walter ulbricht

English - English

Definition of walter ulbricht in English English dictionary: born June 30, 1893, Leipzig, Ger. died Aug. 1, 1973, East Berlin, E.Ger. German communist leader and head of East Germany (1960-73). He joined the German Communist Party after World War I and was elected to its central committee in 1923. He led the party in Berlin (1929-33), then fled abroad after the Nazi takeover. As an agent for the Comintern, he persecuted Trotskyites and other deviationists. In 1945 he returned to the Soviet-occupied zone of Germany, helped form the Socialist Unity Party (SED) in East Germany, and served as its general secretary (1950-71). He served as deputy premier of East Germany (1949-60) and as chairman of its council of state (1960-73). A constant foe of West Germany, he built the Berlin Wall in 1961. He exercised rigid control over East Germany while developing its industrial strength. He was forced to retire as first secretary of the SED in 1971 when the Soviet Union opened new relations with West Germany, but he retained his position as head of state until his death

walter ulbricht