The foreign policy factor of the formation of East German identity

after the defeat in World War II, Germany, as the main aggressor, was completely occupied by the victorious countries. The contradictions that arose between them during the outbreak of the Cold War led to the emergence of two German states in 1949. Since then, the two parts of the German people have taken completely different paths. The Federal Republic of Germany has closely linked itself with Western Europe and the United States, while the German Democratic Republic has found itself in the socialist camp. Both Western and eastern Germans began to form their own identity under the influence of various factors, and the differences between them are still felt, despite the fact that Germany was united more than 30 years ago. These differences manifested themselves in lifestyle, values, preferences, etc. In this article, the author examines the influence of the foreign policy factor on the formation of East German identity. First of all, we are talking about the influence of the USSR, but the factor of another Germany (FRG) is also being considered. Various spheres of East German life were touched upon and their connection with the formation of a certain East German identity was shown, as well as the influence of the USSR on these spheres.

East German identity, USSR, GDR, FRG, SED, Germany