The GDR always claimed it was a sovereign state. Did it provide for its own security, or to what extent did it depend on Soviet guarantees and military support? This is one of the guiding questions orienting this volume.

A chronological overview, placing the essential stages of the GDR’s military history within the context of the period, is followed by a systematic analysis of the most relevant aspects: the book covers, among other topics, the organization of the armed forces, the military as an educational agency, or the effects of the hypermilitarization on the East German state’s economy and society.

Finally, the book asks why all the armed formations together failed to protect the GDR’s Socialist Party regime when, in 1989, the citizens took to the streets and demanded reforms.

It is meant for students who need a swift introduction into the topic, and for a general readership interested in GDR history and military history.