, claiming that they had Germanic origins and were culturally
significant. Still recuperating from the First World War, and afraid of starting
another, his annexations were left unchecked. Eventually, Hitler felt that he had
gained enough territory to mount his offensive. He began by invading the Poland,
with the help of the Soviet Union. Soon after, he launched an attack against
Western Europe, and was able to quickly conquer France, who was still
rebuilding from being the battleground of World War One and could not muster a
strong defensive force. The offensive on the west continued and Germany began
bombing Great Britain. Reaching a stalemate, Hitler grew suspicious of the Soviet
Union and proceeded to launch a campaign into Russia and the surrounding
Soviet states, catching Stalin off-guard and gaining significant ground. However,
the seemingly endless Red Army, the Russian strategy of dismantling their cities
and burning their goods as they retreated, and the eventual Russian winter
proved too much, and the German forces were pushed back. The Allied Powers
were able to recruit a large enough force to invade Normandy, pushing into
Germany through France on the west, while the Soviet offensive continued to
close in from the east with their counteroffensive.
“Treaty of Versailles, 1919.”
“The Rise of the Nazis and Beginning of Persecution,” accessed June 1, 2014,
http://www.yadvashem.org/yv/en/holocaust/about/01/persecution.asp.
40 “The Rise of the Nazi Party,” accessed June 1, 2014, http://fcit.coedu.usf.edu/holocaust/timeline/nazirise.htm.
41 “The Rise of the Nazi Party.”
42 “The Rise of the Nazi Party.”
43 “The Rise of the Nazis and Beginning of Persecution.”
44 “The Rise of the Nazis and Beginning of Persecution.”
45 “Adolf Hitler (1889-1945),” accessed June 1, 2014,
https://www.mtholyoke.edu/~rapte22p/classweb/interwarperiod/naziparty.html.
38
39
5
Post-WWII
After World War II, Europe went through the process of reconstruction
for the second time. Once again the losing side, the Axis Powers, had to cede
territory and pay war reparations.46 Germany and Berlin were both split into four
parts, controlled by France, England, the United States of America, and the
Soviet Union. Eventually, the Allied Powers combined their territories, and East
and West Germany came into existence, with a political basis in communism and
democracy respectively.47 Even Austria was occupied by the Allies for a decade.48
Following the Second World War, the Soviet Union began to expand its territory,
as its military was already spread throughout Eastern Europe. They installed
communist regimes where they conquered, creating the divider that would be
known as the Iron Curtain.49
Germany after
the War
Image Credit:
National Public Radio
Also following the war, Nazi Party leaders were arrested and tried in the
Nuremberg Trials. Those found guilty were executed and the Nazi Party was
officially dismantled. Following this, there was a power vacuum in Berlin. Being
deep in East Germany, and thus Soviet territory, West Berlin served as a very
prominent western satellite into the Soviet empire. Recognizing this, the Soviets
tried to cut off all supply lines to Berlin from the western democracies, but after
the Allies airdropped supplies for a full year, the blockades were ended.50
After taking measures to prevent Germany from starting yet another war,
the major task left was the reconstruction of Europe. This was done through the
46 “Results and Aftermath of World War II,” accessed June 2, 2014, http://www.english-online.at/history/world-war-2/resultsand-aftermath-of-world-war-ii.htm.
47 “Results and Aftermath of World War II.”
48 “Results and Aftermath of World War II.”
49 “Results and Aftermath of World War II.”
50 “Results and Aftermath of World War II.”
6
Marshall Plan and the creation of the United Nations.51 The Marshall Plan
provided nearly thirteen billion dollars of aid to sixteen nations, including
Germany.52 The money helped pay for basic staples, advanced technology, and
infrastructure investment.53 However, as the democratic nations provided this aid
and attempted to maintain satellites in the Soviet Union, tensions rose between
the Allied Powers as they were separated by political ideology, neither side
wanting the other to gain more favor globally.
Formation of
East Germany
Initially, the constitution of East Germany laid the groundwork for a two
house legislative branch, a very weak president, and conditions to maintain the
representation of minority political entities in the government.54 Due to the
nature of the constitution, East Germany could have developed into either a
democratic or a socialist state.55 However, with East Germany controlled by the
socialist Soviet Union, the constitution quickly became a meaningless document.
It was at this point that East Germany was officially becoming another state in
the Soviet empire, and was veering away from a Western-style democracy.
