Peter Grieder offers a thought-provoking introduction to the history of East Germany which engages critically with key debates and advances fresh interpretations. Arguing that the German Democratic Republic (GDR) was a totalitarian welfare state, Grieder: • divides its life into six phases: conception, construction, consolidation, conservatism, crisis, and collapse• analyses key concepts in the Introduction• provides an overall assessment of the GDR at the end of the volume• integrates experiences of individual GDR citizens in order to gain a deeper understanding of the East German polity.Clear, concise and up-to-date, this is an essential new study for anyone with an interest in the origins, development and ultimate downfall of the self-proclaimed 'Workers' and Peasants' Power'.