1946 Soviet occupation zone state elections

1946 Soviet occupation zone state elections

20 October 1946 1950  →
Registered	11,454,837
Turnout	91.0%
Majority party Minority party Third party   Party SED CDU LDP Seats won 249 133 121 Popular vote 4,685,304 2,411,033 2,418,841 Percentage 47.57% 24.48% 24.56%   Fourth party Fifth party Sixth party   Party VdgB Kulturbund Frauenausschüsse Seats won 15 1 0 Popular vote 296,111 19,148 18,340 Percentage 3.01% 0.19% 0.19%

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

Party		Votes	%	Seats
	Socialist Unity Party of Germany	4,918,762	46.27	249
	Liberal Democratic Party of Germany	2,480,130	23.33	121
	Christian Democratic Union	2,557,253	24.05	133
	Social Democratic Party of Germany	341,400	3.21	–
	Peasants Mutual Aid Association	296,111	2.79	15
	Cultural Association	19,148	0.18	1
	Women's Committees	18,340	0.17	0
Total		10,631,144	100.00	519
Valid votes		10,631,144	94.76
Invalid/blank votes		588,004	5.24
Total votes		11,219,148	100.00
Registered voters/turnout		12,303,726	91.18

East Berlin

See also: 1946 Berlin state election

Party		Votes	%
	Social Democratic Party of Germany	341,400	43.64
	Socialist Unity Party of Germany	233,458	29.84
	Christian Democratic Union	146,220	18.69
	Liberal Democratic Party of Germany	61,289	7.83
Total		782,367	100.00
Valid votes		782,367	97.66
Invalid/blank votes		18,725	2.34
Total votes		801,092	100.00
Registered voters/turnout		854,106	93.79
Source: Berliner Wahlergebnisse [1]

Brandenburg

Party		Votes	%	Seats
	Socialist Unity Party of Germany	634,786	43.52	44
	Christian Democratic Union	442,206	30.32	31
	Liberal Democratic Party of Germany	298,311	20.45	20
	Peasants Mutual Aid Association	83,271	5.71	5
Total		1,458,574	100.00	100
Valid votes		1,458,574	96.21
Invalid/blank votes		57,413	3.79
Total votes		1,515,987	100.00
Registered voters/turnout		1,655,980	91.55
Source: Wahlen in Deutschland [2]

Mecklenburg-Vorpommern

Party		Votes	%	Seats
	Socialist Unity Party of Germany	551,594	49.53	45
	Christian Democratic Union	379,829	34.10	31
	Liberal Democratic Party of Germany	138,662	12.45	11
	Peasants Mutual Aid Association	43,663	3.92	3
Total		1,113,748	100.00	90
Valid votes		1,113,748	94.53
Invalid/blank votes		64,463	5.47
Total votes		1,178,211	100.00
Registered voters/turnout		1,308,727	90.03
Source: Wahlen in Deutschland [3]

Saxony

Party		Votes	%	Seats
	Socialist Unity Party of Germany	1,616,068	49.11	59
	Liberal Democratic Party of Germany	813,224	24.71	30
	Christian Democratic Union	766,859	23.30	28
	Peasants Mutual Aid Association	57,356	1.74	2
	Cultural Association	19,148	0.58	1
	Women's Committees	18,340	0.56	0
Total		3,290,995	100.00	120
Valid votes		3,290,995	93.54
Invalid/blank votes		227,113	6.46
Total votes		3,518,108	100.00
Registered voters/turnout		3,803,416	92.50
Source: Wahlen in Deutschland [4]

Saxony-Anhalt

Party		Votes	%	Seats
	Socialist Unity Party of Germany	1,063,889	45.79	51
	Liberal Democratic Party of Germany	695,685	29.94	32
	Christian Democratic Union	507,397	21.84	24
	Peasants Mutual Aid Association	56,630	2.44	2
Total		2,323,601	100.00	109
Valid votes		2,323,601	94.15
Invalid/blank votes		144,363	5.85
Total votes		2,467,964	100.00
Registered voters/turnout		2,695,416	91.56
Source: Wahlen in Deutschland [5]

Thuringia

Party		Votes	%	Seats
	Socialist Unity Party of Germany	818,967	49.28	50
	Liberal Democratic Party of Germany	472,959	28.46	28
	Christian Democratic Union	314,742	18.94	19
	Peasants Mutual Aid Association	55,191	3.32	3
Total		1,661,859	100.00	100
Valid votes		1,661,859	95.63
Invalid/blank votes		75,927	4.37
Total votes		1,737,786	100.00
Registered voters/turnout		1,986,081	87.50
Source: Wahlen in Deutschland [6]

See also

• States of East Germany
• 1946 Berlin state election (also held in East-Berlin)

References

1. Berliner Wahlergebnisse
2. Wahlen in Deutschland
3. Wahlen in Deutschland
4. Wahlen in Deutschland
5. Wahlen in Deutschland
6. Wahlen in Deutschland

• Martin Broszat, Gerhard Braas, Hermann Weber (1993). SBZ-Handbuch, ISBN   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, ISBN   3-631-35950-0