This book provides a complete account of the structural problems of the East German economy. As many other command economies, and by combining a general and a particular analysis, the author provides a chronological study of the issues plaguing the economic development of the GDR. Special attention is paid to the power dynamics in party leadership, especially at the local level. The addition of an analysis of the problem of consumer goods creates a clear picture of what could have been done to preserve the socialist system in the GDR.