Initiated by the late historian Jochen Laufer, this editorial project brings together government and party documents from the Soviet Union, the German Democratic Republic and the Federal Republic of Germany in order to showcase their policies towards one another from the founding of the two German states in 1949 until Stalin's death in 1953. This edition, thoroughly annotated and supplemented with detailed introductions, provides insights into the aims and strategies of the three unequal states regarding the German question, the respective perceptions of their ruling elites, and the decision-making processes underlying their diplomatic initiatives.