ABSTRACT
The Soviet regime blackened out some parts of its history and recast others according to Marxist-Leninist dogma. History was instrumentalized, twisted and turned to respond to the political needs of the moment. When the Soviets occupied eastern Germany, their view of history infused the political and ideological work of Soviet officers and their German helpers among the local population. The history of Soviet-East German relations fell victim to the needs of both states to foster the inherently fragile legitimacy of Socialist Unity Party (SED) rule in the German Democratic Republic. The complaints of SED leaders clearly had an impact on Pieck and otto Grotewohl. Many of the SED's leaders were deeply concerned about the serious loss in the SED's legitimacy as a result of the NKVD/MVD's actions. Russian archives reveal, as well, that Soviet political officers in the provinces periodically complained to Karlshorst about the activities of the NKVD/MVD.
