762A.00/7–1252: Telegram

No. 703
The Director of the Berlin Element, HICOG (Lyon) to the Office of the United States High Commissioner for Germany, at Bonn 1

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88. From EAD. In seven hour speech opening SED conf Ulbricht confirmed that party decision had been taken to: (1) Abolish [Page 1558] Laender govts, establish 152 chamber county govts and increase districts (kreise) from 132 to 195; (2) Officially encourage “voluntary cooperative production” in agric and hand trades; (3) Proceed with “planned development of Socialism”; (4) Proceed with creation of “People’s army” to combat imperialism and defend peace and GDR frontiers; and (5) Introduce new legal codes along Sov lines.

Pertinent details Ulbricht’s elaboration of foregoing SED policy program and instructions re new party tasks will be subject separate reports.2

Basis preliminary analysis Ulbricht’s book-length speech our tentative impression is that it represents in part turning point Sov policy in direction transformation GDR to “Peoples Democracy;” and also that timing of conf and dramatic Ulbricht pronouncements partly bluff and designed for shock effect in West Ger.

Ulbricht’s remarks on subj Ger unification, peace treaty and Sov proposals this subj followed closely recent Commie line, namely: necessity overthrow Adenauer Govt; charges that Adenauer and West Allies not interested reaching agmt with Sovs on Ger unity as evidenced by insistence unacceptable conditions having sole purpose doom any Four-power conf to failure; and all-out endorsement Sov proposals. Re last point of interest note Ulbricht referred to fact that: (1) “Sov Govt had expressly declared drafting of election law and conduct of elections is matter purely for the Ger people” and (2) statement in last Sov note3 that creation unified Ger can only be achieved on acceptance principle that all-Ger Govt not bound by separate agmts concluded by one or other part of Ger. Repetition and emphasis given latter point apparently serves dual purpose of stressing fact that Sovs not prepared agree to unified Ger bound by contractual and EDC agmts; and also to establish Commie justification for eventual conclusion similar agmts between GDR on one hand and Sov Union and “peace kampf” countries on other.

Lyon
  1. Repeated to Washington, London, Paris, Moscow, Warsaw, Praha, and Frankfurt. The source text is the copy in Department of State files.
  2. Analyses of Ulbricht’s speech in which his program and instructions were contained were transmitted in despatch 74 from Berlin, July 22, not printed (862B.00/7–2252), and in despatch 91 from Berlin, infra .
  3. For the Soviet note of May 24, see Document 102.