Consolidation of East Germany as an independent state

After the two separate German states were formed in 1949, it became less and less likely for them to reunite any time soon. Due to the ideological differences between the two states, unification didn't happen till 1990.

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East Germany 1949-1971


1.

Disagreement between the Allies

At the
conference the Allies decided to split Germany into 4 zones of occupation. In Potsdam in 1945 they agreed to form the
. The Council was supposed to align the operations of the administrations of the different zones.
Tensions between the USA and the Soviet Union rose in 1947, as the
and the
were announced. The USSR ended its engagement in the Allied Control Council in
.
In
the Western Allies introduced a new currency in the West, the Soviet Union followed the lead a few days later.
A new eastern state was formed in
: the German Democratic Republic.
January 1948
Yalta
Truman Doctrine
Allied Control Council
October 1949
June 1948
Marshall Plan
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The Berlin Crisis of 1948 followed the introduction of the new currencies (the USSR opposed the introduction of the western currency in West Berlin).
A West German state was formed in May 1949.
Some info here
2.

When were the US and UK occupation zones united?

Enter a month and a year.
The formed the Bizone/Bizonia in January 1947. The French joined in 1948/1949 to form Trizonia.
3.

What was the name of the economic pact the GDR joined in 1950?

Comecon was the "Council for Mutual Economic Assistance" and was dominated by the Soviet Union.
4.

When was the Stalin note delivered?

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It was delivered to the Western Allies in March 1952 and offered German unification. Germany was supposed to stay neutral and demilitarized. The negotiations didn't result in much.
5.

When did the Soviet Union recognize East Germany as a sovereign state?

Enter a year.
Both West and East Germany became (mostly) sovereign states in 1955.
6.

Interior consolidation of the GDR

After an increase in production goals in
East German workers began to strike and demand reforms (June 1953). The
military response consolidated the power of the Socialist Unity Party of Germany.
The State Security Service (
) also helped prevent reforms by reporting dissidents.
Since the 1950s a lot of people, half of them less than 25 years old, left the GDR for West Germany. By
the only easy way to do this was to leave via West Berlin. To prevent this a wall was erected that prevented travel between East and West Berlin.
May 1953
Soviet
1961
Stasi
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Before 1961 three and a half million people left the GDR for the West. The wall was build in August 1961.
7.

East German efforts to distance itself from the West

In 1967 the GDR
became a more important part of the East German identity

In 1968 and 1974
references to German unity were removed from the GDR's constitution

Socialism
asserts "fraternal ties" to the USSR

The 1968 constitution
proclaimed a separate East German citizenship

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Created with Raphaël
8.

In what year was a state visit to Egypt was made by the GDR?

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The visit in 1965 ended the GDR's isolation from non-Eastern countries.
9.

When did East Germany join the United Nations?

Enter a year.
More and more states recognized the GDR after 1965 and it joined the UN in 1973. The USA recognized the GDR in 1974.
West Germany had initially followed the Hallstein Doctrine, it wouldn't maintain diplomatic relations with states that recognized the GDR. In 1969 relations between West Germany and the East improved.