The East German Leadership, 1946-73: Conflict and Crisis

Power in the German Democratic Republic was concentrated in the Politburo and the central committee of the Communist Party. Conflict was taboo and party discipline was a fundamental article of faith. This book penetrates the public image of a monolithic regime and explores opposition to the leadership at key turning points in the country’s history between 1946 and 1973. A study of hawks and doves, of reformers and hard-liners, it questions whether East Germany could have pursued a path different than the one it took.