1946 Soviet occupation zone state elections

Elections in soon-to-be Germany 1946 Soviet occupation zone state elections Soviet occupation zone 20 October 1946 1950 East German state elections 1950 legislative 11,454,837 91.0% Wilhelm Pieck and Otto Grotewohl Fotothek df pk 0000172 020 Porträt, Ernst Crop.jpg DC241F SED 249 4,685,304 47.57% Jakob Kaiser File:Bundesarchiv B 145 Bild-P001516, Jakob Kaiser.jpg CDU 2,411,033 24.48% 133 1D84CE Wilhelm Külz Fotothek df pk 0000190 018 Porträt des Vorsitzenden der LDP Dr. Wilhelm Külz.jpg LDP 2,418,841 24.56% 121 f3ca1e 100px VdgB 296,111 3.01% 15 006e07 100px Kulturbund 19,148 0.19% 1 000080 Frauenausschüsse 3D60D6 18,340 0 0.19% 400px thumb|SED Electoral advertisement in East Berlin. State elections were held in the Soviet occupation zone of Germany on 20 October 1946 to elect the state legislatures of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Brandenburg, Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt and Thuringia. They were the only elections held in the future territory of East Germany before the establishment of the German Democratic Republic in 1949, and the only free and fair elections in that part of Germany between 1932 and the Peaceful Revolution. The Socialist Unity Party of Germany (SED), which was formed by the forced merger of the Communist Party and the Social Democratic Party in the Soviet occupation zone, became the largest party, but did not achieve an absolute majority in any state. The SED was created in view of the holding of elections in the Soviet zone, as a first step for future political reforms. In addition to the SED, three other parties participated; the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and the Peasants Mutual Aid Association (VdgB). Two other organizations participated but only in Saxony. The SED landslide victory was seen by Soviet authorities as a justification for the development of socialism in their zone. The occupation authorities quickly dropped all pretense of liberal democracy, and cajoled the other parties into forming a "coalition" in which only the SED had any real power. By the time of the elections for a constitutional assembly in 1949, voters only had the option of approving or rejecting a "unity list" put forward by the SED-dominated Democratic Bloc. The next state elections were held in 1950, after the establishment of the German Democratic Republic. Results Overall File:Soviet occupation zone in Germany State legislatures 1946.svg Votes Votes (including East Berlin) Socialist Unity Party 4685304 4918762 249 Liberal Democratic Party 2418841 2480130 121 Christian Democratic Union 2411033 2557253 133 Social Democratic Party N/A 341400 Peasants Mutual Aid Association 296111 296111 15 Cultural Association 19148 19148 1 Women's Committees 18340 18340 0 #3D60D6 569279 11449620 588004 12303726 East Berlin 1946 Berlin state election Social Democratic Party of Germany 341400 Socialist Unity Party of Germany 233458 Christian Democratic Union 146220 Liberal Democratic Party of Germany 61289 18725 854106 Berliner WahlergebnisseBerliner Wahlergebnisse Brandenburg File:Soviet_occupation_zone_Brandenburg_Landtag_1946.svg Socialist Unity Party of Germany 634786 44 Christian Democratic Union 442206 31 Liberal Democratic Party of Germany 298311 20 Peasants Mutual Aid Association 83271 5 57413 1655980 Wahlen in DeutschlandWahlen in Deutschland Mecklenburg-Vorpommern File:Soviet_occupation_zone_Mecklenburg-Vorpommern_Landtag_1946.svg Socialist Unity Party of Germany 551594 45 Christian Democratic Union 379829 31 Liberal Democratic Party of Germany 138662 11 Peasants Mutual Aid Association 43663 3 64463 1308727 Wahlen in DeutschlandWahlen in Deutschland Saxony File:Soviet_occupation_zone_Saxony_Landtag_1946.svg Socialist Unity Party of Germany 1616068 59 Liberal Democratic Party of Germany 813224 30 Christian Democratic Union 766859 28 Peasants Mutual Aid Association 57356 2 Cultural Association 19148 1 Women's Committees 18340 0 #3D60D6 227113 3803416 Wahlen in DeutschlandWahlen in Deutschland Saxony-Anhalt File:Soviet_occupation_zone_Saxony-Anhalt_Landtag_1946.svg Socialist Unity Party of Germany 1063889 51 Liberal Democratic Party of Germany 695685 32 Christian Democratic Union 507397 24 Peasants Mutual Aid Association 56630 2 144363 2695416 Wahlen in DeutschlandWahlen in Deutschland Thuringia File:Soviet_occupation_zone_Thuringia_Landtag_1946.svg Socialist Unity Party of Germany 818967 50 Liberal Democratic Party of Germany 472959 28 Christian Democratic Union 314742 19 Peasants Mutual Aid Association 55191 3 75927 1986081 Wahlen in DeutschlandWahlen in Deutschland See also States of East Germany 1946 Berlin state election (also held in East-Berlin) References Martin Broszat, Gerhard Braas, Hermann Weber (1993). SBZ-Handbuch, 3-486-55262-7. Mathias Tullner (1997). Zwischen Demokratie und Diktatur. Die Kommunalwahlen und die Wahlen zum Provinziallandtag in Sachsen-Anhalt im Jahre 1946, Magdeburgo, pp. 95–98. Richard Schachtner (1956). Die deutschen Nachkriegswahlen: Wahlergebnisse in der Bundesrepublik Deutschland, in den deutschen Bundesländern, in West-Berlin, im Saarland und in der Sowjetzone (DDR) 1946-19, Isar-Verlag, Múnich, pp. 77–78. Günter Braun: Wahlen und Abstimmungen. In: Martin Broszat, Hermann Weber (1990). SBZ-Handbuch, Oldenbourg, Múnich, pp. 397, 396 & 418. Herbert Gottwald (1994). Der Thüringer Landtag 1946-1952. Thüringer Landtag in Verbindung mit Wartburg Verlag, Jena, pp. 56, 81 & 101. Karl-Heinz Hajna (2000). Die Landtagswahlen 1946 in der SBZ, Peter Lang, Frankfurt am Main, 3-631-35950-0 Category:Elections in East Germany Soviet Occupation Category:Elections in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Category:Elections in Saxony Category:Elections in Saxony-Anhalt Category:Elections in Thuringia Category:Elections in Brandenburg Category:1946 elections in Germany Category:Soviet occupation zone