1946 elections in the DDR - Soviet-Empire.com U.S.S.R.

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Soviet cogitations: 5437
Defected to the U.S.S.R.: 28 Sep 2009, 00:56
Ideology: Democratic Socialism
Unperson

16 Jan 2010, 01:42

I'm debating about the DDR at the minute with some people, and I commented on how the Communist party were democratically elected by popular vote, in response to some idiot claiming the Soviets put them in power immediately. However someone else responded with this:

Quote:
Wrong.

The SED obtained power in East Germany though a combination of political trickery and intimidation. For the most part, they were aided by the Soviet Union through the following means:

1. The SED was able to win the September 1946 elections in East Germany through Soviet influence. The Soviets delayed the certification of non-Marxists parties in many areas, ensuring that only SED candidates were the only ones on the ballot. Likewise, the SED was given preferential access to all available forms of media, be it radio or newspaper. Despite this, SED was unable to gain control in Berlin due to four power rule (the SPD won and rejected any possible merger with the SED).

2. Voters in the Third People’s Congress of May 1949 could not vote for individual candidates or parties. Instead, a “unity list” was created (made to look like a coalition) in which voters could only approve or reject. While the SED nominally had a minority position on the list, all other rivals (such as the Christian Democrats and the Liberal Democrats) were nullified, be it through the addition of satellite parties (such as the Democratic Farmers’ Party) which increased SED influence or through the intimidation of their leadership. It should be noted that although they succeeded in stealing the election, the unity list was only supported by 61.6% of the electorate (demonstrating that the government did not have a popular mandate).

3. Upon gaining control of the government, the SED got to work in consolidating their power. First, they gained control of the judiciary and the appointment of prosecutors. Then, the SED created the Stasi in February of 1950.

Errm, this is chiefly aimed at Mabool, but if anyone else can help, that's cool. Obviously, his points 2 and 3 are irrelevant. I merely stated they were elected, not that they allowed further elections, and the fragging Stasi are way out. I confess I don't know a massive amount about the DDR, much less the elections in 1946. Is what he said concrete and I now look like a retard, or is there more to it than what this guy is claiming?

Mabool

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Soviet cogitations: 10005
Defected to the U.S.S.R.: 14 Jul 2008, 20:01
Ideology: Trotskyism
Philosophized

16 Jan 2010, 06:46

What an idiot. First of all, there was no DDR in 1946. The state was founded in 1949.

It's true that the SED lost the local election in Berlin, though. But still, in the 1946 elections in the Soviet occupation zone (in which local state governments were elected, not a federal government), the SED turned out to be the strongest party. Even if the SED had an unfair advantage (it would be a little unwise to try to deny that), voters had the possibility of not voting for them. But obviously, they wanted socialism.

Also... the guy you're debating with is even accepting that 61,6% of voters agreed with the unity list in 1949, so where's his problem? The unity list was supported by the majority, so how can he claim that the government didn't have a popular mandate? They could have rejected the unity list as well, but they didn't.

"Don't know why i'm still surprised with this shit anyway." - Loz

Loz

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Soviet cogitations: 11879
Defected to the U.S.S.R.: 06 Dec 2009, 23:17
Philosophized

16 Jan 2010, 13:22

Mabool,maybe you have more data...Can you tell me when the first non-communist(or non SED-affiliated) party entered the Volkskammer before the 1990 "free" elections?
Wiki says:
National Democratic Party of Germany in '48 ("The National Democratic Party of Germany (German: Nationaldemokratische Partei Deutschlands, or NDPD) was an East German political party that acted as an organisation for former members of the NSDAP (WTF?) the Wehrmacht and middle classes.
Christian Democratic Union in 50's

Mabool

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Soviet cogitations: 10005
Defected to the U.S.S.R.: 14 Jul 2008, 20:01
Ideology: Trotskyism
Philosophized

16 Jan 2010, 15:33

All parties in the Volkskammer before 1990 were SED-affiliated, but nobody was forced to vote for them. Over 90 per cent of votes went to parties that supported the system, just like they do in every country in the world.

"Don't know why i'm still surprised with this shit anyway." - Loz

Loz

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Soviet cogitations: 11879
Defected to the U.S.S.R.: 06 Dec 2009, 23:17
Philosophized

16 Jan 2010, 15:54

Quote:
All parties in the Volkskammer before 1990 were SED-affiliated, but nobody was forced to vote for them. Over 90 per cent of votes went to parties that supported the system, just like they do in every country in the world.

Maybe i got you wrong...Parties that support the system mean that they support the ruling party and their system of governing,or something else? So what was the difference between party programs and the SED party's agenda?
So,we now have all parties that are SED-affiliated,and nobody was forced to vote for them.
If you were eager,you could vote for SED or FDJ parties,let's say.

Were the parties affiliated with SED also supported by the government(let's say they got their pays,apartments,workplaces appointed by the government)?