The German Democratic Republic (GDR), German: Deutsche Demokratische Republik (DDR), often known in English as East Germany, existed from 1949 to 1990. It covered the area of the present-day German states of See more

SED as leading party
The SED controlled the National Front coalition, a federation of all political parties and mass organizations that preserved political pluralism. … See more

Collectivization and nationalization of agriculture and industry, 1956–1963
In 1956, at the 20th Congress of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, First Secretary Nikita Khrushchev repudiated Stalinism. Around this time, an academic intelligentsia See more

The 10th Party Congress, which took place in April 1981, focused on improving the economy, stabilizing the socialist system, achieving success in foreign policy, and strengthening … See more

Division of Germany
The Yalta Conference
At the Yalta Conference, held in February 1945, the United States, United Kingdom, and the See more

Ulbricht versus détente
Ulbricht's foreign policy from 1967 to 1971 responded to the beginning of the era of détente with the West. Although détente offered East … See more

GDR identity
From the beginning, the newly formed GDR tried to establish its own separate identity. Because of Marx's abhorrence of Prussia, … See more