Soviet occupation zone facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Allied-Administered Germany Soviet Occupation Zones of Germany
1945 — 1949
Flag
Occupation zones in Germany (1945)
Status	Military occupation
Capital	Berlin (de jure)
Governors (1945)
• Soviet zone	Marshal Zhukov
• 1953-55	Georgy Maksimovich Pushkin
Historical era	Cold War
• Surrender	May 8, 1945
• Allied Control Council	July 5, 1945 1945
• 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 East Germany East Berlin
¹ German reunification took place on October 3, 1990. The four sectors of Allied occupation in Berlin

After World War II ended in 1945, the country of Germany was divided into different areas, or "zones," controlled by the winning countries. The Soviet Occupation Zone was the part of eastern Germany that the Soviet Union took control of. People also called it the Sowjetische Besatzungszone (SBZ) or Ostzone in German, which means "East Zone." This area later became a new country known as East Germany.

Before the Soviet Union took full control, American soldiers were in some parts of this area. They moved out in July 1945 to the agreed-upon borders for each country's occupation zone.

How the Soviet Union Governed Germany

The Soviet Military Administration in Germany (called SMAD) was in charge. They allowed four political groups to form. However, these groups all had to work together in something called the "All-Party Committee." This committee was also known as the "Nationale Front."

Forming New Political Parties

Two main political groups, the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD) and the Communist Party of Germany, were combined. They formed the Socialist Unity Party of Germany. This new party became the main ruling party in what would become East Germany. The Socialist Unity Party also created other smaller parties. This was done to make the existing parties, like the Christian Democratic Union and the Liberal Democratic Party of Germany, less powerful.

Stalin's Plans for Germany

Originally, the Soviet leader, Joseph Stalin, wanted to make all of Germany like the Soviet Union. This idea was called "Sovietizing." But the Western countries, like the United States and Great Britain, did not agree with this plan.

Stalin then tried to make Germany a single, neutral country. This meant Germany would not take sides with either the Soviet Union or the Western countries. When the West again said no to this idea, Stalin decided to create a new country only from the Soviet occupation zone. This is how East Germany came to be.

Where Was the Soviet Zone Located?

The Soviet occupation zone included the central parts of a historical region called Prussia. After the Allied powers officially ended Prussia in 1947, the area was divided. It became part of several German states: Brandenburg, Mecklenburg, Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, and Thuringia.

On October 8, 1949, the western part of the Soviet zone officially became the German Democratic Republic. Most people simply called it East Germany. In 1952, these states were changed into 14 smaller districts. East Berlin was also added. East Berlin was treated as part of the new East Germany, even though it was technically part of the larger city of Berlin, which was controlled by all the Allied powers.

Related pages

• East Germany
• Allied Occupation Zones in Germany
• American occupation zone
• British occupation zone

Images for kids

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  This is a Soviet visa from 1949, used in occupied Germany. It was found in a Polish service-passport.

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  This map shows the original plans for the occupation zones, as agreed in the London Protocol (1944).

See also

In Spanish: Zona de ocupación soviética para niños