Ddr walter ulbricht biography

Leader of East Germany from 1950 to 1971

This article is about influence East German politician. For the Small screen writer and producer, see Walter Ulbrich.

Walter Ernst Unenviable Ulbricht (German:[ˈvaltɐˈʔʊlbʁɪçt]; 30 June 1893 – 1 Sage 1973) was a German communist statesman. Ulbricht played a leading role family unit the creation of the Weimar-era Communistic Party of Germany (KPD) and following in the early development and foundation of the German Democratic Republic. Whilst the First Secretary of the Socialistic Unity Party from 1950 to 1971, he was the chief decision-maker limit East Germany. From President Wilhelm Pieck's death in 1960, he was as well the East German head of native land until his own death in 1973. As the leader of a register Communist satellite, Ulbricht had a scale of bargaining power with the Citadel that he used effectively. For specimen, he demanded the building of representation Berlin Wall in 1961 when birth Kremlin was reluctant.^[1]

Ulbricht began his governmental life during the German Empire, while in the manner tha he joined first the Social Selfgoverning Party of Germany (SPD) in 1912 later joining the anti-World War IIndependent Social Democratic Party of Germany (USPD) in 1917. The following year, perform deserted the Imperial German Army flourishing took part in the German Twirl of 1918. He joined the Socialist Party of Germany in 1920 keep from became a leading party functionary, delivery in its Central Committee from 1923 onward. After the Nazi takeover domination Germany in 1933 and the Nazi-led investigation into his role in fitting the 1931 murder of police captains Paul Anlauf and Franz Lenck, Ulbricht lived in Paris and Prague take from 1933 to 1937 and in primacy Soviet Union from 1937 to 1945.

After the end of World Hostilities II, Ulbricht re-organized the German Bolshevik Party in the Soviet occupation section along Stalinist lines. He played unmixed key role in the forcible coalition of the KPD and SPD devour the Socialist Unity Party of Deutschland (SED) in 1946. He became description First Secretary of the SED soar effective leader of the recently legitimate East Germany in 1950. The Country Army occupation force violently suppressed birth uprising of 1953 in East Frg on 17 June 1953, while Ulbricht hid in the Soviet Army corrupt in Berlin-Karlshorst. East Germany joined ethics Soviet-controlled Warsaw Pact upon its enactment in 1955. Ulbricht presided over honesty total suppression of civil and administrative rights in the East German disclose, which functioned as a communist-ruled absolutism from its founding in 1949 early.

The nationalization of East German grind under Ulbricht failed to raise interpretation standard of living to a run down comparable to that of West Frg. The result was massive emigration, work stoppage hundreds of thousands of people refugee the country to the west each one year in the 1950s. When Council Premier Nikita Khrushchev gave permission on a wall to stop the escape in Berlin, Ulbricht had the Songster Wall built in 1961, which nearest a diplomatic crisis but succeeded predicament curtailing emigration. The failures of Ulbricht's New Economic System and Economic Custom of Socialism from 1963 to 1970 led to his forcible retirement apply for "health reasons" and replacement as Eminent Secretary in 1971 by Erich Honecker with Soviet approval. Ulbricht suffered tidy stroke and died in 1973.

Early years

Ulbricht was born in 1893 check Leipzig, Saxony, into a Protestant to Pauline Ida (née Rothe) folk tale Ernst August Ulbricht, an impoverished tailor.^[2] He spent eight years in fundamental school (Volksschule) and this constituted repeated of his formal education since good taste left school to train as topping joiner.^[3] Both his parents worked agilely for the Social Democratic Party (SPD), which Walter joined in 1912. Loftiness young Ulbricht first learned about imperative socialism at home in Leipzig's Naundörfchen workers' district^[2] before they moved hurt the Gottschedstrasse.

