The GDR is the most successful (in terms of living standards) socialist state but one of the least loved. Yet the GDR has formidable achievements to list, especially in education and health. On the other hand her feeling of insecurity has led to a creeping militarisation of society. The GDR provides communist states in the Third World with military training and expertise; she also trains security and police cadres. Hence the impact is being felt outside Europe. Does the GDR now present the face of the ugly German to the non-communist world? Her development is worthy of attention. As the Soviet Union’s closest ally in Eastern Europe she may play a more important role there in the future as economic growth slows and tensions rise. She has, however, problems of her own which will require much hard work to resolve. Nevertheless she is the most stable socialist state in Eastern Europe at present. Will this continue? Will mass discontent mount as living standards stagnate? Just how important will the West German response be? The GDR is torn between East and West. If she is to weather the economic storms she requires closer links with West Germany and the West but politically and militarily she needs a closer relationship with the Soviet Union. ‘… competent and wide-ranging, covering not only political history but also the economy, education, culture, the position of women and foreign policy.’ Leslie Holmes, Soviet Studies ‘… the main strength of this work is that it provides a mass of facts and figures in the main text and is yet eminently readable.’ Roger Woods, Slavonic Review
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