German Democratic Republic
German Democratic Republic (or East Germany)A former eastern European country. It emerged in 1949 from the Soviet Zone of occupation of Germany. Its frontier with Poland on the Oder-Neisse line, agreed at the Potsdam Conference , was confirmed by the Treaty of Zgorzelec in 1950 . Its capital was East Berlin, but the status of West Berlin, – an enclave of the Federal Republic of Germany 150 km (93 miles) inside East German territory, whose existence was guaranteed by the Four-Power Agreement between the victorious allied powers – caused serious problems (see Berlin Airlift ). In the first five years the republic had to pay heavy reparations to the Soviet Union, and Soviet troops were used to put down disorder in 1953 . In ...
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