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North Korean artillery open fire on South Korean army across the border separating the two states
This event changed the Western powers view of the German situation even more than the blockade since Korea was also a country divided according to allied forces at the end of WWII. -
Stalin proposes a united but neutral Germany
He sends a note to each of the other three occupying powers in which he offers a peace treaty and free elections in a unified Germany. He includes a draft of a peace treaty. Adenauer rejects it immediately. He believes that only a Germany anchored to the West can survive. -
13th plenum of the Central Committee of the SED
Ulbricht ousts his most likely rival, Franz Dahlem, from leadership. He then announces the raising of 'work norms' by 10% -
Borders between East and West Germany and between East Germany and West Berlin are closed
Only the border between East and West Berlin remains open. Berlin becomes the only relatively safe way to escape to the West. -
German Treaty signed in Bonn
Confirms West Germany's sovereignty and paves the way for it to join the anti Soviet alliance system -
SED announces plans to build Socialism
East Germany is entering a phase of building Socialism, signalling its development into a full fledged Stalinist-Communist state. Discriminatory measures against churches, intellectuals, business people and "border-crossers" increase. *Note: this took place sometime in July (not specifically the 30th) -
Stalin dies
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Between the 2nd and the 4th, Soviets present Ulbricht with a compromise.
Soviets want to halt forced collectivism of agriculture, encourage small and mid sized enterprises, ensuring of universal and fair distribution of ration cards, and switching tolight and consumer oriented industry. The anti-church campaign is also to be stopped and civil rights are to be more respected. They hope to stem the tide of people leaving the GDR by taking these steps. Ulbricht is not happy. -
The SED Politburo issues a communique admitting mistakes
After initially resisting the demands of the Soviet compromise, the SED Politburo finally agreed. One thing missing though was any rescinding of the new work norms -
The Uprising
Workers building East Germany's new boulevard, Stalinallee, break out in demonstrations in response to news of 10% production quota increase. The Uprising begins -
Uprising protests spread across Germany
More than 1 million on strike and demonstrations in 700 communities. Workers demand better working/living conditions, free elections and unification -
Ulbricht is under Soviet protection
He spends the 17th and 18th at Red Army headquarters in Berlin-Karlshorst, with Otto Grotewohl as support for him grows weaker. -
Soviet occupation troops brutally suppress the Uprising
Many arrests are made and roughly 50 deaths result. -
Ulbricht outwits attempts to change the Politburo
Attempts to modify the Politburo from a single person secretariat to a collective leadership approach (and therefore remove Ulbricht from his single power position) fail as Ulbricht turns the tables and announces that Zaisser's and Herrnstadt's behavior amounts to an 'anti-party' attitude. Fearing appearing weak, the Soviets agree to support Ulbricht. -
Western Powers waive the need for the interzonenpass
Soviets soon follow but still require East German citizens to have permission to travel to the West. -
Federal Republic of Germany becomes a sovereign state
Effectively ending the occupation -
Eastern Communist nations sign Warsaw Pact
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GDR granted formal sovereignty by the Soviet Union
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Willy Brandt becomes Mayor of Berlin
He and his fashionably dressed Norwegian wife Rut are a kind of pre-echo of Jack and Jackie Kennedy. -
East German travelers prosecuted
Anyone found traveling without permission is prosecuted and given a prision term up to 3 years. -
Ulbricht says West Berlin is part of the territory of the GDR
In an address to a mass meeting held at Friedrichstadt-Palast theatre, Ulbricht attacks the West in general and West Berlin's very right to exist. Brandt responds by mocking Ulbricht as a Saxon Lenin-Imitation. -
Khrushchev holds a press conference about the 'malignant tumor' of Berlin
He says that he plans to 'do some surgery' and remove the tumor. He gives the West an ultimatum to sign a peace treaty within 6 months , liquidate the occupation regime and turn West Berlin into a demilitarized 'free city'. If the West doesn't agree, Krhushchev will unilaterally sign a treaty with the GDR and turn over all control of access to Berlin to the East Germans. -
British Prime Minister, Harold Macmillan, meets with Krushchev
He manages to get Krushchev to remove the time limit on the ultimatum. *Note: only month/year accurate -
GDR changes its flag
The flag was indistinguishable from the West until this point. Symbols of a hammer( for the workers) and a compass (for the intellectuals) inside ears of grain (for the farmers) are placed in the center of the flag. -
Wilhelm Pieck, President of the GDR, dies at 85 years old
Within weeks the post of president is abolished and a 'State Council' is set up to replace it. The chairman of the council is, of course, Walter Ulbricht. He is now essentially the head of state and more powerful than ever. -
