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Soviet occupation zone of Germany
Sowjetische Besatzungszone
Sovetskaya okkupatsionnaya zona Germanii
Military occupation zone of the Soviet Union
1945–1952
Flag of Soviet occupation zone
Deutschland Besatzungszonen 8 Jun 1947 - 22 Apr 1949 sowjetisch.svg
The Soviet occupation zone in red
Capital Berlin
Government
 • Type Military occupation (member of the Eastern Bloc)
Military governors  
• 1945–1946
Georgy Zhukov
• 1946–1949
Vasily Sokolovsky
• 1949
Vasily Chuikov
Historical era Post-World War II
Cold War
8 May 1945
7 October 1952
Preceded by
Succeeded by
Nazi Germany
East Germany
Today part of Germany

The Soviet occupation zone was an area in Germany controlled by the Soviet Union. This happened after World War II ended in 1945. It was set up based on an agreement called the Potsdam Agreement.

This zone was one of four areas that the winning countries (the Allies) took over in Germany. The Soviet Union was given the central part of Germany. Other parts of Germany were occupied by the United States, the United Kingdom, and France.

1949 Soviet visa from occupied Germany
A Soviet visa from the occupied part of Germany in 1949.

How the Zone Was Formed

After World War II, the Allied powers divided Germany. The Soviet Union was given control over a large central area. This area was known as the Soviet Military Administration in Germany (SMAD).

Before the zones were officially set, British and American forces had moved into some areas that were supposed to be the Soviet zone. However, by July 1945, these areas were given to the Soviets. This followed the plans made earlier for how Germany would be divided.

Political Changes in the Zone

The Soviet leaders allowed new political parties to form in their zone. But these parties had to work together in a group called the "Democratic Bloc." Later, this group became known as the National Front.

In April 1946, two major parties, the Social Democratic Party and the Communist Party, were made to join together. They formed the Socialist Unity Party of Germany. This new party later became the main ruling party of East Germany.

The Soviet administration also set up some special camps. These camps were used to hold people in the zone. Some of these were former camps used by the Nazis.

EAC Zonenprotokoll 2
The occupation zones as they were first planned in 1944.

States and Districts in the Zone

In 1945, the Soviet zone mostly included parts of a larger German region called Prussia. Prussia was later broken up by the Allied powers in 1947. The Soviet zone was then divided into several German states, called Länder. These included Brandenburg, Mecklenburg, Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, and Thuringia.

States in German Democratic Republic 1949 - 1952 colored 02
The states (Länder) of the Soviet zone from 1949 to 1952: *       Mecklenburg *       Brandenburg *       Saxony-Anhalt *       Saxony *       Thuringia

On October 7, 1949, the Soviet zone officially became a new country. It was named the German Democratic Republic (GDR). People often called it East Germany. In 1952, these states were changed into 14 smaller areas called Bezirke (districts). East Berlin also became its own district.

The Cold War and East Germany

By 1952, the Cold War was in full swing. This was a time of tension between the Soviet Union and Western countries. Joseph Stalin, the Soviet leader, suggested that Germany could be reunited. He wanted it to be a neutral country, meaning it would not join either side.

However, the Western powers were not interested in this idea. This decision helped to make the Soviet zone a separate country. It remained East Germany for the next 40 years.

West Germany, which was the part of Germany occupied by the Western Allies, did not recognize East Germany as a real country for a long time. They often called it the "Soviet zone" or "the so-called GDR." This changed in 1972. The West German government, led by Willy Brandt, started to accept East Germany's existence. This was part of a new policy called Ostpolitik.

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Zona de ocupación soviética para niños

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