West Germany was still on the path of being a democratic state, backed by
the rest of the Allied Powers. Furthermore, West Berlin, also being controlled by
the democratic Allied Power nations, put a spark of democracy into East
Germany. Due to the heavy Soviet influence, East Germany needed to do
something about this. Their educated and younger citizens were fleeing to West
Berlin and West Germany in hopes of finding a life where they felt safer. The East
German government needed to find a way to stop the democratic influence before
they lost a generation of workers, and all of their educated citizens.
Development of Political Parties
Following the birth of East Germany was a birth of a multitude of political
parties as well. One of those parties was the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP). The
LDP was conceived in the tradition of German liberalism.56 Its members believed
in private ownership and individual initiative. 57 The LDP, however, held views
that were contradictory to many of the other leading party’s ideologies at the
time, which tended more towards collectivism. Slowly, the LDP was pressured by
the Socialist Unity Party of Germany (SED) into conforming, eventually causing a
full reversal on what they had once stood for.58 The SED also pressured other
parties into conforming, such as the Christian Democratic Union (CDU).59 The
CDU was originally made of farmers, craftsmen, small manufacturers, and
Christians, including multiple denominations such as Protestants and Roman
Catholics.60 It originally represented the middle class. However, by 1948 its
founding leadership had been removed and the party was no longer independent.
It has since been enveloped by the SED.61
“Results and Aftermath of World War II.”
“The Marshall Plan,” accessed June 2, 2014, http://www.marshallfoundation.org/TheMarshallPlan.htm.
53 “The Marshall Plan.”
54 “Constitution of 1949,” accessed June 2, 2014, http://www.country-data.com/cgi-bin/query/r-5108.html.
55 “Constitution of 1949.”
56 “Liberal Democratic Party of Germany,” accessed June 20, 2014, http://www.country-data.com/cgi-bin/query/r-5128.html.
57 “Liberal Democratic Party of Germany.”
58 Liberal Democratic Party of Germany.”
59 “Liberal Democratic Party of Germany.”
60 “Christian Democratic Union,” accessed June 20, 2014, http://www.country-data.com/cgi-bin/query/r-5127.html.
61 “Christian Democratic Union.”
51
52
7
Socialist Unity
Party
The SED was founded in April of 1949.62 It was formed by merging the
Social Democratic Party (SPD) with the Communist Party of Germany (KPD), the
two major left wing political parties in East Germany. The SED quickly found
itself influencing everyday life, from having an impact on career advancement, to
closely monitoring youth activities.63 The party was rife with corruption and used
its position as the largest East German political party to further its own agendas
and gain power over who becomes president, as well as the operations of the
Volkskammer and the Landerkammer, the two legislative assemblies in East
Germany.64 As part of monitoring the youth activities of its citizens, the SED
started a socialist youth program known as the Free German Youth (FDJ). The
FDJ was an organization for all 14-25 year old German youth, regardless of their
political affiliations.65 The SED kept tight control of it, and although they did not
require membership, youth not in the FDJ had a harder time being accepted into
universities and celebrating holidays. The goal of the FDJ was to mold the
political ideologies of the German youth towards the ruling Communist party,
however this was only moderately successful.66
Democratic Party
of Germany
In the aftermath of World War II, some people turned to nationalism as a
means to cope with the defeat. One party generated from this was the National
Democratic Party of Germany (NDPD). Many of the founders of the NDPD were
former Nazis and their supporters.67 The party leaned heavily to the right. Among
the huge policy goals of the NDPD were ending the idea of German guilt for
World War Two and reunifying Germany.68
German
Communist
Party
On the opposite end of the political spectrum was the German Communist
Party (KPD). The KPD had been a major rival of the Nazi Party, as they were both
seeking power at the same time.69 The KPD was growing at a faster rate, as it
appealed to the working class, who were largely out of work and made up a large
group of people since the nation was in a depression.70 However, the Nazi Party
recognized the power of the KPD and fought against it. After Hitler was
appointed Chancellor in 1933, he blamed the Reichstag Fire that occurred a
month later on the KPD, ending their attempt at political relevancy.71 Due to the
fact that the KPD was the largest communist movement outside of the Soviet
Union, many of its members and leaders fled there seeking refuge.72 However, in
1945, after the fall of the Third Reich, the KPD was restarted in East Germany.73
In 1946 it merged with the SPD to form the SED.74
The Social Democratic Party began in 1875.75 It became the largest party
in Germany, even after The Independent Socialist Party splintered off in 1912.76 It
“The SED-Socialist Unity Party,” accessed June 20, 2014, http://eastgermany.info/sed.htm.
