Wolfgang gruner walter ulbricht biography

In the last instance, he always opted for the security and preservation of communist state power, in particular in situations when the policy of communist transformation of East Germany brought on situations of revolt and claims for democratization. During the first phase of Stalinist reconstruction and militarization between and he imitated Soviet styles of personality cult, making him the prime target of the people's uprising on 17 June with demonstrators shouting "Der Spitzbart muss weg" The goatee must go.

As in the aftermath of this revolt, he also managed to survive politically after the onset of the thaw in —demoting and persecuting his closest rivals in the SED leadership—because of his excellent connections with the Soviet leadership. In consequence, the GDR went through a very moderate phase of destalinization compared to other Eastern bloc countries.

Without any doubt, Ulbricht's infamous masterpiece as a politician was the erection of the Berlin Wall on 13 August Even as preparations and coordination with the Soviets were already under way, he denied any intention to build a wall at an international press conference in Junecoining the phrase "Niemand hat die Absicht, eine Mauer zu errichten!

The stability of the GDR as a state being secured after its closing-off from the West, Ulbricht displayed considerable zeal to reform its overcentralized and ineffective economy. Mobilizing the first generation of "home grown" intelligentsia and the young generation in general he tried to stem the conservatism and lethargy of the party machinery in order to catch up with West Germany's economic growth and wealth.

The limits of this policy, however, were reached when claims for more cultural and political latitude were raised both within the GDR and in the Soviet bloc in general. Thus Ulbricht supported both the severe crackdown on artists and youth cultures in in the GDR and the military intervention of Warsaw Pact members against Czechoslovakia in August Frank, Mario.

Walter Ulbricht : Eine Deutsche Biografie. Berlin, Cite this article Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography. January 8, Retrieved January 08, from Encyclopedia. Then, copy and paste the text into your bibliography or works cited list. Because each style has its own formatting nuances that evolve over time and not all information is available for every reference entry or article, Encyclopedia.

History Encyclopedias almanacs transcripts and maps Ulbricht, Walter — Ulbricht, Walter — gale. Learn more about citation styles Citation styles Encyclopedia. More From encyclopedia. About this article Ulbricht, Walter — Updated About encyclopedia. Ulate Blanco, Otilio — Ulasi, Adaora Lily —. Ulanowsky, Paul. Ulanova, Galina — Walter Ulbricht was a German communist politician.

He played a leading role in the creation of the Weimar-era Communist Party of Germany and later in the early development and establishment of East Germany. He was first secretary of the Socialist Unity Party, and as such the actual leader of East Germany, from to From President Wilhelm Pieck's death inhe was also the East German head of state until his own death in We're doing our best to make sure our content is useful, accurate and safe.

Wolfgang gruner walter ulbricht biography

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