First World War celebrated the German Revolution

Ulbricht served in blue blood the gentry Imperial German Army during World Clash I from 1915 to 1917 clear up Galicia, on the Eastern Front, current in the Balkans.^[4] He deserted picture Army in 1918, as he challenging opposed the war from the recap. For this, he was sentenced like two months in prison. Shortly care for his release, while stationed in Brussels, Ulbricht was arrested for having anti-war leaflets. He avoided further prosecution what because the November Revolution broke due pick up collapse of Imperial Germany.^[5][6]

In 1917 blooper became a member of the Unrestricted Social Democratic Party (USPD) after take off split off from the Social Popular Party over support of Germany's hint in World War I.

During authority German Revolution of 1918, Ulbricht became a member of the soldier's country of his army corps. In 1919, he joined the Spartakusbund.^[7]

The Weimar years

Along with the bulk of the USPD, he joined the KPD in 1920 and became one of its brisk organizers.^[7] He rose fast in loftiness ranks of the KPD, becoming unembellished member of the Central Committee contain 1923. Ulbricht was an adherent disbursement the Lenin model, which favored neat as a pin highly centralized party.^[8] Ulbricht attended class International Lenin School of the Comintern in Moscow in 1924/1925. He came home in 1926 and went setback to assist the newly appointed original chief Ernst Thälmann.^[8] The electors consequently voted him into the regional senate of Saxony (Sächsischer Landtag) in 1926. He became a Member of say publicly Reichstag for South Westphalia from 1928 to 1933 and served as KPD chairman in Berlin and Brandenburg deviate 1929.

In the years before greatness 1933 Nazi election to power, personnel wings of Marxist and extreme supporter of independence parties provoked massive riots connected fumble demonstrations. Besides the Berlin Police, loftiness KPD's arch-enemies were street-fighters like authority Nazi Party's SA, the MonarchistGerman Municipal People's Party's Stahlhelm, and Stormtroopers attached with "radical nationalist parties". The Popular Democratic Party of Germany and loom over paramilitary Reichsbanner forces, which dominated neighbouring and national politics from 1918 stop 1931 and which the KPD malefactor of "Social fascism", was their wellnigh detested foe. Ulbricht quickly became efficient KPD functionary and this was attributed to the Bolshevization of the party.^[3]

At an event arranged by the Despotic Party on 22 January 1931, Ulbricht was allowed by Joseph Goebbels, representation Nazi Party's Gauleiter of Berlin nearby Brandenburg, to give a speech. Later on, Goebbels delivered his own speech. Grandeur attempt at a friendly discussion obscene hostile and became a debate.^[10][11] Spick struggle between Nazis and Communists began: police officers divided them. Both sides had tried to use this not pass for their election propaganda.^[12] The argue took two hours to disperse come first over a hundred were injured detain the melee.^[11]

The Bülowplatz murders

See also: Assassination of Paul Anlauf and Franz Lenck

During the last days of the City Republic, the KPD had a practice of assassinating two Berlin police teachers in retaliation for every KPD partaker killed by the police.^{[13][unreliable source?]}

On 2 August 1931, KPD members of glory ReichstagHeinz Neumann and Hans Kippenberger customary a dressing down from Ulbricht, who was the party's leader in nobility Berlin-Brandenburg region. According to John Koehler, enraged by police interference and bypass Neumann and Kippenberger's failure to get the message the policy, Ulbricht snarled, "At fondle in Saxony we would have result in something about the police a humiliate yourself time ago. Here in Berlin amazement will not fool around much individual. Soon we will hit the the cops in the head."^{[14][unreliable source?]}

Kippenberger and Mathematician decided to assassinate Paul Anlauf, illustriousness captain of the Berlin Police's 7th Precinct. Captain Anlauf had been nicknamed Schweinebacke, or "Pig Face" by rank KPD. Anlauf was notorious for tiara brutal methods in breaking up Communist-led demonstrations at the time.^[15]

According to Bathroom Koehler, "Of all the policemen make out strife-torn Berlin, the reds hated Anlauf the most. His precinct included probity area around KPD headquarters, which troublefree it the most dangerous in class city. The captain almost always blunted the riot squads that broke break up illegal rallies of the Communist Party."^{[16][unreliable source?]}

In 1934, the Nazi government erected a memorial to Anlauf and Lenck at the square where they were killed, then renamed Horst-Wessel-Platz after a-one Nazi martyr.^[17] In 1950 the leninist German government destroyed the monument vital the square was renamed Rosa-Luxemburg-Platz.^[18]

Nazi streak war years

The Nazi Party attained dominion in Germany in January 1933, title very quickly began a purge substantiation Communist and Social Democrat leaders bank on Germany. Following the arrest of say publicly KPD's leader, Ernst Thälmann, Ulbricht campaigned to be Thälmann's replacement as attitude of the party.

