Cold War - The East German Uprising 1953

• GDR was a Comecon member -> reorganised economy to the USSR model
• 1951: Five-Year-Plan intended to double GDR industrial output, therefore steel, iron and chemicals were produced
• July 1952, workers individual production targets were raised by 10% and as well as this there was a shrap increase in food and transport prices
• Increasing numbers began fleeding to West Berlin and the FRG through Berlin's Open Frontier. Many were workers and farmers, depriving GDR of vital resources

• The crisis embarrassed the new Soviet leadership. If anti-gvt revolt reupted, troops would have to be sent in, threatening and destroying the USSR's hopes of detente
• The value of the GDR to the Soviet bloc was reassassed by Beria, head of Soviet secret police - it was proving to be expesnsive, unstable and a frictious area with the west. Beria and Malenkov (deputy PM) pushed for a more neutral DEU.
• However, they failed to win over other Soviet ministers who wanted a communit Germany, although they did summon Ulbricht to Moscow in June 1953.
• He was told not to antagonise groups within the GDR, but he failed to scale down targets for workers. Some believe he deliberately provoked an uprising to trigger USSR intervention, which would make it harder to unite DEU and keep it a Soviet satellite, ensuring Ulbricht remained in power.

16 June 1953

• Strike and riots broke out. Workers demanded higher pay, political reform and re-est. of DEU Socialist Party
• By the next day, uncoordinated stikes, demonstrations and riots erupted across the whole of GDR. Crowds called for resignation of the government, and in two cities there were efforts to take over city gvts. In East berlin 100,000 demonstrated. The gvt distrused loyalty of police force and asked for Soviet intervention

17th June

• Soviet troops and tanks suppressed the uprising but it continued through the summer. 125 were killed

The uprising took both Soviets and West by surprise

• Eisenhower did not interfere with Soviet suppression of uprising. He hoped that seeing Soviets in East Berlin would fuel fears of USSR and so re-elect Adenauer.
• But there was a danger that if nothing was done, DEU would be let down, affecting US and Adenauers position.

Eisenhower's strategy:

• USA - respond to pressure of public in FRG for intervention by calling a Foreign Minister Conference on DEU's future
• Simultaneously: radio broadcasts in West Berlin would do all it could to prolong E.DEU unrest
• This policty strengthened Adenauer's support and he won the next election