German Democratic Republic

Definition

Also known as East Germany, it was a state that existed from 1949 to 1990 when Germany was divided after World War II. It was considered part of the Eastern Bloc during the Cold War.

Analogy

Imagine if your school got split into two separate schools with different administrations but still shared some facilities like playground or library. That's what happened with Germany after WWII; West Germany became one "school" under democratic administration while East Germany became another "school" under communist administration.

Related terms

Communism: A political theory derived from Karl Marx advocating class war leading to a society where all property is publicly owned and each person works and is paid according to their abilities and needs.

Iron Curtain: A term popularized by Winston Churchill representing Europe's division between a mostly democratic Western Europe and a communist Eastern Europe.

Berlin Wall: A guarded concrete barrier that physically and ideologically divided Berlin from 1961 to 1989.