The GDR was not an inheritor of the 3rd Reich's militarism - it was an inheritor of Prussia's militarism. But yes, even school classes had a somewhat military

The GDR was not an inheritor of the 3rd Reich's militarism - it was an inheritor of Prussia's militarism. But yes, even school classes had a somewhat military organization. Serving in the military also had very high prestige and was well paid (for East Germany), and you got very good support when you left the military. In school I learned to lockstep-march and shoot and how to tackle the obstacle course and how to use maps and compasses and to navigate in unknown terrain and even how to use gas masks long before I finally ended up in the Bundeswehr. During basic training in the Bundeswehr, when a handful of fresh recruits including myself went over the wall with no difficulties on our first attempt, the Major standing on the side watching everything commented "Oh, that must be our new recruits from the East" (we were drafted to a West German location, just a year after reunification). Anyway, it has nothing to do with fascism except that they too took on the Prussian militaristic heritage. Militarism was a Prussian thing since before "Germany" was made - by Prussia and by force of arms.