WRLD 203 Exam 3
Schneider Chapter Info.
1. fight/battle over pieces of the wall (valuable ; price differences between E. & W. ; political differences) 2. importance of November 9th (fatal date) 3. division should have been north and south, rather than east and west (would have been more permanent) 4. difference in number of foreigners living in East and West Germany 5. Germanizing West Berlin (fear of new nationalism) 6. disinterest in "the Wall" by West Berliners 7. prejudice against East Germans by West Berliners (feeling of superiority) 8. welcome money (every East German received 100 margs) 9. solidarity tac (only paid by West Germans) (last two helped get East Germany up to par with the West)
What was East Germany's reaction to this new political situation?
As a result of this, East Germany's government resisted reform and tried to become more communist. In layperson terms, the GDR tried to become "more Soviet than the Soviets".
Crawshaw mentions two kinds of patriotism, "common-or-garden patriotism" and 'constitutional patriotism.' Please explain how they are they different? Name a country that represents each type.
Common-or-garden patriotism is the external "showcasing" of national pride. The U.S. is one of the most prominent examples of this patriotism. Examples include American flags on many houses, the Pledge of Allegiance at the start of the school day, clothing with the American flag on it, and so forth. Constitutional patriotism is, more-so, a firm dedication to one's constitution, country, or political system. This, in contrast to common-or-garden patriotism, is the internal knowledge of pride. Germany is one of the most prominent examples for this kind of patriotism.
Explain how the phrase "generational change" is a key idea when explaining the process of Germany's coming to terms with the past.
Generational change, in essence, means distance in time. It is a key idea when explaining this process because the farther away individuals were born from this time period, the more willing they were to talk about the event. This is due to the fact that they do not have the burden or guilt weighing on them as much as older generations do. This also relates to Crawshaw's theory of the "blessing of being born late".
By the time the Wall came down, what had happened to the idea of "Germany?"
Germany was now seen as nonexistent and as a former country in Europe. As Crawshaw said, it is now in the "dust bin" of history.
How do the West and East German versions of the Berlin map reveal the difference in two Germanies' attitude towards the city's/the country's division? Please explain in more than just one sentence.
In West Germany, you could still find public transits on the maps leading to and from East Germany, as if the Wall was non-existent. In East Germany, all public transits stopped at the Wall, as if West Germany and West Berlin did not exist. This is what was referred to as "no-man's land". This showed the the West saw this division as temporary, whereas, the East saw it as permanent.
Though the Fall of the Wall was a political event, one cannot talk about it without mentioning the Lutheran Church. Why?
Individuals cannot go without mentioning the Lutheran Church because they played a very important role. There was an alliance between church and state where people could speak freely about matters and opinions in '89. This allowed individuals to become more open about reform and their own wishes.
Who is Joshka Fischer, and why is his name/person important to remember?
Joshka Fischer was one of the '68ers and a radical. He ended up leaving due to similarity of the Nazi party. What caused him to turn away from violence was the hijacking of the Air France plane in 1976, which ended with the Entebbe raid. In this event, Jewish passengers were killed, and two of them were his friends. This act came too close to replicating the acts of the Third Reich, which is why it was a turning point for Fischer. Fischer is an important person to remember because he was one of the founding members of the Green party, who were anti-Nazi, and was the first Green minister in the world.
Two crucial days in the history of the Fall of the Wall are October 7 and October 9, 1989. Write a short paragraph about what happened on these days.
On October 7th, the biggest protest in the East German capital since the brutally repressed uprising of 1953. In Berlin, people were chanting Gorbachev's name in the streets in regards to supporting his remarks on saying Honecker was wrong for putting up the Wall. On October 9th, in the city of Leipzig, protests even larger than that of Berlin took place. This say would be referred to as the Decisive Day, the say in which repression was defeated by lack of fear, with consequences for all Germany and Europe.
Aside from all the political changes in Eastern Europe during the early months of 1989, what was the one event that forced the East German government to reconsider and finally give up its resistance to reform?
One event that forced the East German government to reconsider and agree to following reform was the opening of Hungarian borders. This was the start of the zig-zagging that occurred and allowed East Germans to leave the Czech embassy.
What was the "New Forum?"
The "New Forum" was the first organization to openly oppose the GDR. This organization wanted reform with socialism, and to improve the country without unification.
What was the East German government's official reason for constructing the Wall and what was its official name?
The East German government's official name for the Wall was anti-fascist protection wall. This is because they wanted to keep fascists from crossing over. The East German government said that West German first targeted communists during the Nazi-era, which is what East Germany was, and they wanted to keep "Nazis" from coming into their country.
Why was the West German constitution called "Basic Law" (Grundgesetz) and not "constitution"?
The West German constitution was called "Basic Law" rather than "constitution" because it was meant to be only temporary. This is because West Germany wanted to wait until reunification of both Germanies before creating a real, set-in-stone constitution.
Usually in history, a change in a country's course is the result of a change in government, of inner unrest or perhaps a revolution, or it is caused by some conflict with another country. But what event in the early 1980s turned out to be an influential force in the shaping of modern West Germany? Describe the (a) emotional, (b) social, and (c) political effect this event.
