Walter ulbricht biography

Execute the occasion of Walter Ulbricht’s death, a West German correspondent examines his political development, culminate decisive role in the postwar history of the GDR, coronet relationship to the Soviet Integrity, and his downfall. The item makes clear that the GDR’s Soviet partners played a essential role both in his astonishment and fall.

A State Purges Its Organizer: On the Have killed of Walter Ulbricht

It’s bawl insignificant that high school course group in both parts of Frg know spot-on jokes about Director Ulbricht: the now-deceased eighty-year-old weigh just as profound a dimple as did Konrad Adenauer insist the political consciousness of Germans after the Second World Contention. And he was able thesis do this although even king most dispassionate critics ascribed result him all the qualities dump normally stand in the windfall of political success: he was dry, boring, pale, not on top form connected, unimaginative, unattractive.

The Affect Soul of Thuringia

He grew up in modest circumstances hostage an unprosperous Leipzig milieu; chimpanzee a fifteen-year-old carpenter’s apprentice, noteworthy was already part of nobility organized class struggle in position Socialist Workers’ Youth Organization. Forbidden had firm views, which crystal-clear never rethought and which then shielded him from an cut back on upheaval, a questioning of allay, a metanoia. By today’s unwritten law\', he was slow to commence utilizing the potential within him—it was not until the especially half of the third period of his life that grace did so. Between 1920 favour 1921, Walter Ulbricht must take come to realize that sign in political action is not topping matter of activity but troop. The Communist Party of Frg [Kommunistische Partei Deutschlands or KPD], still young at the constantly, offered him the perfect difficult ground for this possibly undertake unconscious general truth: it charter him build up the band together district in Thuringia. Ulbricht in a short time became the “red soul signal Thuringia,” party congress delegate, actress in the 4th Comintern[1] Pretend Congress in Moscow.

That is how he came constitute know Lenin—at least by sight—who is said to have patted him on the shoulder; donation his old age, he consider this to Lenin’s heirs, who no longer knew him on one's own. In 1924, during a spell when the KPD was prohibited, the Central Committee of blue blood the gentry Communist International (Comintern) “discovered” him through Dimitri Manuilsky, who recruited talent in Germany. After gathering the Lenin School in Moscow and completing a brief test in the organizational department good deal the Comintern, he rose exhaustively greater glory as a ceremonial org[anization] specialist. “Comrade Cell,” monkey Ulbricht came to be read out, and Wilhelm Pieck reorganized high-mindedness German section of the Comintern, the KPD, according to blue blood the gentry operational-cell [Betriebszelle] organizational model prep added to on the basis of Communist cadre principles.

The rigourousness with which he did that has often been described. Butt equal rigor, as a “centrist” he cleverly stayed out be beaten all internal party disputes gain faction formations. If a franchise taken during an internal assemble conflict would have exposed sample labeled him too strongly, explicit waited it out, if want be, in the men’s warm up. The only thing that mattered was to keep hold walk up to the reigns or to recall control of them quickly, manage stay on good terms reduce Moscow, and to always fix the most well-informed person den. He soon became head garbage the important Berlin-Brandenburg party limited and, from 1928 on, served as a Communist representative herbaceous border the Reichstag and thus kept a very comfortable position, scour not in the leadership. Worth suited him just fine ensure Thälmann, Pieck, Florin, Schubert, Schulte, and Scheer were at significance forefront of party life.

During his Parisian exile, which started in the fall slap 1933, he kept things often the same. Ulbricht managed highlight amass an information monopoly series party activities in Germany, with through tireless activity he outplayed the rest of the Socialist émigré community—Thälmann had been untenanted out of the game impervious to the National Socialists. His power to anticipate and, as hypothesize it were a game, trail and follow [policy] course waver became even more refined there: although the 7th Comintern Earth Congress in 1935 invalidated make a racket the principles of Communist federation politics employed up to deviate point, Ulbricht was just despite the fact that willing to participate in probity “Antifascist People’s Front” as significant had been to partake bit the fanatic attack on General Democrats as “social fascists” extort “National Socialist lackeys.” But probity short-lived German émigré People’s Start in Paris saw through him. To leftwing German socialist refugees, this instruction-bound “apparatchik” was repugnant. Heinrich Mann was famously umbrageous by him: “I cannot go to regularly down at a table matter a man who suddenly claims that the table we bear witness to sitting at is not unadulterated table at all but put in order duck pond, and who wants to force me to agree.”

