Both sources depict the impacts of what conditions were like in the GDR. Whilst source 1
focuses on the repression of mass protestors and the Soviet forces “active measures” to
“settle unrest”, source 2 mentions how, even though conditions in the GDR were
“democratic” and citizens had “cultural opportunities” they still weren’t equal to the West
and many were deciding to leave. However both sources convey a pro-communism message
due to the provenances of the sources. One is written by a Soviet and the other from a
department in the SED (Socialist Unity Party), which might have omitted a Western and the
citizen’s viewpoint.
Source 1 examines the mass resentment and anger of the people towards the SED.
“Government buildings” had “windows smashed” and Soviet troops were forced to “open
fire on the demonstrators”. From this a historian could infer that conditions in the GDR were
significantly lower than the West as ordinary people were desperate enough to openly rebel
against the government. A limitation of the source is the fact that it doesn’t explicitly state
what the cause of the rebellion was. This is most likely due to the Soviets not wanting to
admit that communism wasn’t working in the GDR, however contextual knowledge allows a
historian to infer that the mass unrest was because of low wages, forced employment in ill
fitting jobs and less consumer and leisure goods than the West. The source also suggests
that the SED were unable to handle the protestors and the demonstrators “succeeded in
overcoming resistance” until the Soviet troops arrived. This highlights to a historian that the
SED needed support from Moscow to run the GDR and that the people were angry enough
to cause serious harm and damage because of the poor conditions. Source 2 describes how
“he who works well here lives well”. This could be proved inaccurate by a historian as many
were forced to work long hours at a job they disliked and yet weren’t paid any better for it,
were still allocated poor housing and still lacked access to goods. However the source does
provide insight into how the SED mistrusted the West as they encouraged people to view
the border crossers ( those who lived in the East but travelled over the border to the West
for work) as traitors “stabbing those fighting for a better life in the back”. From this a
historian could infer that after the 1955 spike in emigration out of the East, the SED were
trying to persuade people to remain. However their efforts were in vain which reinforces
the idea that living conditions in the GDR were sub-standard and in some places bad enough
to make people move their entire livelihoods across the border.
The provenances of both sources do create limitations on what a historian could discover
about conditions in the GDR. Source 1, a radio telegram from a Soviet in Berlin to Moscow,
was sent during the June 1953 uprising and so it could be inferred that the source is likely an
accurate depiction of the uprising as it is likely an eye-witness account of the events that
occurred adding accuracy to the account. However, the source is written by a pro-
Communist “Soviet High Commander” unlikely to consider the citizen perspective on the
government and how poor living conditions could be the reason for rebellion. Additionally,
a “High Commander” would have been possibly unlikely to witness the average life in the
GDR as they would have been part of the socialist elite. The source omits the fact that there
focuses on the repression of mass protestors and the Soviet forces “active measures” to
“settle unrest”, source 2 mentions how, even though conditions in the GDR were
“democratic” and citizens had “cultural opportunities” they still weren’t equal to the West
and many were deciding to leave. However both sources convey a pro-communism message
due to the provenances of the sources. One is written by a Soviet and the other from a
department in the SED (Socialist Unity Party), which might have omitted a Western and the
citizen’s viewpoint.
Source 1 examines the mass resentment and anger of the people towards the SED.
“Government buildings” had “windows smashed” and Soviet troops were forced to “open
fire on the demonstrators”. From this a historian could infer that conditions in the GDR were
significantly lower than the West as ordinary people were desperate enough to openly rebel
against the government. A limitation of the source is the fact that it doesn’t explicitly state
what the cause of the rebellion was. This is most likely due to the Soviets not wanting to
admit that communism wasn’t working in the GDR, however contextual knowledge allows a
historian to infer that the mass unrest was because of low wages, forced employment in ill
fitting jobs and less consumer and leisure goods than the West. The source also suggests
that the SED were unable to handle the protestors and the demonstrators “succeeded in
overcoming resistance” until the Soviet troops arrived. This highlights to a historian that the
SED needed support from Moscow to run the GDR and that the people were angry enough
to cause serious harm and damage because of the poor conditions. Source 2 describes how
“he who works well here lives well”. This could be proved inaccurate by a historian as many
were forced to work long hours at a job they disliked and yet weren’t paid any better for it,
were still allocated poor housing and still lacked access to goods. However the source does
provide insight into how the SED mistrusted the West as they encouraged people to view
the border crossers ( those who lived in the East but travelled over the border to the West
for work) as traitors “stabbing those fighting for a better life in the back”. From this a
historian could infer that after the 1955 spike in emigration out of the East, the SED were
trying to persuade people to remain. However their efforts were in vain which reinforces
the idea that living conditions in the GDR were sub-standard and in some places bad enough
to make people move their entire livelihoods across the border.
The provenances of both sources do create limitations on what a historian could discover
about conditions in the GDR. Source 1, a radio telegram from a Soviet in Berlin to Moscow,
was sent during the June 1953 uprising and so it could be inferred that the source is likely an
accurate depiction of the uprising as it is likely an eye-witness account of the events that
occurred adding accuracy to the account. However, the source is written by a pro-
Communist “Soviet High Commander” unlikely to consider the citizen perspective on the
government and how poor living conditions could be the reason for rebellion. Additionally,
a “High Commander” would have been possibly unlikely to witness the average life in the
GDR as they would have been part of the socialist elite. The source omits the fact that there
