Okay, this is beginning to mindboggle me.
Why do people assume that "communism = North Korea"? Geographic location, natural resources, population education level, climate, prior industrial capacity and infrastructure, political and scientific tradition, none of that matters?
It's like that other thread where 2008's "G8" did not include any Communist/former Communist European country (POD was "Soviets at the Channel") but instead had Thailand. If "G8" is "Industrialised Friends of America" club, then yes, maybe. If it's merely the 8 most industrially developed countries, it'd be nonsense.
Anyway, this challenge is too great for me.
If GDR is a loyal member of the Soviet block, it will be at least as prosperous as it was IRL. Which is to say, below France and above Spain.
If it isn't a good Soviet puppet, it will be forced to rejoin, or else will join the West. Either way, same deal. Above Spain perhaps, and below France.
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Anyway, to achieve what you ask -
- First you also have to have a Khmer Rouge moment to get rid of the intellectuals, industry specialists, and everyone who would give it an advantage over Korea, as well as demolish all factories, markets, railways and highways.
- THEN you'd have a level playing field. Afterwards you'd STILL need to cut GDR off from the entire world and literally let it starve for 50 years to become like DPRK.
- and nobody (not the Soviets, not the West) have to give two figs about this happening in the middle of Europe.