Uprising in East Germany 1953 : the Cold War, the German question, and the first major upheaval behind the Iron Curtain / compiled, edited and introduced by Christian F. Ostermann ; editorial coordination by Malcolm Byrne ; [produced in collaboration with the Cold War International History Project at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars].

Format:

Book

Contributor:

Ostermann, Christian F.

Byrne, Malcolm.

Series:

National Security Archive Cold War readers. 1587-2416

National Security Archive Cold War readers, 1587-2416

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

German reunification question (1949-1990)--Sources.

German reunification question (1949-1990).

Cold War--Sources.

Cold War.

Germany (East)--History--Uprising, 1953--Sources.

Germany (East).

Soviet Union--Foreign relations--1953-1975--Sources.

Soviet Union.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (xxxvii, 451 p. ) ill. ;

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

Budapest ; New York : Central European University Press, c2001.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

"The volume is the first documented account of this early Cold War crisis from both sides of the Iron Curtain. Based on the recent unprecedented access to the once-closed archives of several member states of the Warsaw Pact, this collection of primary-source documents presents one of the most notorious events of post-war European history. Previously unreleased Kremlin records, once highly classified American documents, materials from the Soviet Foreign Ministry, and transcripts of internal East German Communist Party Politburo meetings in the days leading, to the uprising in the German Democratic Republic (GDR) are among the highlights of this documentary."

"A detailed introductory essay to provide the necessary historical and political context precedes each part. The individual documents are introduced by short headnotes summarizing the contents and orienting the reader. A chronology, glossary and bibliography offer further background information."--Jacket.

Contents:

Preface / Charles S. Maier

The Origins of the Crisis

Soviet and East German Minutes of Conversations between Josef Stalin and SED Leaders in the GDR, 1 April and 7 April 1952

CPSU CC Resolution Approving the Deployment of Border Guards along the Eastern Border of the GDR, 2 January 1953

Memorandum of Discussion at the 136th Meeting of the National Security Council, 11 March 1953

Draft Instructions for General Vasilii Chuikov and Vladimir Semyonov Regarding GDR Control of Borders, 18 March 1953

Memorandum by Ivan Tugarinov, "On the Western Powers' Policy Regarding the German Question," 18 April 1953

Memorandum on the German Question, from Georgii Pushkin and Mikhail Gribanov to Vyacheslav Molotov, 18 April 1953

Soviet Foreign Ministry Memorandum, "Regarding Further Measures of the Soviet Government on the German Question," 28 April 1953

Cable from N. Spencer Barnes to U.S. Department of State Reviewing Developments in the GDR since Stalin's Death, 30 April 1953

Memorandum from Vladimir Semyonov to Vyacheslav Molotov Evaluating the Prospects for a Successful Resolution of the German Question, 2 May 1953

Report on 4 May Disturbances at the Tobacco Depot in Plovdiv, Bulgaria, 7 May 1953

USSR Foreign Ministry Draft Memorandum, "On Further Soviet Government Measures Pertaining to the German Question," 8 May 1953

Memorandum from the Soviet Ministry of Internal Affairs to Vladimir Semyonov, "On the Question of Preventing the Defection of Inhabitants from the GDR to West Germany," 16 May 1953.

Notes:

Map on lining papers.

Includes bibliographical references (p. 427-440) and index.

OCLC-licensed vendor bibliographic record.

ISBN:

963-386-507-7

0-585-45770-0

OCLC:

52888242