Study this source. Source D The following data shows the estimated number of East Germans who crossed into West Germany each year between 1950 and 1961. Fro...

Source analysis

Source D presents statistics on East Germans fleeing to West Germany from 1950 to August 1961. The numbers are consistently high: 197,000 in 1950, a dramatic spike to 331,000 in 1953, and 155,000 in just the first eight months of 1961 (a rate that would have exceeded 230,000 if projected over the full year). The data shows that despite varying year to year, the exodus never fell below substantial levels. The 1953 spike coincides with the June 1953 workers' uprising, linking emigration to political unrest as well as economic discontent. The source comes from the West German refugee registration office, which had a systematic method of recording arrivals but also had an interest in documenting the failures of the East German regime.

Contextual knowledge

The source provides strong evidence that the East German regime faced a serious legitimacy crisis. Those leaving were often young, skilled workers and professionals, creating a 'brain drain' that undermined the economy and embarrassed the regime. However, the source does not prove that control was 'failing' overall. The regime survived, and the construction of the Berlin Wall in August 1961 effectively stopped the exodus. The Wall demonstrated that the regime could reassert control through physical barriers and armed force, and East Germany endured as a state until 1989. The source also comes from a West German government office, which had political reasons to highlight the failures of communism during the Cold War.

Mark scheme (Levels of Response) [7 marks]

• Level 1 [1-3 marks]: Simple use of the data. For example, 'Lots of people left East Germany, so control was failing.' No evaluation of what the data shows versus what it does not.
• Level 2 [4-5 marks]: Uses the data to evaluate both sides. Recognises that consistently high emigration suggests dissatisfaction, but notes that the regime survived and eventually built the Berlin Wall. May comment on the 1953 spike or the accelerating rate in 1961.
• Level 3 [6-7 marks]: Evaluates using source details AND own knowledge. Discusses the brain drain, the significance of the 1953 uprising, and the construction of the Berlin Wall. Recognises the source's limitations (West German provenance, showing only one dimension of control). Reaches a nuanced conclusion: the source shows control was under strain but not collapsing, since the regime found a brutal solution in the Wall.

Exam reminder: Emigration statistics show dissatisfaction, but leaving is not the same as resisting. A government can face mass emigration and still maintain political control through repression. Consider whether the source proves the claim fully or only partially.