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

[edit]

### Overall

[edit]

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

[edit]

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

### Brandenburg

[edit]

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

### Mecklenburg-Vorpommern

[edit]

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

### Saxony

[edit]

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

### Saxony-Anhalt

[edit]

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

### Thuringia

[edit]

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

## See also

[edit]

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

## References

[edit]

* 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

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Elections and referendums in East Germany

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