4East Germany (1949–1990)

Also known as the German Democratic Republic (GDR), East Germany was a socialist state created after World War II when Germany was divided between the East and West.

It was controlled by the Soviet Union and represented the communist side of the Cold War in Europe. In 1990, with the fall of the Berlin Wall and the collapse of the Soviet Union, East Germany reunified with West Germany, becoming part of the modern-day Federal Republic of Germany.