SED (Socialist Unity Party)

The Socialist Unity Party (SED) was a political party in East Germany, officially known as the German Democratic Republic (GDR), from its establishment in 1946 until 1989. It was formed through the merger of the Communist Party and the Social Democratic Party to create a socialist state aligned with Soviet interests. The SED held a monopoly on political power, promoting a Marxist-Leninist ideology and implementing state control over the economy and society. Its rule ended with the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, leading to German reunification and the party's dissolution.