German Democratic Republic

The German Democratic Republic (GDR) was a socialist state in eastern Germany from 1949 until German reunification in 1990. Its ruling Socialist Unity Party maintained a Soviet-aligned one-party system.

Socialist Unity Party of Germany: The ruling communist party that governed the German Democratic Republic from 1949 to 1990. It held political supremacy over state institutions and selected the country’s leaders.
Soviet occupation zone in Germany: The eastern German territory administered by the Soviet Union after World War II. The GDR was established largely within this occupation zone.
Walter Ulbricht: The German communist leader who headed the ruling party and state in the GDR until 1971. He directed the state’s formative policies and construction of the Berlin Wall.
Berlin Wall: A fortified barrier that divided East and West Berlin from 1961 to 1989. It became the most visible symbol of the GDR’s division and restrictions on emigration.
Federal Republic of Germany: The democratic state established in western Germany in 1949, which became the unified German state in 1990. It was the GDR’s rival German state throughout the Cold War.
Stasi: The Ministry for State Security, the German Democratic Republic’s domestic and foreign intelligence service. Its surveillance and informant networks enforced political control.
Allied Control Council: The four-power body that governed occupied Germany after World War II. Its breakdown reflected the growing division that preceded the GDR’s creation.
Erich Honecker: The GDR leader who headed the Socialist Unity Party from 1971 until 1989. His rule defined the state’s final two decades and its resistance to reform.
East German uprising of 1953: A popular revolt in the GDR in June 1953, suppressed with Soviet military force. The uprising exposed resistance to the state’s policies and its dependence on Soviet backing.
West Berlin: The western-controlled sectors of Berlin, an enclave surrounded by the German Democratic Republic. Its political status and open border made it a persistent contrast to East Berlin.

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