Walter Ulbricht
Early Life and Education
Walter Ulbricht was born on June 30, 1893, in Leipzig, Saxony, Germany. His father, Ernst Ulbricht, was a tailor, while his mother, Pauline Ida Ulbricht (née Schmidt), worked as a laundress. Raised in a working-class family, Ulbricht was exposed to the hardships of the proletariat class at a young age, which would later shape his political ideology.
He attended a Volksschule, a primary school in Germany, before starting an apprenticeship as a cabinetmaker in 1908. During his apprenticeship, Ulbricht became involved in the labor movement and joined the Woodworkers' association, a trade union that represented the interests of workers in the woodworking industry.
Political Career Pre-World War II
Ulbricht joined the Social Democratic Party (SPD) in 1912, and during World War I, he served in the German Army. After the war, he became a member of the Independent Social Democratic Party of Germany (USPD) and later, in 1920, he joined the newly formed Communist Party of Germany (KPD).
Ulbricht quickly rose through the ranks of the KPD due to his organizational skills and commitment to the party's cause. In the late 1920s, he was appointed to the Central Committee of the KPD and became a member of the Reichstag, the German parliament, representing the KPD.
World War II and Aftermath
With the rise of the Nazi Party and Adolf Hitler's ascension to power in 1933, Ulbricht, like many communists and political opponents of the Nazis, fled to the Soviet Union. During his time in Moscow, he received training at the International Lenin School, an institution dedicated to training the future leaders of communist parties from around the world.
After World War II, Ulbricht returned to Germany, which was then divided into four occupation zones by the Allied powers. He settled in the Soviet Occupation Zone, which would later become the German Democratic Republic (GDR), also known as East Germany.
Leadership of East Germany
In 1950, Ulbricht took over as the General Secretary of the Socialist Unity Party (SED), the ruling party in East Germany. He would hold this position until his death in 1973, effectively making him the leader of East Germany for over two decades.
Under Ulbricht's leadership, East Germany underwent significant political, economic, and social changes. He implemented a command economy based on the Soviet model, nationalized key industries, and collectivized agriculture. His policies led to a significant increase in the standard of living in East Germany, but they also resulted in economic stagnation and a lack of political freedom.
One of the most significant events during Ulbricht's rule was the construction of the Berlin Wall in 1961. The wall was built to prevent East Germans from fleeing to West Germany and became a symbol of the division between the capitalist West and the communist East during the Cold War.
Death and Legacy
Ulbricht died on August 1, 1973, in East Berlin. His death marked the end of an era in East German history. Despite the controversies surrounding his rule, Ulbricht played a crucial role in shaping East Germany and its policies during the Cold War.
Ulbricht's legacy is a complex one. On one hand, he is remembered for his authoritarian rule, the construction of the Berlin Wall, and the repression of political dissent. On the other hand, he is also credited with modernizing East Germany's economy and significantly improving the standard of living for many East Germans.