The East German uprising of 1953 was a wave of strikes and protests against the Communist government. It began with construction workers in East Berlin who protested against higher work quotas, and it spread within days to hundreds of towns and cities, with demands for free elections, the release of political prisoners and the resignation of the government. On the second day Soviet tanks and troops, together with East German police, suppressed the protests; dozens of people were killed and thousands were arrested. West Germany marked 17 June as a national holiday, the Day of German Unity, until 1990. The uprising showed how fragile the regime was and led the authorities to expand the secret police while making limited economic concessions.
Before and after
- 6 May 1953Birth of Tony Blair
- 16 May 1953Birth of Pierce Brosnan
- 17 May 1953Birth of Kassym-Jomart Tokayev
- 15 June 1953Birth of Xi Jinping
- from 16 June 1953 to 17 June 1953East German uprising of 1953
- 18 June 1953Tachikawa air disaster
- 21 June 1953Birth of Benazir Bhutto
- 23 June 1953Founding of European People's Party Group
- 26 July 1953Attack on the Moncada Barracks
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The era
This moment belongs to the Contemporary world (1945 CE to today), the world since 1945. You can also browse everything in the 20th century.