“The SED-Socialist Unity Party.”
64 “The SED-Socialist Unity Party.”
65 “Failure to Connect,” accessed June 20, 2014, http://www.h-net.org/reviews/showrev.php?id=12505.
66 “Failure to Connect.”
67 “National Democratic Party of Germany (NPD),” accessed June 20, 2014,
http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/404728/National-Democratic-Party-of-Germany-NPD.
68 “National Democratic Party of Germany (NPD).”
69 “The Communist Party and Weimar Germany,” accessed June 20, 2014,
http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/communist_party_weimar_germany.htm.
70 “The Communist Party and Weimar Germany.”
71 “The Communist Party and Weimar Germany.”
72 “The Communist Party and Weimar Germany.”
73 “Walter Ulbricht,” accessed June 20, 2014, http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/613163/Walter-Ulbricht.
74 “Walter Ulbricht.”
75 “German Social Democratic Party,” accessed June 20, 2014, http://spartacus-educational.com/GERsdp.htm.
62
63
8
Social
Democratic
Party
continued to be the largest party and have control of both the executive and
legislative branches of government until 1932. The SDP then voted against the
Enabling Act in 1933, which was the act that gave Adolf Hitler dictatorial powers,
and the party was banned for a few months after losing the vote.77 The party had
a brief revival after World War Two, and joined with the KPD to form the SED.
Democratic
Farmer’s Party
The final major political party of East Germany was the Democratic
Farmers’ Party (DBD). The Democratic Farmers’ Party was created by the SED in
1948.78 It served as a satellite party to fight for voters with the CDU and LDP
before they had been coerced into more socialist views.79 It was meant to speak
on behalf of the farmers and other lower class people, and proved to be very
successful. The SED was able to infiltrate the more democratic voter base and
eventually overtake them in that demographic.80 The DBD was critical to the SED
taking control of East German politics.
Some Questions to Consider:
• What political ideologies do I want East Germany to follow, and
how will I pursue them?
• How will I establish the government and other political entities of
the new East German nation?
• What can the government and I do to maintain a happy citizenry
to avoid emigration?
• How will I limit foreign influences, such as the United States and
the Soviet Union, to form a politically competent nation?
“German Social Democratic Party.”
“German Social Democratic Party.”
78 “Politics and Popular Opinion in East Germany, 1945-68,” accessed June 20, 2014,
http://books.google.com/books?id=xrAsDT_ffbIC&pg=PA175&lpg=PA175&dq=democratic+farmers+party+east+germany&so
urce=bl&ots=LVLlNVxB2F&sig=QyPf15notGh9-ZQIPpL1aLewFpQ&hl=en&sa=X&ei=mvekU7TKsyTyATu84Bw&ved=0CFMQ6AEwCA#v=onepage&q=democratic%20farmers%20party&f=false.
79 “Politics and Popular Opinion in East Germany, 1945-68.”
80 “Politics and Popular Opinion in East Germany, 1945-68.”
76
77
9
Delegate Positions
Johannes
Dieckmann
Johannes Dieckmann was a founder of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) of
Germany. He served as chairman of the party shortly after it was formed. His
policy views tended towards liberalism, and he helped to found the Society for
Studying the Culture of the Soviet Union. The LDP was both anti-fascist and anticommunist, believing in private ownership over collectivization. Growing up, he
was the son of a pastor and studied economics. This led him to a career of not
only being a politician, but also in serving on many national economic boards for
Germany.81
Ernst
Goldenbaum
Goldenbaum was a founder and chairman of the Democratic Farmers’ Party
(DFP) of Germany. Upon the Nazi party’s rise to power, he became a farmer and
a communist. Before founding the DFP, he had been a member of the Socialist
Union Party, and he continued to work closely with it as long as he lived. The
DFP was formed as an ally of other major German political parties at the time,
giving them a communist ally when other groups, such as the LDP, were against
communism.82
Lothar Bolz
Lothar Bolz was a German lawyer who fled to Moscow when the Nazi
Regime rose to power. In Moscow, he taught antifascism to German Prisoners of
War (POWs). He became a citizen of the Soviet Union, and returned to Germany
in 1947. He then founded the National Democratic Party of Germany (NDPD),
which was communist backed, consisting mainly of former Nazis and German
soldiers. The NDPD promoted the middle and upper classes, attracting citizens
who had formerly been attracted to the Nazi party. The NDPD claimed to have
liberal ideas and an appeal to German nationalism.83
Erich
Honecker
Erich Honecker began his career as a youth member, and eventually a member,
of the German communist party. When the Nazi party took power, Honecker
organized illegal activities against them, and was sent to a labor camp when he
was caught in 1935. In 1945, he was freed by the Soviet Red Army and was a
founder and chairman of the Free German Youth. The Free German Youth was a
socialist youth group which promoted Marxist and Leninist ideologies. While
participation in the group was not mandatory, those who did not participate
found themselves disadvantaged.84 Additionally, Hoenecker eventually married
Margot Feist, fellow committee member.
