On 3 May 1971 Ulbricht was forced to resign from virtually all of his public functions "due to reasons of poor health" and was replaced, with the consent of the Soviets, by Erich Honecker.
3. mája 1971 bol Ulbricht donútený opustiť vodcovské funkcie z dôvodov "chatrného zdravia" a bol (s tichým súhlasom sovietov) nahradený Erichom Honeckerom.