The Rise and Fall of the German Democratic Republic 1945-1990

The Rise and Fall of the German Democratic Republic 1945-1990 PDF Author: J. M. Dennis
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 9781138158405
Category :
Languages : en
Pages :

Get Book Here

Book Description
This new book investigates communist rule in East Germany from its establishment as a sphere of Soviet influence after World War II to its rapid collapse after the fall of the Berlin Wall. Using newly available archive material, the early chapters trace the emergence of the GDR out of the Soviet zone of occupation. Later chapters cover the dramatic episodes of the 1953 uprising against Soviet dominance and the building of the Berlin Wall in 1961. The subsequent stabilisation of the GDR and the establishment of an uneasy compromise between the ruling elites and the population in the later 1960s and 1970s are explained with reference to a range of internal social, economic and political factors. The disintegration of the regime in 1989 is explained in the light of: The chronic weakness of Gorbachev's Soviet Union. The bravery of the protestors. The enduring appeal of West Germany's social market economy. Political pluralism. This clear and comprehensive survey marshals secondary and original primary sources in order to give a unique insight into the GDR's struggles and achievements.

The Rise and Fall of the German Democratic Republic 1945-1990

The Rise and Fall of the German Democratic Republic 1945-1990 PDF Author: J. M. Dennis
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 9781138158405
Category :
Languages : en
Pages :

Get Book Here

Book Description
This new book investigates communist rule in East Germany from its establishment as a sphere of Soviet influence after World War II to its rapid collapse after the fall of the Berlin Wall. Using newly available archive material, the early chapters trace the emergence of the GDR out of the Soviet zone of occupation. Later chapters cover the dramatic episodes of the 1953 uprising against Soviet dominance and the building of the Berlin Wall in 1961. The subsequent stabilisation of the GDR and the establishment of an uneasy compromise between the ruling elites and the population in the later 1960s and 1970s are explained with reference to a range of internal social, economic and political factors. The disintegration of the regime in 1989 is explained in the light of: The chronic weakness of Gorbachev's Soviet Union. The bravery of the protestors. The enduring appeal of West Germany's social market economy. Political pluralism. This clear and comprehensive survey marshals secondary and original primary sources in order to give a unique insight into the GDR's struggles and achievements.

The Rise and Fall of the German Democratic Republic, 1945-1990

The Rise and Fall of the German Democratic Republic, 1945-1990 PDF Author: Mike Dennis
Publisher: Longman Publishing Group
ISBN:
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 360

Get Book Here

Book Description
This new book investigates communist rule in East Germany from the end of World War II to its rapid collapse after the fall of the Berlin Wall. Using newly available archival material, the early chapters trace the emergence of the GDR in 1949 from out of chrysalis of the Soviet zone of occupation. Later chapters cover the dramatic episodes of the 1953 uprising against Soviet dominance and the buildling of the Berlin Wall in 1961. The subsequent stabilization of the GDR and the establishment of an uneasy compromise between the ruling elites and the population in the later 1960s and 1970s are explained with reference to a range of internal social, economic and political factors. The disintegration of the regime in 1989, despite the comprehensive system of surveillance operated by the infamous Stasi, is explained in the light of * the chronic weakness of Gorbachev's Soviet Union * the bravery of the protestors * the enduring appeal of West Germany's social market economy and political pluralism.This clear and comprehensive survey marshals secondary and original primary sources in order to give a unique insight into the GDR's struggles and achievements.Mike Dennis is Professor of Modern History, University of Wolverhampton. His many publications include `The German Democratic Republic' (1988).

State and Minorities in Communist East Germany

State and Minorities in Communist East Germany PDF Author: Mike Dennis
Publisher: Berghahn Books
ISBN: 0857451960
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 254

Get Book Here

Book Description
Based on interviews and the voluminous materials in the archives of the SED, the Stasi and central and regional authorities, this volume focuses on several contrasting minorities (Jehovah’s Witnesses, Jews, ‘guest’ workers from Vietnam and Mozambique, football fans, punks, and skinheads) and their interaction with state and party bodies during Erich Honecker’s rule over the communist system. It explores how they were able to resist persecution and surveillance by instruments of the state, thus illustrating the limits on the power of the East German dictatorship and shedding light on the notion of authority as social practice.

