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The Last Days of East Germany
In January 1988, Honecker paid a state visit to France. By all indications,
the long stretch of international isolation appeared to have been successfully
overcome. The GDR finally seemed to be taking its long-sought place among
the international community of nations. In the minds of the GDR's old-guard
communists, the long-awaited international political recognition was seen
as a favorable omen that seemed to coincide symbolically with the fortieth
anniversary of the East German state.
In spite of Honecker's declaration as late as January 1989 that "The
Wall will still stand in fifty and also in a hundred years," the effects
of glasnost and perestroika had begun to be evident
in the Soviet Union and throughout Eastern Europe. Although the GDR leadership
tried to deny the reality of these developments, for most East Germans
the reforms of Soviet leader Gorbachev were symbols of a new era that
would inevitably also reach the GDR. The GDR leadership's frantic attempts
to block the news coming out of the Soviet Union by preventing the distribution
of Russian newsmagazines only strengthened growing protest within the
population.
In Berlin, on October 7, the GDR leadership celebrated the fortieth
anniversary of the foundation of the East German state. In his address,
Honecker sharply condemned the FRG for interfering in the GDR's internal
affairs and for encouraging protesters. Still convinced of his mission
to secure the survival of the GDR as a state, he proclaimed: "Socialism
will be halted in its course neither by ox, nor ass." The prophetic retort
by Gorbachev, honored guest at the celebrations, as quoted to the international
press, more accurately reflected imminent realities: "He who comes too
late will suffer the consequences of history."
The consequences of not having held in check the earlier large demonstrations
against the regime's inflexibility came two days later when 70,000 protesters
shouting "We are the people" demonstrated in Leipzig. When the police
took no action during these historic hours of October 9, 1989, it became
clear to everyone that the days of the GDR were numbered. After the crowds
in Leipzig reached over 100,000 protesters on October 16, the Central
Committee of the SED--previously kept in the background by Honecker and
his comrades in the party leadership--took control. Honecker resigned
from his offices as head of state and party leader on October 18.
Egon Krenz, longtime member of the Politburo and FDJ chairman, became
Honecker's successor as general secretary of the SED. On October 24, Krenz
also assumed the chairmanship of the Council of State. On his orders,
all police actions against demonstrators were discontinued. On November
4, the largest demonstration in GDR history took place, with over 1 million
people in East Berlin demanding democracy and free elections. Confronted
with this wave of popular opposition, the GDR government, under Prime
Minister Willi Stoph, resigned on November 7. The Politburo followed suit
on November 8. Finally, on the evening of November 9, Politburo member
Günter Schabowski announced the opening of the border crossings into
the FRG.
- The Honecker Era, 1971-1989
- The
Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe
- The New East
German Constitution and the Question of Identity
- Relations Between
the Two Germanys
- The Peace Movement
and Internal Resistance
- The Last Days of East Germany
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