Ulbricht suddenly announces Western Diplomats need permission to travel
Those diplomats accredited to the West German government must seek permission from the GDR Foreign Ministry in East Berlin before entering either the Eastern sector of Berlin or the territory of the GDR proper. -
Ulbricht and Khrushchev meet in Moscow
Khrushchev is displeased with Ulbricht's acting without consulting him. Khrushchev used the meeting to remind Ulbricht that he had an agreement with the Americans. Khrushchev suggested the Soviets would work with him to gradually crowd out the Western powers from West Berlin, but without a war. -
Ulbricht raises the subject of full Berlin border closure again
He presses Khrushchev to have it included on the agenda of the Warsaw Pact meeting in late March. He wants to stop the West from their "people-trafficking of innocent East German citizens being lured west by bribes, even kidnapped off the streets." -
17,791 East Germans fled to West Berlin
- only Month/Year accurate
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Khrushchev and Kennedy meet
Hoping to determine whether Kennedy was willing to go to war over Berlin, Krushchev wanted to be able to look Kennedy in the eye. Khrushchev failed to intimidate and Kennedy failed to charm. Khrushchev reinstates the 6 month ultimatum for the West to sign a peace treaty with East Germany or else... -
East German Leader Walter Ulbricht says "no wall"
During an international press conference, Ulbricht maintains that once the peace treaty is signed and the 4 powers status is nullified, the SED would assume control over all air as well as land routes to and from Berlin. Though no one ever mentions a wall, Ulbricht says that there are no plans to build a one. -
Ulbricht writes to Khrushchev
He suggest a meeting in Moscow to discuss the peace treaty and practical measure such a treaty would entail. He also mentions measures against 'border-crossrs', which he feels would be necessary before the treaty -
The Soviet Presidium meets to discuss Ulbricht's request
A meeting to discuss the 'border-crosser' question is set for August 3 in Moscow. -
19,198 East Germans flee to West Berlin
*Note: only month/year accurate -
State Security Minister, Erich Mielke holds a meeting at Stasi headquarters
He sets in motion initial measures to strengthen security on the main West German-East German border and the so-called 'ring around Berlin'. The ring was created after the Uprising and allowed the GDR/Soviet forces to close off all movement between East Berlin and East Germany proper in the event of a political crisis. -
East German People's Army put on a state of heightened alert
Commander-in-chief of the Warsaw Pact forces, Marshal Andrei Grechko, also puts the forces under the command of the Commander of the Soviet Forces in Germany. -
Secret meeting takes place at the GDR's Ministry of Defense in Strausberg
The agenda is the 'securing of the sector borders within Berlin and of the ring around Berlin'. The actual sealing of the border would involve only East German border police. Both the Red Army units and the East German NVA units (tanks and armored vehicles) would hold back, 1-2 km behind the sector border in case of problems. -
FK appears on tv to address the nation
His message to the East is: try to restrict access to West Berlin, or to take over the Western sectors, and we shall fight. As for the parts of Berlin already claimed by East Germany, Kennedy said nothing. He promises to increase troops from 875,000 to 1 million and to increase military budgets. -
Soviet and German staff officers draft a map
It shows the route of a barrier running through the heart of Berlin. * Note: not actual map -
Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Senator J. William Fulbright says East Berlin has a perfect right to close its border
He says that he can't understand why they ahven't already done so. For the Soviets, it's practically an invitation. -
12,578 East Germans flee within the first 2 weeks of the month
*Note: only month/year accurate -
Border partol police units together with the Transport Ministry, begin collecting materials
These include 18, 200 concrete posts, 150 tons of barbed wire, 5 tons of binding wire and 2 tons of staples. The plan was not just to seal off West Berlin from East Berlin but to create a barrier to insulate East Berlin . -
Between August 2 and 12: 15,036 refugees were registered at Marienfelde Refugee Center
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Four Power talks, Paris, France (Aug 4-9)
Meeting took a leisurely view but agreed that preparations should be made to discuss Berlin with the Russians in October or November. No date was set -
Ulbricht announces the plan
After returning home from his meeting in Moscow on the 5th, Ulbricht finally informs the entire Politburo of the Moscow discussions and of the plan to close the border on Sunday, August 13. -
Berlin Watch Committee meets
This committee coordinated American intelligence organizations in Berlin and pooled their information. They discussed measure that the GDR might take to stem the exodus. While the possibility of a border-sealing operation was mentioned, no one thought that it was technically possible.