After Auschwitz

After Auschwitz PDF Author: Enrico Heitzer
Publisher: Berghahn Books
ISBN: 178920853X
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 323

Get Book Here

Book Description
From the moment of its inception, the East German state sought to cast itself as a clean break from the horrors of National Socialism. Nonetheless, the precipitous rise of xenophobic, far-right parties across the present-day German East is only the latest evidence that the GDR’s legacy cannot be understood in isolation from the Nazi era nor the political upheavals of today. This provocative collection reflects on the heretofore ignored or repressed aspects of German mainstream society—including right-wing extremism, anti-Semitism and racism—to call for an ambitious renewal of historical research and political education to place East Germany in its proper historical context.

Sport under Communism

Sport under Communism PDF Author: M. Dennis
Publisher: Springer
ISBN: 0230369030
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 235

Get Book Here

Book Description
Based on original Stasi and Communist Party archival sources, this book uncovers why East Germany was for two decades running one of the most successful nations in the Summer and Winter Olympics, exploring how the central elite sports system was beset by internal tensions and disputes.

The Plans That Failed

The Plans That Failed PDF Author: André Steiner
Publisher: Berghahn Books
ISBN: 178238314X
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 236

Get Book Here

Book Description
The establishment of the Communist social model in one part of Germany was a result of international postwar developments, of the Cold War waged by East and West, and of the resultant partition of Germany. As the author argues, the GDR’s ‘new’ society was deliberately conceived as a counter-model to the liberal and marketregulated system. Although the hopes connected with this alternative system turned out to be misplaced and the planned economy may be thoroughly discredited today, it is important to understand the context in which it developed and failed. This study, a bestseller in its German version, offers an in-depth exploration of the GDR economy’s starting conditions and the obstacles to growth it confronted during the consolidation phase. These factors, however, were not decisive in the GDR’s lack of growth compared to that of the Federal Republic. As this study convincingly shows, it was the economic model that led to failure.

Creating German Communism, 1890-1990

Creating German Communism, 1890-1990 PDF Author: Eric D. Weitz
Publisher: Princeton University Press
ISBN: 9780691026824
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 468

Get Book Here

Book Description
This social and political history of German communism ranges from its origins in imperial Germany to the collapse of the German Democratic Republic in 1990. The Weimar period is seen as crucial is forging a style of politics that contributed to the intransigence of the GDR during its history.

Between Reform and Revolution

Between Reform and Revolution PDF Author: David E. Barclay
Publisher: Berghahn Books
ISBN: 9781571810007
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 634

Get Book Here

Book Description
Twenty-three chapters by American, British, and German scholars explore the meanings of German socialism and communism from a variety of methodical and thematic perspectives often influenced by feminist and poststructuralist theories. Among the topics explored are: the Lassallean labor movement; depictions of gender, militancy, and organizing in the German socialist press at the turn of the century; communism and the public spheres of Weimar Germany; cultural socialism, popular culture, mass media, and the democratic project, 1900-1934; unity sentiments in the socialist underground, 1933-1936; population policy in the DDR, 1945-1960; the post-war labor unions and the politics of reconstruction; communist resistance between Comintern directives and Nazi terror; and the passing of German communism and the rise of a new New Left. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

The German Democratic Republic

The German Democratic Republic PDF Author: Peter Grieder
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN: 0230356869
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 176

Get Book Here

Book Description
A clear, concise and thought-provoking introduction to the history of East Germany which engages critically with key debates and advances new interpretations of the origins, development and demise of the GDR. Peter Grieder also offers an original conceptualization of the GDR as a totalitarian welfare state.

The East German Economy, 1945-2010

The East German Economy, 1945-2010 PDF Author: Hartmut Berghoff
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 1107030137
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 261

Get Book Here

Book Description
The contributors to this volume consider the economic history of East Germany within its broader political, cultural and social contexts.