The Soviet zone

• SMAD - Soviet Military Administration Aims:

  • Destroy Nazism

  • Create unified worker’s party under KPD

  • Occupy key positions in local administration e.g. Chief of Police.

  • Arrange the appointment of non-communists Mayors with Communist Deputies.
• At first, Soviets allowed establishment of the main democratic parties but it turned out to be a sham.All had to join the ‘Block for Anti-Fascist Parties’ and therefore all decisions were forced through the harassment by SMAD and Ulbricht
• The Soviet Zone had large areas of agricultural land and some light industry and was less badly damaged expect Dresden and Berlin. But, it was poor in raw materials, e.g. Brown Coal, and had lost a lot of good land to Poland. The Soviet Zone also had the largest number of refugees and no effective currency.