The Crisis of East Germany
| Published date | 01 March 1954 |
| Date | 01 March 1954 |
| Author | Felix E. Hirsch |
| DOI | 10.1177/002070205400900102 |
| Subject Matter | Article |
THE
CRISIS
OF
EAST
GERMANY
Felix
E.
Hirsch*
ALF
a
year
has
passed
since
the
uprising
in
Eastern
Germany,
which
the
Manchester
Guardian
justly
termed
"one
of
the
decisive
events
of our
time."
Now
that
the
fog of
rumours,
exaggerations,
denials and
misrepresentations
has
cleared
away,
it
seems possible
to
see
the
sensational
happen-
ing
of
June
17
in
their
proper
perspective.
It
was
evident
from
the
outset
that
such
a
revolt of
the
masses
could
not
fully
succeed
as
long
as
Russian
troops
were
stationed
in
the
Eastern
zone.
But
even
though
it
was
doomed
to
failure
in
certain
respects,
must
we
concede
that
the
whole
heroic
struggle
was
in vain?
Or
are
we
permitted
to
consider
the
17th
June
as
a
turning
point
not
only
for Eastern
Germany
but
for
the
whole
area
behind
the
Iron
Curtain?
A
sober
examination
of
the
situation
as
it
appear-
ed
in
December,
1953,
may
provide
the
answer
to
these
questions.
No
doubt,
most
of
the
key
figures
of
the
regime
in
the
Soviet
zone
are
still around,
although
the
workers had
made
it
clear
on
June
17
that
they
wanted a
change from top
to
bottom.
The
symbolic
head
of
the
German
Democratic
Republic, Wihelm
Pieck,
was
demonstratively
re-elected
in
October
for
another
term
by
the
two houses
of
the
East
German
parliament.
Pieck,
one
of
the
last
survivors
from
the
early
days
of
German
com-
munism,
is
old
and
not
in
good
health.
He
had
been
absent
during
the
critical
June
days. Originally,
only
a
brief
extension
of
his
first
term
had
been
planned,
but
finally
it
seemed
desirable
to
retain this
figurehead
for
another
four
years,
and
the
occasion
of
his
re-election
was used
for
some
oratorical
fireworks.
Pieck
will
continue
to
reside in
the
old
Hohenzollern
palace
in
Nieder-
sch6nhausen,
but
the
real
decisions
will
be
made
elsewhere.
It
is
most
unlikely
that
Otto
Grotewohl
will
ever
make
them,
although
he,
too,
has
been
retained
after
the
June
revolt.
The
Minister
President
of
the
German
Democratic
Republic
does not
enjoy
an
independent
position comparable
to
that
of
Chancellor
*Professor
of
History
and
Librarian
at
Bard
College,
Annandale-on-
Hudson,
New
York;
educated
at
University
of
Heidelberg;
former
political
editor,
Berliner
Tageblatt
and
National-Zeitung
(Acht
Uhr-
Abendblatt);
frequent
contributor
to American
and
European
journals;
undertook
lecture
tour
dealing
with
German
problems
for
Canadian
Institute
of
International
Affairs
in
1951;
at
present
preparing
bio-
graphy
of
Gustav
Stresemann
for
Columbia
University
Press.
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