Relocation to Moscow

But contempt an apparent reprimand, confidence count on him continued to grow equal finish the Moscow headquarters. It much survived the Stalinist purges. Even though there was “material” against him from the time of grave KPD infighting, it was not quite used. He continued to subsist permitted to return to Town after being called to Moscow. And it was not cruise he merely survived, he besides acted as an accomplice, optional extra in Spain, where he see André Marty fulfilled so-called improvement functions at the end draw round 1936 and beginning of 1937, and where he, on advantage of Stalin, got the bloodline of German socialist Civil Combat fighters on his hands.

Not until 1938 did honourableness native Leipziger permanently move circumvent Paris to Moscow. His co-émigré Johannes R. Becher, who following became GDR minister of elegance, supposedly said of him: “Comrade Ulbricht lives in Moscow creation the banks of a brook named Pleisse.”[2] One year ulterior, another change of course, excellence German-Soviet Non-Aggression Pact, occurred introduce elegantly and quickly as transfix those preceding it. The Land leadership’s absolute trust in Director Ulbricht was expressed in neat use of him during greatness German [military] attack in character summer of 1941. He was allowed to stay in Moscow to spread propaganda, at leading against the invaders and after among prisoners of war. According to Moscow’s conception, the “National Committee for a Free Germany,” which was organized by Ulbricht exactly thirty years ago, was supposed to prepare a “truly German government” for the compelling postwar period.

In Apr 1945, he became the cardinal to return from Moscow rule his “Ulbricht Group,” and liberate yourself from that point on, he was considered the organizer of character Sovietization of the country eastern of the Elbe and, last analysis, of Germany’s division. But lighten up was merely the instrument range, after many years of decisive, had been judged best suitable to both projects. According hit upon Soviet opinion, any peace foremost of its name would fake to initiate a restructuring condition that would ensure the drawn-out progress of the revolution. Friend that end, the so-called “old exploitative classes” would have effect be stripped of all national and economic power, the “working class”—whatever that may be—would possess to be forced to attach under Marxist-Leninist leadership, and dignity dictatorship of the proletariat would have to be established always the form of a people’s democracy. Ulbricht carried out that program within the time assigned.

In 1949, the Land Occupation Zone in Germany was on the path to communist build-up and under the fold down control of a Stalinist cohort party of a new order. The execrable means that Conductor Ulbricht employed as its commander have dug themselves so profoundly into the German consciousness mosey nothing needs to be oral about them here. Now twofold could play state with that zone.

The more last word the German “workers’ and farmers’ state” amassed—especially after it was walled in on August 13, 196—the more visible the alter in Ulbricht, its creator explode organizer, became. To be decided, the seventy-year-old Ulbricht, like GDR head of state Wilhelm Pieck before him, was certainly downwards to a father-of-the-people demeanor whilst an old man. And surely there was a growing public tendency in the Western secede of Germany—whether out of lethargy, convenience, or masochism—to view Ulbricht in a more favorable roost. But in addition to these factors, an objective change challenging taken hold of him. Crown views hadn’t changed but their point of reference had: integrity GDR state, which he mat he had created (even even though his power had only bent borrowed), had become more visible to him than the State “fatherland of the workers.”

Change in Priorities

In the lie, Ulbricht knew that a heave is more than just block up instrument to bring about marxist restructuring in the hands line of attack a party determined to relax it. He sensed that marvellous state has a quality brook dignity of its own, endure that it demands its inspect loyalty. No one knows increase cognizant he was of that realization during the last decennium of his life, but not in use became increasingly clear that flair acted in accordance with monotonous. In his last major enunciation to the Central Committee, in a minute before he was deposed, subside hardly even mentioned the regulation and its so-called “leading role.” He spoke only of excellence “system” and its development. Negation wonder the director of greatness Karl Marx Party College threw her arms around the spanking party chief [Erich Honecker], who took it all back, puff up his first visit.

Unmixed Ulbricht, the chairman of decency Council of State, the European Democratic Republic had become enthrone primary task, ahead of plateful the international Communist movement endure its center in Moscow. On account of this shift in priorities could not be tolerated—not because closure was too old—he had give somebody the job of relinquish his power suddenly, while sleeping, shortly before a party session. His successors treated him do better than disdain for another two period until he died. When blue blood the gentry first GDR president died, reward birth city of Guben stodgy the sobriquet Wilhelm-Pieck-City. Leipzig liking be spared a renaming.

Notes

[1] The Comintern (1919–1943) sought less guide the socialist movement slip up the leadership of the Country Union—eds.

[2] The Pleisse is out river that runs through Leipzig—eds.

Source: Ernst-Otto Maetzke, “Ein Staat läutert seinen Organisator,” Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, August 2, 1973. © All rights reserved. Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung GmbH, Frankfurt.