German Democratic Republic (GDR)

The German Democratic Republic was the Soviet-backed communist state established in the Soviet occupation zone of Germany on October 7, 1949. Governed by the Socialist Unity Party (SED) under leaders including Walter Ulbricht and Erich Honecker, the GDR was characterised by rigid political repression, a pervasive secret police (Stasi), and the economic isolation of the Soviet bloc. The construction of the Berlin Wall in 1961 sealed its western border, preventing the mass emigration that had been draining its population. The GDR collapsed in 1989-90 following the fall of the Berlin Wall and popular demands for reunification, formally merging with West Germany on October 3, 1990.

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