Erich Ernst Paul Honecker, a prominent German communist politician, assumed leadership of the German Democratic Republic, commonly referred to as East Germany, on a specific date in 1971, and remained at the helm until just before the fateful event of the Berlin Wall's collapse in October 1989. Throughout his tenure, he concurrently held two influential positions: General Secretary of the Socialist Unity Party of Germany, a dominant political party in East Germany, and Chairman of the National Defence Council, responsible for overseeing the country's defense and military affairs. In 1976, Honecker succeeded Willi Stoph as Chairman of the State Council, the official head of state, thus becoming the highest-ranking government official in East Germany.
As the leader of East Germany, Honecker maintained a strong and close relationship with the Soviet Union, which maintained a substantial military presence within the country.
