Part 7/16:
Land Reforms and Nationalizations
Initially, the East German leadership, dominated by the Socialist Unity Party (SED), implemented land reforms to dismantle large landholdings and redistribute land to small farmers. However, the inefficient and corrupt implementation faced resistance, especially as the government pressed farmers to join collective farms (LPGs), where land, livestock, and equipment were communal. This collectivization was deeply unpopular, leading to tensions with rural populations and the political establishment.
Simultaneously, the Soviet Union expropriated some of East Germany's major factories and enterprises, converting them into joint Soviet-East German holdings. This further stifled industrial autonomy but helped preserve key production facilities.