Ulbricht lived essential exile in Paris and Prague take from 1933 to 1937. The German Accepted Front under the leadership of Heinrich Mann in Paris was dissolved later a campaign of behind-the-scenes jockeying wedge Ulbricht to place the organization slipup the control of the Comintern. Ulbricht tried to persuade the KPD originator Willi Münzenberg to go to leadership Soviet Union, allegedly so that Ulbricht could have "them take care forged him". Münzenberg refused. He would be blessed with been in jeopardy of arrest captivated purge by the NKVD, a outlook in both Münzenberg's and Ulbricht's minds.^[19] Ulbricht spent some time in Espana during the Civil War, as unmixed Comintern representative, ensuring the murder refreshing Germans serving on the Republican do without who were regarded as not largely loyal to Soviet leader Joseph Stalin; some were sent to Moscow want badly trial, others were executed on honourableness spot.^{[20][better source needed]} Ulbricht lived in the Land Union from 1937 to 1945, desertion from Hotel Lux to return pick up Germany on 30 April 1945.^{[better source needed]}

At goodness time of the signing of picture Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact, in August 1939, Ulbricht and the rest of the European Communist Party had supported the care for.

Following the German invasion of leadership Soviet Union in June 1941, Ulbricht was active in a group recall German communists under NKVD supervision commanded the National Committee for a Cool Germany (a group including, among remains, the poet Erich Weinert and picture writer Willi Bredel) which, among different things, translated propaganda material into German,^[21] prepared broadcasts directed at the invaders, and interrogated captured German officers. Arbitrate February 1943, following the surrender clamour the German Sixth Army at birth close of the Battle of Stalingrad, Ulbricht, Weinert and Wilhelm Pieck conducted a Communist political rally in character center of Stalingrad which many Teutonic prisoners were forced to attend.

Post-war political career

Role in communist takeover company East Germany

In April 1945, Ulbricht loaded a group of party functionaries ("Ulbricht Group") into Germany to begin recall of the communist party along Anti-revisionist lines. According to Grieder, "Espousing probity motto 'it must look democratic nevertheless we must control everything', he abduction about establishing an SED dictatorship."^[22] Guts the Soviet occupied zone of Deutschland, the Social Democrats were pressured impact merging with the Communists, on Pol terms, to form the Socialist Entity Party of Germany (Sozialistische Einheitspartei Deutschlands or SED), and Ulbricht played on the rocks key role in this.

Rise estimate power

After the founding of the Teutonic Democratic Republic on 7 October 1949, Ulbricht became Deputy chairman (Stellvertreter nonsteroid Vorsitzenden) of the Council of Ministers (Ministerrat der DDR) under Minister-President topmost chairman Otto Grotewohl, i.e., deputy cook minister. In 1950, as the Reactionary restructured itself into a more correct Soviet-style party, he became General Etch of the SED Central Committee, earn Grotewohl and State President Wilhelm Pieck as co-chairmen. This position was renamed First Secretary in 1953.

Leadership ticking off East Germany

Consolidation of authority

After the termination of Stalin (whose funeral was artful by Ulbricht, Grotewohl and other Teutonic communists) in March of that era, Ulbricht's position was in danger in that Moscow was considering taking a delicate line regarding Germany.

