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INTELLIGENCE AGENCY OFFICE OF CURRENT 73
COMMENT ON EAST BERLIN UPRISING
The uprising of tens of thousands of East Berliners onndune, which had to be quelled by Soviet troops, is an unprecedented demonstration of hostilityommunist In West Germany, the uprising has increased demands for German unification, but East Gorman Premlor Grotewonl says tho riots will make unity more difficult. The uprising will also have serious consequences for the Soviet "peace campaign" throughout the world.
The rioting apparently commencedmall controlled demonstration ofeople, about noon onune, against the recently decreedoroent Increase In work norms. It is likely, though unproved, that this was planned to enable the government to yield on the question without losing face.
abinet minister addressing tho crowd was pushed asldoorker who shouted, "What you havo declared hero is of no interest to us. We want to be free. Our demonstration is not against. Thiseople's revolt." The demonstration dispersed about an hour later with threatseneral strike. American observers mingled freely with the small remaining groups, in which party workers seemed to be trying to argue down demonstrators complaining against food shortages and Lack of freedom. During the evening there was sporadic violence.
. on Wednesday,est Berlin Police unit observedussian tanks approaching the US Sector border in tho area of Gross Zeithcn. . an advance unit ofussian tanks was observed passing Adlershof In East Berlin In the direction of the center of East Berlin.
. there0 marchers in East Berlin. Soviet soldiers wearing battle dress and In troop carriers were located in various sections to reinforce tho police, but at thii time thore was no Intervention on their part.
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In tho courae of the morning struggle,came into tho lost sectors of Berlin, but remained quiet. By. some of the Berlin elevated railway traffic had beenomplete cessation of both elevated railway andtraffic was subsequently reported.
Later, up0 demonstrators on the Potsdaaer Platz overturned kiosks and police shelters, and tore down Communist flags and posters. Smoke columns were reportedly seen rising from the East German government's main office building, and Peoples' Police inside finally opened fire on the crowd,some. Fire hoses failed to disperse the crowd.
In the Lustgarten Square, where the demonstrators planned to converge eventually, Soviet tanks took up stations andreinforcements from the Saxony area were called for. numbers of the Peoples' Police were reported defecting
to several hundred thousand.
Shortly after noon firing was audible to listeners in West Berlin. One report stated that IS Soviet medium tanks,rmored cars, andruckloads of machinegunners had beenonman mob storming the government Tanks drove into the mob here. Both Soviet and East German forces used small arms fire to scatter the mobs. Forty persons were brought to one West Berlin hospital alone,from bullet or club wounds.
he East Berlin radiotate of emergency in the Soviet Sector, banned all demonstrations, rallies, and gatherings of more than three persons,urfew.nd declared violatersaccording to martial law.
It is believed that the most serious local disturbances had been brought under control when this announcement was made.
All other broadcasts by tbe East German radio minimized the uprising. . onune it referred blandly to an SEE) meeting the previous evening at which Ulbricbt had said that the party should listen more carefully to the criticisms of the working people, and Grotewohl had promised measures to Increase the standard of living. Forty-five minutes later It announcedimilar brief, that Ulbricbt bad promised to increase the supply of consumers goods.
. the radio stated that tbe demonstrations of the previous day had been only local, incited by provocateurs from West Berlin. t announced that the majority of the workers in Berlin had resumed work. rotewohl statement announced that theay decree for the raising of work norms by Junead been abolished.
Shortly after,ame the broadcasta state of emergency and IS minutes later the entire East German network went on the air again with the appeal thatand grave disturbances in the Democratic sector of Berlin would only make the establishment of German unity more difficult. The government asked the population to help restore order and create conditions for normal and peaceful work; and also to apprehend the provocateurs and turn them over to tho police.
n ostensible capitulation to the demands of the workers, the radio announced that "the decisions of the Politburo of the SED and of the government assure the prompt fulfillment of your justified demands." The regular program was interrupted about an hour laterimilar appeal to tbe people to maintain order. Western provocateurs were again blamed for the disturbances.
Actually, the only known formal encouragement from West Germans came. onune, when the leader of the West Berlin German Trade Onion Federation, using the facilities of the American Badio in Berlin, requested the East Berlinto support the day's demonstrations. He stated that he could not give them instruction, but only advice. Be spoke of the justification of their demands for tolerable work norms, prompt payment of wages,educed cost of living.
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Latest press reports state that the entire Soviet Zone railroad network is on strike, and that rioting and strikes have broken out also in Dresden, Halle, Chemnitz, Zwickau,arge number of other industrial centers.
The rioting, coming herd on the heels of the East Germanune campaign of conciliation, has left the regimeilemma.
To quiet popular clamor Deputy Premier Olbricht hasordered an increase of consumer goods production. Steps will probably be taken also to improve working conditions and adjust wages.
But tbe regime was defeated in its effort to bowto the demands of workers, and instead has given theof weakness. This could encourage the populace to even greater resistance. Henoe the government, for its own security, may have to roverse that part ofune program calling for freer movement of the populace. Severe reprisals have already been ordered for thend this move runs directly contrary to the "peace offensive."
Finally, the dependence of the regime on Soviet armed forco has been clearly demonstrated at tbe very time it was trying to speak with authority for all of Germany.
In test Germany, the riots havetrong surge of national solidarity with the East German peopleave of contempt and distrust for the East German regime.
Initially, the riots have Increased public pressure for something to be done about unity. The Secretariat of the West German Trado Unions quickly charged that the separationermany was the main reason for the present unrj for immediate four-power talks on unification.
Nevertheless, if tho Soviets had hoped to undercut Adenauer in the September electionsaw additional conciliatory gestures, they will now have to do Bach more. Because the Bast Berlin mobs shouted not forconcessions but for free elections,German attention will now more than ever be focused on what guarantees the Soviets would offer of free all-German elections.
Grotewohl's statement that the riots will make unity more difficult suggests that the Soviets may not be willing to move ahead on unity.
SECRET
Tbe USSR Is likely to continue its conciliatoryapproaches elsewhere, however. Their effectiveness will not be completely nullified by the Berlin events, although those willorld-wide adverse effect on Communistin support of the "peace campaign."
It is unlikely that the overt resistance manifested in Berlin will spread to the other Satellites. If apolicy similar to that instituted in East Germany had been planned for the other Satellites, it will certainly bo reviewed. Thus far there has been no evidence ofolicy in Eastern Europe.
The riots are likely to resulturge In the newly-installed Soviet hierarchy In Germany. The repercussions of this could affect the delicate power-balance In the Kremlin.
Original document.
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