East Germany Part One

In 1949, communist leaders formalized the division of a nation with the creation of the German Democratic Republic. In the West, this was portrayed as an opportunistic act by puppets of the Soviets who wished to impose their ideology on Eastern Europe. But the story of German communism began long before 1949. In this episode, I will examine the roots of the ideology. Its adherents, growth, and the factors that led to the creation of the totalitarian state widely known as East Germany.
Featured Subjects: Karl Marx, Friedrich Engels, Rosa Luxemburg, Karl Liebknecht, Walter Ulbricht, Ernest Thalmann, Erich Mielke, Erich Honecker,
Lenin, Bela Kun, Max Hoelz, Wilhelm Pieck, Spartakusbund, Kommunistische Partei Deutschlands, Sozialdemokratische Partei Deutschlands
Music: Public Domain and Creative Commons 3.0
Choir and orchestra of Bolshoi Theatre, conducted by G. Rozhdestvensky May 2012
Русский: Государственный гимн Советского Союза, 1968
English: National anthem of the Soviet Union in its post-1955 arrangement
Sound Effects: Pixabay
English: Address from the Brandenburg Gate (Berlin Wall). Full text at Wikisource
Date12 June 1987SourceUniversity of Virginia Miller Center for Public Affairs
President Kennedy’s “Ich bin ein Berliner” speech. Transcript available.[1]
Date26 June 1963SourceKennedy Presidential Library[2]AuthorJohn F. Kennedy

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