Walter Ulbricht was a German communist politician who played a leading role in the early German Democratic Republic (East Germany). As the First Secretary of the Socialist Unity Party, he was the chief decision-maker in East Germany from 1950 until his forced retirement in 1971. His leadership saw the construction of the Berlin Wall in 1961, a defining symbol of the Cold War and the division of Germany. Ulbricht's rule was characterized by the implementation of a command economy and strict political control, shaping the state for over two decades.