Elli Schmidt
Elli Schmidt was a member of the Communist Party of Germany, and after the
rise of the Nazi party, continued to do illegal operations for it. She studied law in
the Soviet Union. After World War Two, she moved back into Germany and
became the head of the women’s secretariat for the Socialist Unity Party. She
helped to found and was chairman of the Democratic Women’s League of
“Johannes Dieckmann,” accessed May 18, 2014, http://www.spiegel.de/spiegel/print/d-45763735.html.
“Ernst Goldenbaum,” accessed May 18, 2014,
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83 “Lothar Bolz,” accessed May 18, 2014,
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84 “Erich Honecker,” accessed May 18, 2014, http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/270825/Erich-Honecker.
81
82
10
Germany, and as long as she was in political office, she was counted on to
maintain the views and wants of women in office. The goal of the Democratic
Women’s League of Germany was equal education for women, the end of fascist
ideas, peaceful education for children, and equal rights.85
Konrad
Adenauer
Konrad Adenauer was the first chancellor of West Germany after World
War II. In 1934, he was arrested by the Nazis and imprisoned for a short time.
The Gestapo arrested him in September 1944, believing that he was part of a
failed bomb plot against Hitler. Following his liberation by the United States
from this second imprisonment, Adenauer went on to form the Christian
Democratic Union (CDU), a new political party. This party and Adenauer were
strongly anti-communist and unwilling to compromise with the Soviets, even if
the payoff was reunifying Germany into one nation. Adenauer helped found the
party to unite all the various Christian denominations as a political entity,
influenced by liberal conservatism, in order to prevent the rise of another Naziesque political party. He was a huge supporter of democracy and a capitalist
economy.86
Otto Suhr
Otto Suhr began his post-war political career reorganizing the Social Democratic
Party (SPD) in Berlin. He served as the chairman of the party, and was president
of the Berlin city assembly. The SPD during this time was a Marxist leaning party,
favoring social ownership of the means of production. In 1949 he became a
member of the Bundestag. The Bundestag was the new legislative house in West
Germany, replacing the old Reichstag. He maintained his contacts in Berlin, as
well as a prominent role in the SPD. He was also present at the drafting of the
new German constitution.87
Robert
Schuman
Ernest Bevin
Robert Schuman lived in Luxembourg at the start of World War II. He became
part of the French wartime government, but was arrested by the Gestapo when it
was revealed that he was working with the French resistance in 1940. In 1942, he
escaped and continued to work with the resistance. After the war he became a
very prominent political figure. His ideologies followed those of militant social
Catholics and he belonged primarily to Christian Democrat political parties. He
served as both prime minister and foreign minister of France, becoming an
integral part of any foreign affairs that France dealt with.88
Born in Britain, Ernest Bevin was a very prominent union voice in his youth. He
created the Transport and Gerneral Workers’ Union, which became the largest
trade union in the world, and served as the general secretary until 1940. He was
also instrumental in causing and settling the British general strike in May 1926.
Throughout the 1930’s, Bevin advocated for Britain to take measures against Nazi
Germany and Mussolini’s Italy. Due to his vocalism, Churchill named him as part
of the wartime government as minister of labor and national service, and he
85 “The East German Leadership, 1946-73: Conflict and Crisis,” accessed May 18, 2014,
http://books.google.com/books?id=vzmNb84n7sUC&pg=PA92&lpg=PA92&dq=elli+schmidt+biography&source=bl&ots=OBtZ
2s5Ypk&sig=h7-QuGRUkoT4V52BZyOFUkozxlo&hl=en&sa=X&ei=1x4U_vKBLLesASn9YDwDA&ved=0CEkQ6AEwCTgK#v=onepage&q=elli%20schmidt&f=false.
