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====Why were East Germans unhappy with Ulbricht's government?====In April 1953, after the death of Stalin, Soviet authorities sought to rein in Ulbricht’s regime, which advocated even more collectivization. Moscow persuaded Ulbricht to relax or discontinue parts of the “Constructing Socialism” movement in a new campaign called the “New Course.” Because many people perceived the “New Course” as a capitulation to the West, and also because the treatment of manufacturing workers remained harsh, the relaxation of “Constructing Socialism” transformed general discontent into open defiance.  On June 16, a few hundred workers called for a general strike. The next day, demonstrations and rioting broke out throughout East Germany. The Soviet occupation forces declared martial law and used massive military force to suppress the rioting and support the East German regime. ====How did Eisenhower react to the Uprising?====In response, the United States under the leadership of President Dwight D. Eisenhower showed its support for the uprising by establishing a large scale food relief program for East Germans, which was officially announced on July 10 and commenced on July 27. Under this program, the United States pledged to distribute $15 million worth of food from 35 distribution centers established in West Berlin, to which East Germans had access through East Berlin. The so-called “Eisenhower packages” contained lard, peas, flour, and pasteurized milk. The United States distributed over 5 million packages through these centers to over a million East Germans who were able to gain access to East Berlin. In response, the East German Government cut off rail and bus traffic to West Berlin, which further heightened tensions. The program put Ulbricht on the defensive and extended the atmosphere of crisis across East Germany.

In response, the United States under the leadership of President Dwight D. Eisenhower showed its support for the uprising by establishing a large scale food relief program for East Germans, which was officially announced on July 10 and commenced on July 27. Under addition to achieving humanitarian objectives through this assistance program, the United States pledged to distribute $15 million worth of food from 35 distribution centers established in West Berlin, sought to which destabilize East Germans had access through East Berlin. The so called “Eisenhower packages” contained lard, peas, flour, Germany and pasteurized milkweaken Ulbricht’s regime. The United States distributed over 5 million packages through these centers Eisenhower administration also hoped to over a million East Germans who were able deter Soviet initiatives to gain access to East Berlin. In response, the East start talks on German Government cut off rail and bus traffic to West Berlin, which further heightened tensionsreunification. The program put Ulbricht Washington believed that any movement toward unification on Soviet terms or even a lessening of the crisis would threaten the defensive delicate process of Western European military integration and extended weaken an already tenuous French resolve to ratify the atmosphere of crisis across East GermanyEuropean Defense Community (EDC) treaty.

In addition to achieving humanitarian objectives through this assistance program, the United States sought to destabilize East Germany and weaken Ulbricht’s regime. The Eisenhower administration also hoped to deter Soviet initiatives to start talks on German reunification. Washington believed that any movement toward unification on Soviet terms or even a lessening of the crisis would threaten the delicate process of Western European military integration and weaken an already tenuous French resolve to ratify the European Defense Community (EDC) treaty. The United States was also concerned that unification negations would undermine West German Chancellor Konrad Adenauer because he had based his administration on alignment with the West. President Eisenhower and Secretary of State John Foster Dulles attempted to exploit the uprising in East Germany in order to undercut the Soviet Union’s post-Stalin “Peace and Unity” campaign, bolster support for West German rearmament and the EDC, and weaken the Soviets’ initiative toward German unification.