Allied-occupied Germany

After World War II Nazi Germany west of the Oder-Neisse line was divided into four occupation zones. This had been agreed in London in September 1944.

Allied-Administered Germany Allied Occupation Zones in Germany
1945 — 1949
Flag
Occupation zones in Germany (1945)
Status	Military occupation
Capital	Berlin (de jure)
Governors (1945)
• UK zone	Field Marshal Montgomery
• French zone	General Lattre de Tassigny
• US zone	General Eisenhower
• Soviet zone	Marshal Zhukov
Historical era	Cold War
• Surrender	May 8, 1945
• Allied Control Council	July 5, 1945 1945
• Saar protectorate	December 15, 1947
• West Germany	23 May, 1949
• East Germany	7 October, 1949 1949
• Final Settlement¹	September 12, 1990
ISO 3166 code	DE
Preceded by Succeeded by Third Reich West Germany Saar (protectorate) East Germany
¹ German reunification took place on October 3, 1990. The four sectors of Allied occupation in Berlin

They were occupied by the allied powers who defeated Germany (the Soviet Union, the United Kingdom and the United States) and by France. This was done for administrative purposes during the period 1945-1949.

In the closing weeks of fighting in Europe the American forces had actually pushed beyond the previously agreed upon occupation zone boundaries, sometimes by as much as 200 miles. After about two months of holding certain areas meant to be in the Soviet zone, the American forces withdrew during July 1945.

Related pages

• American occupation zone
• British occupation zone
• Soviet occupation zone

Other websites

• Post-WWII commanders/governors of Germany