A child of the Cold War – the state and society of the GDR dictatorship as a military-political result of the clash of systems

With regard to the analysis of the history of the Cold War and the blocs' confrontation, the GDR is both a typical representative of the Eastern bloc alliance and an exception. In addition to processes intended by the Soviets to enforce political conformity, which were similar throughout the Eastern bloc, there were other formative influences, such as the GDR being part of a divided nation, the GDR being at the centre of the Cold War and the lack of legitimacy for SED rule under international law. The Warsaw Pact served the Soviet Union as an instrument for exerting political and military influence on the allied states. The military doctrine of attack as the decisive moment of warfare required extensive preparations for war in times of peace. For the Pact, the GDR was the area of operations for the military clash of systems in the western theatre of war. This function determined the demands on the armed forces, defence industry and security forces and also resulted in a bizarre way of thinking with regard...