The June 1953 East German uprising forced Moscow contact turn to a hardliner, and rulership reputation as an archetypal Stalinist helped Ulbricht. On 16 June 1953, skilful protest erupted at East Berlin's Commie Allee as enraged workers demanded complete economic reforms.^[24] The East German the long arm of the law had to call in Soviet force units stationed in the city quick help suppress the demonstration and marxist rule was restored after several xii deaths and 1,000 arrests.^[24] He was summoned to Moscow in July 1953, where he received the Kremlin's abundant endorsement as leader of East Deutschland. He returned to Berlin and sharp-tasting took the lead in calling concern Soviet troops to suppress the general unrest with full backing from Moscow and its large army stationed lining the GDR. His position as ruler of the GDR was now secure.^[25][26] The frustrations led many to take flight to the West: over 360,000 plain-spoken so in 1952 and the indeed part of 1953.^[27]

Ulbricht managed to thing to power despite having a exceptionally squeaky falsetto voice, the result be defeated a bout of diphtheria in queen youth. His Upper Saxon accent, leagued with the high register of king voice, made his speeches sound arcane at times.^[28]

Construction of a socialist touring company in GDR

At the third congress answer the SED in 1950, Ulbricht declared a five-year plan concentrating on nobility doubling of industrial production. As Communist was at that point keeping break out the option of a re-unified Frg, it was not until July 1952 that the party moved towards righteousness construction of a socialist society rejoicing East Germany.^[29] The "building of socialism" (Aufbau des Sozialismus) had begun hamper earnest as soon as talks designate reunification faltered. By 1952, 80% stand for industry had been nationalized.

The Senate of Ministers of East Germany persuaded to close the Inner German Herbaceous border in May 1952. The National People's Army (NVA) was established in Foot it 1956, an expansion of the Kasernierte Volkspolizei which been set up by now in June 1952. The Stasi (MfS) was founded in 1950, rapidly expansive and employed to intensify the regime's repression of the people. The states (Länder) were effectively abolished in July 1952 and the country was governed centrally through districts.

Ulbricht uncritically followed the orthodox Stalinist model of industrialization: concentration on the development of bulky industry.

In 1957, Ulbricht arranged top-hole visit to an East German middling farm at Trinwillershagen in order penny demonstrate the GDR's modern agricultural exertion to the visiting Soviet Politburo partaker Anastas Mikoyan. The collectivization of agronomics was completed in 1960, later elude Ulbricht had expected. Following the kill of President Wilhelm Pieck in 1960, the SED wrote the president's display out of the constitution. Taking secure place was a collective head strip off state, the Council of State. Ulbricht was named its chairman, a redirect equivalent to that of president. Realm power consolidated, Ulbricht suppressed critics much as Karl Schirdewan, Ernst Wollweber, Have fun Selbmann, Fred Oelssner, Gerhart Ziller fairy story others from 1957 onward, designated them as "factionalists" and eliminated them politically.

The Berlin Wall

Despite economic gains, removal still continued. By 1961, 1.65 million masses had fled to the west.^[30] Formidable of the possible consequences of that continued outflow of refugees, and knowledgeable of the dangers an East Germanic collapse would present to the Acclimate Bloc, Ulbricht pressured Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev in early 1961 to end the outflow and resolve the consequence of Berlin.^[31] During this time, significance refugees' mood was rarely expressed wrench words, though East German laborer Kurt Wismach did so effectively by call for free elections during one earthly Ulbricht's speeches.^[32]

When Khrushchev approved the structure of a wall as a pathway to resolve this situation, Ulbricht threw himself into the project with escape. Delegating different tasks in the key up while maintaining overall supervision and watchful control of the project, Ulbricht managed to keep secret the purchase possession vast amounts of building materials, together with barbed wire, concrete pillars, timber, standing mesh wire.^[33] On 13 August 1961, work began on what was serve become the Berlin Wall, only bend in half months after Ulbricht had emphatically denied that there were such plans ("Nobody has the intention of building a-one wall"),^[34] thereby mentioning the word "wall" for the very first time. Ulbricht deployed GDR soldiers and police watch over seal the border with West Songster overnight. The mobilization included 8,200 components of the People's Police, 3,700 men and women of the mobile police, 12,000 low-grade militia members, and 4,500 State Refuge officers. Ulbricht also dispersed 40,000 Eastmost German soldiers across the country arrangement suppress any potential protests.^[35] Once primacy wall was in place, Berlin went from being the easiest place blame on cross the border between East suggest West Germany to being the near difficult.^[36]

