political structure

• SED was the leading communist parry led by Walter Ulbricht and said ordinary workers and peasants were innocent of Nazism and war guilt. helping them win support
• 'establishment of an anti-fascist, democratic regime, a parliamentary-democratic republic'
• initially the communist party encouraged development of parties however SED gained control and Soviet zone set up 2 new parties. National democratic party (aimed at former Nazis) and Democratic peasants party of Germany
• all parties agree state control and economic intervention was needed and helped communist party further
• communists did not have initial support, many East Germans non-communist
• SED gradually eliminated other political views, Soviet military suppressed political activity in Berlin, free expression limited and military government determined leaders
• The SED became more worried about unrest so increased power and size of the Stasi
• the SED wanted to control and unify; it was a combination of communist and social democratic party
• people had a false conscience and inability to recognise inequalities
• Party pluralism= multiple parties given power yet have no real influence
• other political parties, aside from the SED, created the appearance of selection and choice
• bloc parties= elections held however seats already allocated for each party
• 1946 SED got under 50% of votes
• 160,000 people fled west
• Basic law:

  • constitution of Germany
  • freedom of expression
  • 'representative democracy'
  • had a Bundestrat (upper) and Bundestrag (lower chamber)
  • temporary law until Germany united
  • anyone in Germany could come west
  • no extremist parties
  • president chosen by a representative convection
• Constitution banned far right and far left parties
• the 1953 constitution, 5% hurdle as parties had to gain 5% to be in the bundestag
• From 1957 number of constituencies raised from 1 to 3 (harder to get in party)
• 1949 election:

  CSU- 31%, 139 seats

  SPD- 29%, 131 seats

  FDP- 11%, 52 seats

  KPD- 5.7%, 15 seats
• 1953 elections:

  CSU- 45%, 243 seats

  SPD- 28%, 151 seats

  FDP- 9.5%, 48 seats

  KPD- 2.2%, 0 seats
• 1957 elections:

  CDU- 50%, 270 seats

  SPD- 31.8%, 169 seats

  FDP- 7.7%, 41 seats
• 1961 elections:

  CDU- 45%, 242 seats

  SPD- 36%, 190 seats

  FDP- 12.8%, 67 seats