86 “Konrad Adenauer (1876-1967),” accessed June 3, 2014,
http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/historic_figures/adenauer_konrad.shtml.
87 “Dr. Otto Suhr,” accessed June 3, 2014, http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=de&u=http://www.parlamentberlin.de/de/Das-Parlament/Der-Praesident/Fruehere-Praesidenten/Dr.-OttoSuhr&prev=/search%3Fq%3DOtto%2BSuhr%2B1949%26espv%3D2.
88 “Who was Robert Schuman?” accessed June 3, 2014,
http://www.eui.eu/DepartmentsAndCentres/RobertSchumanCentre/AboutRSCAS/WhowasRobertSchuman.aspx.
11
served in the War Cabinet. After World War II, Bevin was named the foreign
secretary of Great Britain. He was a factor in the Brussels Treaty, Organization
for European Economic Cooperation, and many other agreements. He was also
quick to advocate against the recognition of Soviet-sponsored governments in the
Balkans.89
Dean Acheson
Dean Acheson began working for the United States Department of State as the
Assistant Secretary of State for Economic Affairs in 1941, which allowed him a
degree of oversight on the United States oil embargo of Japan. After the war he
remained as part of the Truman administration as the Under Secretary of State
for James Byrnes. He represented the United States in talks that ultimately
created the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration, the Food
and Agriculture Organization, and the International Monetary Fund. In 1949,
Truman made him Secretary of State. As Secretary of State Acheson recognized
the ideological and military threat that the Soviet Union posed to the United
States. He believed in the containment of communism and the Truman Doctrine.
Truman often allowed Acheson to make the first official statements on United
States foreign affairs. In 1949, Acheson helped form the North Atlantic Treaty
Organization, serving the purposes of creating a defensive alliance against the
Soviets in Europe, as well as ensuring that West Germany was securely attached
to the western world.90
Andrey
Vyshinsky
Andrey Vyshinsky was an unknown lawyer in the Soviet Union until 1915, when
he signed the arrest warrant for Lenin.91 In 1922 he became state prosecutor and
began to charge alleged enemies of the state. This included a 1924 case in which
17 people were sentenced to death, including judges. He also masterminded the
1936-1938 “Great Purge.”92 The Great Purge killed many of Stalin’s political rivals
in trials that had been predetermined and used mostly illegally coerced
confessions as evidence. He was the vice-premier of the Soviet Union from 1940
to 1944, during which he was responsible for the Latvian genocide. In 1949 he
was named the foreign minister.93
Nikolai
Shvernik
Nikolai Shvernik was born on May 7th, 1888. He began his career as a
metalworker, and was politically active as a party member of the Russian Social
Democratic Labor Party.94 After the February Revolution in Russia in 1917, due to
his political activism, Nikolai became chairman of the Samara soviet. In 1918 he
became commissar of the Eastern and Southern fronts and was responsible for
supplying armies on the Caucasian Front.95 Over the course of 1921 through 1930,
Nikolai was constantly changing political positions between the legislature and
trade unions depending on where the government felt he was needed. In 1930 he
became the first secretary of the All-Union Central Committee of Trade Unions.96
In 1946 he became the chairman of the Presidum of the Supreme Soviet of the
“Ernest Bevin,” accessed June 3, 2014, http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/63708/Ernest-Bevin.
“Biographies of the Secretaries of State: Dean Gooderham Acheson,” accessed June 3, 2014,
https://history.state.gov/departmenthistory/people/acheson-dean-gooderham.
91 “Andrei Vyshinsky, 1883-1954,” accessed June 18, 2014, http://www.duhaime.org/LawMuseum/LawArticle-1147/AndreyVyshinsky-1883-1954.aspx.
92 “Andrei Vyshinsky, 1883-1954.”
93 “Andrei Vyshinsky, 1883-1954.”
94 “Shvernik, Nikolai Mikhailovich,” accessed June 19, 2014, http://encyclopedia2.thefreedictionary.com/Nikolay+Shvernik.
