The Warsaw Pact was established in 1955 to respond to West Germany’s entry into NATO. German aggression was still a recent memory among the Soviets and East Europeans.
The East German Army was probably the best trained and best equipped of the Warsaw Pact powers. Ironically, it was also considered the most reliable yet least trusted army by its Soviet masters.
This is a SSh-39 helmet, (SSH translates to steel helmet–note the 3 high rivet placements) (see below). The SSh-39 helmet, a green-painted dome-shaped steel with a khaki fabric chinstrap, was a simple, more modern design, and much easier to manufacture than early designs. The SSh-39 was the basis of the later SSh-40, which would be the standard design for Soviet helmets for the next 29 years, with only minor changes occurring during that time. The helmet was produced primarily in three factories, the Stalingrad Tractor Factory (designated CT in the ink stamp), the Red October Factory (ЗКО) also in Stalingrad, and the Lysva Metallurgical Factory (LMZ).
The hallmark external feature of the SSh-39 is rivet placement. The SSh-39 has only three external rivets, near the top, one on each side, and one in the back, all placed high on the crown of the helmet. The only external difference is the SSh-40 has six rivets near the bottom of the helmet. These rivets indicate a more rugged and improved liner inside the helmet.
Liner eight-finger M8 stamped