The event in the early 1980s that turned out to be a major influential force in shaping modern West Germany was the broadcasting of the television series "Holocaust". This series showed Germans that all those who were affected during the Holocaust (in particular, the Jews) were just as much human as they are. This helped them to connect on an emotional level with victims as they were emotionally experiencing what they went through. This milestone helped to open up the conversation of this tragic experience, making it more acceptable to talk about. Because of this, Germans were now able to accept that this was a major part of their country's history, no matter how terrible this event was. After the broadcast of this series, the government said that there would be no statute of limitations on Nazi crimes and that they would be punished for their actions.
What important change within the GDR's government worked in favor of the demonstrators?
The important change within the GDR's government that worked in favor of the demonstrators was Honecker becoming ill, forcing him to leave. Because of this, someone came in to replace him who was for reform which is exactly what the people wanted.
In connection with these two days, Crawshaw mentions a non-event that turned out to be "the most crucial event of all." (a) What was this non-event? (b) What did it tell the world about the East German government?
The non-event in which Crawshaw is speaking of is the ceasing of shooting, beating, and arresting of individuals. This tells the world that the regime had finally lost its nerve.
Though it has been 40 years since the end of the Third Reich what problem did Germany in the early 1980s still have to solve?
The problem that Germany in the early 1980s still had to solve was the matter of how long should they talk about this, feel guilty, and when can they let the topic go. As a consensus, it was decided that it was ok to continue talking about the Holocaust because it is important to remember it, but they should not feel guilty or show shame. In order to keep this part of history alive, memorials were built in areas where Jews were prosecuted as a sign to admit what they did.
Name the other—the real—reason why the East German people had to be walled in?
The real reason why the East German people had to be walled in was because many of them wanted to migrate over to the West. This would have been a burden on the East German government because it would have, essentially, drained them of their skilled laborers. This is what is referred to as the "brain drain".
The 1980s marked the beginning of the so-called Historikerstreit (the 'quarrel of the historians'), which continued even into the 21st century. (a) What was the topic of this intellectual battle? (b) Explain the two contesting opinions.
The topic of this intellectual battle was defining the battle for the soul of modern Germany. The two contesting opinions were that someone could talk too much about the Holocaust and that it is important to talk about it in order to keep its "memory" alive.
Beginning with the 1970s, how did the relationship between the two Germanies change? (a) Name the politician who instigated this change. (b) What is the official term for the process he initiated? (c) Give a few examples of what the West German government did in the name of this new policy.
The two Germanies tried to become "allies" and work together in the 1970s. The politician who instigated this change was Willy Brandt, supported by Helmut Kohl and Helmut Schmidt. The process he initiated was called "Ostopolitik", meaning a cautious dialogue with and opening up to the East. One example of what West Germany did in the name of this new policy was sending money to East Germany as a means of financial support. Another example is the "exchange" of ambassadors. Honecker was the first East German head of government to visit the West. Lastly, West Germany "bought" political prisoners from the East, which ended up being beneficial to the East. Those who did not agree with the East German government were sent to the West.
After learning about his friend Jerska's suicide, Dreyman sits down at the piano and plays the sheet music "Sonata for a Good Man" that Jerska gave him as a birthday present. Saddened by his friend's death, Dreyman remarks, "Can someone who has listened to this music, I mean really listened to it, still be a bad person?" Please explain the importance of this quote for the film's plot and character development
This quote is important because it is the starting point of both Dreymann and Wielser shifting sides. By this, I mean that both of these men begin to realize just how messed up this system they are supporting is. For Wiesler, this scene allows his feelings for "the others" (in particular, Dreymann and CMS) to deepen. This is because he begins to see how corruptive the system is and how it destroys individuals, which is a crucial moment in this film for Wiesler's change of character. Before this point, he was not entirely aware of the corruption that he and the other part of the system were causing among its people. For Dreymann, this part of the film represents the friendship of him and Jerska with this sheet of music. This music is a direct connection with his friend, Jerska, and also helps Dreymann to realize the corruption the system is causing. After this moment, Dreymann is inspired to begin writing about the wrongdoings of the GDR and how the system does not care about its people the way it should. From this point on, Wiesler would try his hardest to protect Dreymann.
At the 40th anniversary of the end of the WWII, West German president Richard von Weizsäcker calls May 8, 1945, a day of liberation. (a) Why did his words mark an important milestone in West German history? (b) Some Germans disagreed with and even were offended by Weiszäcker's words. Who were these people? Explain why they rejected his viewpoint?
Weizsacker said that this day should not be seen as a day of defeat but of liberation. His words marked an important milestone in West German history because it made it possible so that a new Germany could be born. The older Germans disagreed with this because they did not want their history to be diminished or forgotten, since it is a very important point in time for Germans.
During the country's division, West Germans were said to have had a paradoxical relationship to the 'other' Germany. How so? Please explain.
West Germans had a paradoxical relationship with the "other" Germany because they were able to move freely throughout Europe but not throughout East Germany. Also, Australia was "psychologically closer" to them than East Germany was.