After the gruesome end of World War II and in a city filled with rubble, a disciple of Stalin built a fortress. He was the goateed architect of German Socialism who made it onto the cover of Time magazine and who didn’t shy away from setting up one of the most rigid police states to cement his power. His name? Walter Ulbricht.

Now almost forgotten, Ulbricht rose to power and faced an uprising only 4 years after founding his own state. His response? A brutal crackdown. Always on his side, his most loyal protege, Erich Honecker. For decades, the two men who couldn’t have been more different didn't only build Socialism; they also built a wall together.

But what happens when the student decides the master's time is up? A textbook palace coup. The year was 1971, when the old guard, Ulbricht, found himself outmaneuvered by his closest ally - or so he thought.

Joining us is Olaf from the Netherlands, who is the face of ‘East Germany Investigated’, a popular YouTube channel that dives deep into the history of the German Democratic Republic.

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