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Learn about the history and administration of Germany after World War II, when it was divided into four occupation zones by the Allied powers. Find out how the zones evolved into West and East Germany, and what happened to the lost territories and the Berlin sector.
- Four Allies, Four Occupation Zones
- Rifts Between Soviet and Other Occupied Zones
- Tensions Lead to The Berlin Blockade
- Berlin Airlift Breaks Blockade
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In July of 1945, the “Big Three” met again at the Potsdam Conference. At Yalta, the Allies had agreed to a broad framework that included the demilitarization, democratization and denazification of Germany. With the war officially over, it was time to initiate a “nuts and bolts” action plan for an Allied occupation of Germany. Instead of administeri...
From the start, the Soviets ran their occupation zone very differently than the British, French and Americans. “The Soviet army and Russian civilians had suffered terribly at the hands of the Nazis during the war,” says Boghardt. “So when it came to carrying out the joint directive of denazification, for example, they not only arrested Nazi officia...
In 1947, Great Britain and the United States decided to merge their two occupation zones in order to foster more economic cooperation between the regions. The large new territory was called “Bizonia” referring to the two zones that made up its borders. Then the western Allies took things a step further by stepping up economic aid to Bizonia and the...
The Americans, British and French responded with the Berlin Airlift, a months-long air campaign to drop food and fuel into West Berlin that ultimately broke the Soviet blockade in 1949. Later that same year, France officially merged its occupied territory with Bizonia, creating the Federal Republic of Germany, or what became known as West Germany. ...
Learn how the Allies divided Germany into four occupation zones after the war and how the Cold War led to a permanent split between East and West Germany. Explore the causes and consequences of the Berlin Blockade, the Marshall Plan and the Deutsche mark.
- Dave Roos
- 3 min
Learn how the United States, Great Britain, the Soviet Union, and France divided and occupied Germany after the Second World War, and how this led to the Cold War. Explore the economic, political, and military aspects of the occupation and the Berlin Airlift.
The period began with the Berlin Declaration, marking the abolition of the German Reich and Allied-occupied period in Germany on 5 June 1945, and ended with the German reunification on 3 October 1990. Following the collapse of the Third Reich in 1945 and its defeat in World War II, Germany was stripped of its territorial gains.
Learn how British soldiers helped to administer, rebuild and deal with Nazi war criminals in post-war Germany. Explore the challenges, achievements and controversies of the British zone of occupation from 1945 to 1948.
Aug 30, 2024 · Learn how Germany was divided into four zones of occupation by the Allied powers after World War II and how this led to the formation of two German states. Explore the challenges and conflicts of rebuilding, reparations, and denazification in the postwar era.
Learn about the final Allied campaigns in Germany during World War II, from crossing the Rhine to linking up with the Soviets and ending the war. Find out the order of battle, casualties, and territorial changes of the Western Allies in Germany.
