The Soviet Control Commission ( ) was a Soviet monitoring and management committee overseeing the leadership of the German Democratic Republic and was active between 10 October 1949 to 28 May 1953 . Their legitimacy was justified in agreements that had been made by the victorious powers at the Potsdam Conference ( 17 July to 2 August 1945 ) . After that , the military government transferred its functions for a transitional period to formally fine German administrative organs . It replaced the Soviet Military Administration in Germany , which had previously exercised the sole administrative authority in the Soviet zone of occupation . With the founding of the German Democratic Republic on 7 October 1949 , the Commission was given the requirements to replace the military government . This meant , however , that the East German government could operate independently of the West . The Soviet Control Commission could always overrule the decisions of the commission in East Germany if the decision of the East German commission were considered at odds with the official Soviet policies . Local officials had little power to make decisions or revise the decisions made . They controlled both the government of the GDR and the state governments . It was considered the ultimate power of authority both in the Soviet zone and in the former GDR
Potsdam Conference
Potsdam Conference
People's Control Commission (East Germany)