95 “Shvernik, Nikolai Mikhailovich.”
96 “Shvernik, Nikolai Mikhailovich.”
89
90
12
USSR, which had the function of acting as the government while the soviet was
not in session; Nikolai, as chairman, was the head of state in regards to law.97
Walter
Ulbricht
Walter Ulbricht initially trained to be a cabinet maker. In 1908 he joined
theSocialist Workers Youth, and in 1912 he officially became a member of the
German Socialist Party. He fought for the German army in World War I until his
desertion in 1918. While in the army he joined the Spartacus League, the
predecessor to the German Communist Party (KPD). He was elected to the KPD’s
central committee in 1923 and the Reichstag in 1928. He fled Germany in 1933,
fearing the Nazi Party as Hitler was having the KPD’s leaders imprisoned and
ending the party. After World War II, Ulbricht returned to Germany from exile.
He played a key role in the 1946 merger between the KPD and the Social
Democratic Party. In 1949, Ulbricht was declared the deputy prime minister of
Eastern Germany.98
Gerald
Götting
Gerald Götting attended high school through 1941. He then served in the Reich
Labor Service until he was drafted into the air corps of the Wehrmacht. After the
war he began attending university, but he dropped out due to a growing interest
in politics. In 1946 he joined the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and within
14 months was elected to the second state convention of the CDU as a youth
representative and to be sixth chairman in the State Executive Committee.99 In
1949 he managed to climb the political ladder and became part of the Central
Council, working with Margot Feist. Also in 1949, Gerald was declared the
General Secretary of the CDU by its chairman Otto Nuschke.100
Margot
Feist
Margot Feist was born into poverty and was unable to attend school after
elementary school. Despite these struggles, she found work as a clerk and then a
telephone operator. She entered politics in 1945 by joining the German
Communist Party (KPD). When the Social Democratic Party (SPD) merged with
the KPD, she became a member of the newly formed Socialist Unity Party of
Germany (SED). This move proved to be a valuable stepping stone in her career.
In 1946 she became a member of the Free German Youth (FDJ) district board
hall. In 1947 she was the Head of the Department of Culture and Education of the
FDJ, and in 1948 she was the Secretary of the Central Council of the FDJ. In 1949
she also became a deputy of the Provisional People’s Chamber.101 In her personal
life, she married Erich Honecker, the Free German Youth head.
Friedrich
Ebert Jr.
Friedrich Ebert Jr. was the son of Friedrich Ebert, the first president of the
Weimar Republic. Ebert Jr. joined the Socialist Workers Youth Education
Association when he was a young man. In 1913 he became a member of the
Social Democratic Party (SPD) and began a career in the media. He took a job in
Nuremberg as a printer and began writing local political articles.102 In 1927 he
was elected to serve on the Unterbezirkstag as the local chairman of the SPD.
“Shvernik, Nikolai Mikhailovich.”
“Walter Ulbricht,” accessed June 19, 2014, http://www.coldwar.org/articles/50s/WalterUlbricht.asp.
99 “Götting, Gerald,” accessed June 19, 2014,
http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=de&u=http://www.kas.de/wf/de/71.8532/&prev=/search%3Fq%3DGerald%2
BGotting%26espv%3D2.
100 “Götting, Gerald.”
101 “Margot Honecker,” accessed June 19, 2014,
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102 “Ebert, Friedrich junior,” accessed June 19, 2014,
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97
98
13
After World War Two, during which he had been a prisoner in several different
camps, Ebert restarted his political career. He was involved in the merger
between the SPD and the KPD. Then, in 1948, due to his experience as a major
political player and his time in the media, Ebert became the mayor of East
Berlin.103
Ernst
Reuter
Ernst Reuter became a member of the Social Democratic Party in 1912. He was
drafted into World War I, during which he became a Russian prisoner of war. He
joined the Bolshevik revolution, returned to Germany after its completion, and
became the Communist Party secretary for Berlin. He rejoined the Social
Democrats in 1922.104 In 1926 he was elected to the Berlin City Assembly. In 1931
he became mayor of Magdeburg and in 1932 he was elected into the Reichstag.