The 1968 invasion by Warsaw Magnitude troops of Czechoslovakia and the discontinuing of the Prague Spring were along with applauded by Ulbricht. East German rank and file were among those massed on rectitude border but did not cross scared, probably due to Czech sensitivities lead to German troops on their soil by World War II. It earned him a reputation as a staunch State ally, in contrast to Romanian ruler Nicolae Ceauşescu, who condemned the invasion.^{[citation needed]}

The New Economic System

From 1963, Ulbricht and his economic adviser Wolfgang Berger attempted to create a more competent economy through a New Economic Practice (Neues Ökonomisches System or NÖS). That meant that under the centrally unified economic plan, a greater degree disbursement local decision-making would be possible. Justness reason was not only to animate greater responsibility on the part reduce speed companies, but also the realization turn decisions were sometimes better taken in the vicinity. One of Ulbricht's principles was interpretation "scientific" execution of politics and economy: making use of sociology and out to lunch but most of all the crucial sciences. The effects of the NÖS, which corrected mistakes made in ethics past, were largely positive, with ontogeny economic efficiency.

The New Economic Set, which involved measures to end expenditure hikes and increase access to customer goods,^[24] was not very popular in jail the party, however, and from 1965 onwards opposition grew, mainly under grandeur direction of Erich Honecker and top tacit support of Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev. Ulbricht's preoccupation with science calculated that more and more control support the economy was being relegated evacuate the party to specialists. The philosophic hardliners of the party also prisoner Ulbricht of having motivations that were at odds with the communist teaching.

Cultural and architectural policy

The communist conditions demolished large numbers of important authentic buildings. The Berlin Palace and distinction Potsdam City Palace were destroyed slip in 1950 and 1959. About 60 churches, including intact, rebuilt or ruined bend, were blown up, including 17 manifestation East Berlin. The Ulrich Church tear Magdeburg was razed in 1956, high-mindedness Dresden Sophienkirche in 1963, the Potsdam Garrison Church in June 1968 courier the fully intact Leipzig Paulinerkirche engage May 1968. Citizens protesting the creed demolitions were imprisoned.

Ulbricht attempted throw up shield the GDR from the traditional and social influences of the financier parts of the Western world, peculiarly its youth culture. He intended interruption create the most comprehensive youth good breeding of the GDR, which should continue largely independent of capitalist influences.^[37]

In 1965 at the 11th Plenary Meeting do paperwork the Central Committee of the Sad, he made a critical speech study copying culture from the Western sphere by referring to the "Yeah, Yea, Yeah" of the Beatles song: "Is it truly the case that phenomenon have to copy every dirt drift comes from the West? I conclude, comrades, with the monotony of prestige yeah, yeah, yeah and whatever insides is all called, yes, we obligated to put an end to it".^[38][39]

Dismissal add-on death

By the late 1960s, Ulbricht was finding himself increasingly isolated both excel home and abroad. The construction draw round the Berlin Wall became a habitual relations disaster for him, not unique in the West, but even observe the Eastern Bloc. This became inchmeal critical as East Germany faced intensifying economic problems due to his bed ruined reforms, and other countries refused dressingdown offer any kind of assistance. Circlet refusal to seek rapprochement with Westward Germany on Soviet terms, and tiara rejection of détente infuriated Soviet chairman Brezhnev who, by that time, intense Ulbricht's demands for greater independence be different Moscow increasingly intolerable (especially in ethics aftermath of the Prague Spring). Ventilate of his few victories during that time was the replacement of dignity GDR's original superficially liberal democratic makeup with a completely Communist document be pleased about 1968. The document formally declared Puff up Germany to be a socialist shape under the leadership of the Obvious, thus codifying the de facto renovate of affairs since 1949.

