How Socialist East Germany's Elite Turned Capitalist / Gerhard Schnehen.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Schnehen, Gerhard, 1949- author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Germany (East)--Economic conditions.

Germany (East).

Physical Description:

1 online resource (260 pages)

Edition:

First edition.

Place of Publication:

New York : Algora Publishing, [2021]

Summary:

When East and West Germany re-united, the world was amazed -- but this great moment should have been foreseen. East Germany, the GDR, was not transformed by a counterrevolution from the outside; the leadership was always capitalist at heart. The author shows how they were undermining the socialist foundations even in the 1950s, as soon as Stalin died.

Contents:

Part one. Before the 1963 'economic reform'

The prevention of democratic change in East Germany after World War II

The role of the soviet military administration in Germany (SMAD)

The foundation of the GDR on October 7, 1949

Stalin's diplomatic initiative in March/April

"Accelerated construction of socialism" - the second party conference of the socialist unity party

The 17th of June, 1953

The new character of the socialist unity party after the June events

First steps towards the new economic system

The events preceding the building of the Berlin Wall

The building of the Berlin Wall on August 13, 1961

"De-Stalinization"

A former Nazi - Ulbricht's first choice for the "economic reform"

Final preparations

Part two. The "new economic system of planning and leadership" (NÖSPL)

Disregard for the law of central planning

Profit as regulator of social production

The realization of profit through the market

Means of production becoming commodities

The new banking and credit system

The reform of industrial prices

Self-financing

Concentration and centralization of capital

The new premium system

The abolition of the state monopoly on foreign trade

Influx of foreign capital

The sector "commercial coordination" (KoKo)

Debt policies

A new capitalist class

The GDR working class - An exploited class

The consciousness of the GDR working class

The GDR state - an instrument of the new ruling class

Part three. The end of the Ulbricht era

The plot to get rid of Walter Ulbricht

The reasons for Ulbricht's removal: the economic crisis in the GDR in 1970

The "Prague spring"

The Polish rebellion

Honecker's "main task".

Notes:

Description based on publisher supplied metadata and other sources.

Description based on print version record.

ISBN:

9781628944457

1628944455