However, he lived in exile during the Third Reich. In 1946 Reuter returned to
Germany and reorganized the Social Democratic Party. In 1947 he was elected
mayor of Berlin, but the Soviet Union vetoed his appointment. In 1948, after
Berlin had been divided, Reuter was elected the mayor of West Berlin.105
Konstantin
Rokossovsky
Konstantin Rokossovsky grew up in Warsaw, Poland. In 1914 he was conscripted
into the Russian Army and received several awards. In 1919 he joined the
Communist Party. Through the 1920’s he was promoted through the ranks of the
military and was gaining experience as a commander. However, as part of Stalin’s
Great Purge in 1939, he was sentenced to death as a Polish spy.106 However, in
July of 1941, when Germany invaded with Operation Barbaross, Rokossovsky was
called into action as a commander. He distinguished himself as a commander by
winning many battles, especially while defending Moscow and Stalingrad. He
proved to be a valuable asset to the Russian military, and was loyal even through
being ordered to not aid a Warsaw rebellion because it sought independence and
not Soviet help. In 1949 he was rewarded with the position of Minister of Defense
of Poland, a Russian influenced Communist regime, and proved to be one of the
most powerful men in Poland.107
Josip Broz Tito
Josip Broz Tito was born into a poor Croation family, and eventually found his
way into the Austro-Hungarian army in 1914. He was captured by the Russians
during World War I, and converted to communism, eventually taking part in the
Bolshevik Revolution.108 After the revolution, Broz returned to Yugoslavia where
he became a political activist. In 1928 Broz was arrested for being a communist,
and upon his release he went to the Soviet Union, where he received his
nickname “Tito.” Tito took part in the Spanish Civil War, and was promoted to
being a senior commander of a battalion. After Germany invaded Yugoslavia, Tito
established a group of resistance fighters there and gained the support of
Winston Churchill. In 1944 he became the War Minister of Yugoslavia and
continued to fight off the Germans.109 In 1945 he became the premier of
Yugoslavia. Tito often had disagreements with Stalin, and in 1948, he took
Yugoslavia out of Soviet control and attempted to maintain a policy of “positive
neutralism.”110
“Ebert, Friedrich junior.”
“Ernst Reuter,” accessed June 20, 2014, http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/500249/Ernst-Reuter.
105 “Ernst Reuter.”
106 “Konstantin Rokossovsky,” accessed June 20, 2014, http://ww2db.com/person_bio.php?person_id=34.
107 “Konstantin Rokossovsky.”
108 “Josip Broz (Tito),” accessed June 20, 2014, http://spartacus-educational.com/2WWtito.htm.
109 “Josip Broz (Tito).”
110 “Josip Broz (Tito).”
103
104
14
Walther
Schreiber
Walther Schreiber was born June 10, 1884. In 1911, he settled down as a lawyer.
He volunteered in 1914 to serve in the German army during World War One. In
1919 he became a member of the German Democratic Party and became a deputy
in the parliament. In 1924 he was among the leadership for the part of the
government that was in the Democratic Party’s control. In 1925 he was named
the minister of trade and commerce. However, in 1933, when the Nazi Party took
power, Schreiber’s political career was ended. After World War Two, he became a
founding member of the CDU. From there, he obtained numerous leadership
positions, including being on the Berlin City Council and Deputy Speaker of
Parliament. In 1947 he was elected the Chairman of the CDU, and in 1949 he was
the Chairman of the City Council as well.111
Theodor
Heuss
Theodor Heuss was born January 31, 1884. He studied economics and art history
in Munich and Berlin. During World War One, he sustained a shoulder injury
that prevented him from continuing to serve, as well as preventing him from
being in the army during World War Two. In 1924 he was elected to the Reichstag
with the DDP. In 1932, Heuss published an anti-Hitler book, which angered the
Nazi Party. The following year he lost his seat in the Reichstag and had to
continue publishing his work under a pseudonym. In 1946 he was elected
chairman of the People’s Democratic Party in the U.S. Zone. In 1948 he founded
the Free Democratic Party and was its first national chairman. In 1949 he was
elected the first President of the Federal Republic of Germany, where he helped
to implement left-leaning legislation.112
111
“Walther Schreiber – Short Biography,” http://www.berlin.de/rbmskzl/regierenderbuergermeister/buergermeister-von-berlin/buergermeistergalerie/artikel.4573.p. 112
“Navigation und Service,” http://www.bundespraesident.de/DE/Die-­‐
Bundespraesidenten/Theodor-­‐Heuss/theodor-­‐heuss-­‐node.html. 15
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