The Red Prussianism of the German Democratic Republic
The German Democratic Republic is variously described as the last "Stalinist" state in Eastern Europe, the most repressive regime east of the Elbe, and Moscow's most docile satellite. To many, it remains the Soviet zone of occupation. Its continued existence, we are told, depends exclusively upon the twenty Soviet divisions stationed within its borders. When it is referred to by spokesmen of the West, the words "so-called" inevitably precede its national designation. In contrast to the Federal Republic of Germany, it appears backward, sullen, and resentful, a Marxist aberration on hallowed German soil. Its population has revolted twice: once actively in 1953, once silently with their feet until the Berlin border closure in 1961. The implication is that popular hostility is endemic. Industry is alleged to lag and agriculture to stagnate. Its leadership is regarded as the most pedantic and pedestrian in the lackluster constellation of Eastern Europe. And almost everyone believes that East Germany is a transitory entity on the world scene, a relic of Soviet expansion from which the Russians will ultimately pull back; and that German unification based on free elections eventually will return a liberal, popular, Christian, and non-Communist government.