In commemoration of the 75th anniversary of the German Democratic Republic, the first secretary of the CPSU Central Committee Sergei Skvortsov laid flowers at a memorial plaque in honor of one of the founders of the GDR, Walter Ulbricht. Below is the text of his speech:
Today we celebrate the 75th anniversary of the proclamation of the German Democratic Republic. This state existed for a little more than 40 years and has achieved great success in the economy and social sphere, demonstrating the advantages of socialism by its own example. I’ll just say that in 1988, according to the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (yes, the same CIA!) The standard of living in the GDR was approximately equal to the French and British, and was 85 percent of the standard of living in Germany.
Now domestic liberals say that by creating the GDR Stalin allegedly “split” Germany, although before that he advocated the preservation of its unity. In fact, the proclamation of the German Democratic Republic was only a response to the creation of Federal Germany, which was formed earlier – just as the accession of the GDR to the Warsaw Pact Organization and the very creation of this organization was a response to the admission of West Germany to NATO.
The GDR was a loyal ally of our country, and not just a nominal ally. Its army was considered by NATO members to be the second in terms of combat capability in the Warsaw Pact Organization. The GDR also enjoyed great authority in the international arena.
Unfortunately, this country no longer exists, and in its destruction, I would say, the then Soviet leadership, headed by the “best German of the year”, Mr. Gorbachev, played a decisive role. I usually reject all kinds of “conspiracy theories”, but in this case a conspiracy really took place. It was the leadership of the Soviet Union under Gorbachev that organized the displacement of the leader of the GDR, Erich Honecker, the most authoritative figure of the international communist movement, who did not support “perestroika.”
After that, the way to annexation or, in German, the “Anschluss” of the GDR was opened. The legendary phrase from the famous comedy “Ivan Vasilyevich changes his profession” involuntarily comes to mind: “Kemska parish? Yes, take it away!” The comparison is generally apt, but here things were even worse. Unlike the Swedes, who at least demanded to give them the current Murmansk region, West Germany did not even ask for the liquidation of the GDR. Gorbachev offered it on his own initiative, he did not even sell it, but simply gave the “partners” a prosperous brotherly country from the lord’s shoulder. According to the memories of the former Ambassador of the Soviet Union to Germany V.M. Falin, Gorbachev only said “Give us 4.5 billion marks to feed people”. And that’s it. He didn’t even write off the debts of the Soviet Union to both Germanys, although one of our properties in the GDR cost under a trillion!
And no one even asked the East Germans if they wanted to liquidate their state, although many were against it. A month after the notorious “fall of the Berlin Wall”, a three-hundred-thousand demonstration against the “Anschluss” took place in Berlin. Alas, paralyzed by the instructions of Gorbachev’s leadership and the elimination, again on the instructions from Moscow, of principled leaders, the Socialist Unity Party of Germany was unable to lead the movement that had already emerged. When I met with the activists of the Union of Free German Youth in early 1990, their wishes did not go beyond the postponement of the “unification” for five years…
And the “Anschluss” took place, and in full. The West German authorities behaved like classic conquerors, appointing their Gauleiters and throwing all official posts in the GDR into the street – right down to the operatives from the criminal investigation department.
The East Germans experienced the same as the rest of us after the liquidation of the socialist system – the destruction of industry, the dismantling of social guarantees, rampant crime, and so on. As for the standard of living, according to official German statistics, it is still 85 percent of the West German level as it was almost forty years ago. At the same time, social problems are now much more acute than in the GDR. A few years ago I went to Germany, and the difference between the western and eastern parts is simply striking. In the West, everything looks decent, but in the East there are shabby walls, broken sidewalks, etc.
In general, many residents of East Germany wonder what good the so-called association has brought them, and do not find an answer. There is great disillusionment with the official parties there, which is why there is so much support for both fascist right-wing radicals and relatively left-wing radicals like Sarah Wagenknecht. Unfortunately, the genuine leftist forces have not yet been able to gain political weight in East Germany – as well as in West Germany. Nevertheless, their social base is very large, and the memory of the times of the GDR inspires those who now wish for change.
Congratulations on the 75th anniversary of the GDR to all supporters of the left-wing forces, and above all our German friends.
Red Front, dear comrades!
COMMUNIST PARTY OF THE SOVIET UNION
CENTRAL COMMITTEE
Speech by Sergei Skvortsov, First Secretary of the CPSU Central Committee