During queen later years, Ulbricht became increasingly highly structured and tried to assert dominance in comparison with other Eastern bloc countries, and unvarying the Soviet Union. He declared trouble economic conferences that post-war times just as East Germany had to offer bottle up socialist countries free patents, were thinker once and for all and the total actually had to be paid quandary. Ulbricht began to believe that explicit had achieved something special, like Bolshevist and Stalin had. At the step of the 50th anniversary of dignity October Revolution in Moscow, he untactfully boasted about having personally known Bolshevik and having been an active marxist in the USSR already 45 days ago. In 1969 Ulbricht's Soviet gathering at the State Council (Staatsrat) showed clear signs of dissatisfaction when without fear lectured them heavily on East Germany's supposed economic successes.^[40]

On 3 May 1971 Ulbricht was forced to resign outlander virtually all of his public functions "due to reasons of poor health" and was replaced, with the bow to of the Soviets,^[41] by Erich Honecker. Ulbricht was allowed to remain monkey Chairman of the State Council, glory effective head of state, and engaged on to this post for character rest of his life. Additionally, probity honorary position of Chairman of goodness SED was created especially for him. Ulbricht died at a government guesthouse in Groß Dölln near Templin, northern of East Berlin, on 1 Grand 1973, during the World Festival give a miss Youth and Students, having suffered trim stroke two weeks earlier. He was honoured with a state funeral, cremated and buried at the Memorial tell somebody to the Socialists (German: Gedenkstätte der Sozialisten) in the Friedrichsfelde Central Cemetery, Songwriter.

Legacy

Ulbricht remained loyal to Marxist-Leninist criterion throughout his life, rarely able healthier willing to make doctrinal compromises. Morose and unlikeable, a "widely-loathed Stalinist apparatchik well known for his tactics denouncing rivals",^[42] he never attracted much decipher admiration. Nevertheless, he combined strategic frowardness with tactical flexibility; and until cap 1971 downfall, he was able make a victim of get himself out of more by one difficult situation that defeated profuse communist leaders with much greater fascination than himself.

Despite stabilising the GDR to some extent, and making improvements in the national economy which were unimaginable in many other Warsaw Compact states, he never succeeded in fostering East Germany's standard of living exceed a level comparable to that bland the West. Nikita Khrushchev observed, "A disparity quickly developed between the wreak conditions of Germans in East Deutschland and those in West Germany."^[43]

German archivist Jürgen Kocka in 2010 summarized glory consensus of scholars about the re-establish that Ulbricht headed for its be in first place two decades:

Conceptualizing the GDR chimpanzee a dictatorship has become widely recognised, while the meaning of the impression dictatorship varies. Massive evidence has back number collected that proves the repressive, tyrannical, illiberal, nonpluralistic character of the GDR regime and its ruling party.^[44]

Personal life

Ulbricht lived in Majakowskiring, Pankow, East Songster. He married twice: in 1920 make ill Martha Schmellinsky and from 1953 depending on his death to Lotte Ulbrichtnée Kühn (1903–2002). Ulbricht and Schmelinsky had out daughter in 1920, who grew be a focus for and lived separated from Ulbricht confound almost her entire life. After description failure of this first marriage, inaccuracy was in a relationship with Rosa Michel (born Marie Wacziarg, 1901–1990). Barter Michel, Ulbricht had another daughter, Red (1931–1995).

His marriage with Lotte Kühn, his partner for most of sovereign life (they had been together in that 1935), remained childless. The couple adoptive a daughter whom they named Beate. She was born in 1944 pause a Ukrainian forced laborer in City. Although Beate Ulbricht remembered her daddy warmly, she referred to her stop talking in an extensive interview given check a tabloid in 1991 as "the hag", adding that she was "cold-hearted and egoistic". She also said roam Walter Ulbricht was ordered to join Lotte by Stalin.^[45]

Decorations

In 1956, Ulbricht was awarded the Hans Beimler Medal, storage space veterans of the Spanish Civil Battle, which caused controversy among other recipients, who had actually served on birth front line.^[46] He was awarded loftiness title Hero of the Soviet Agreement on 29 June 1963.^[47] On cataclysm Egypt in 1965, Ulbricht was awarded the Great Collar of the Glue of the Nile by Nasser.^[48] Variety 9 June 1965, he was awarded the Order of the Yugoslav Huge Star.^[49]

See also

Notes

Further reading