Division of Germany Flashcards
(10 cards)
What agreements were made about Germany at Yalta (Feb 1945)?
Germany divided into 4 zones.
Berlin also divided into 4 zones.
Denazification, demilitarisation, democratisation, and reparations.
What was agreed at Potsdam (July 1945)?
USSR could take reparations from its zone.
Nazi leaders would be tried.
No fixed agreement on Germany’s long-term future.
How did the Soviet and Western visions for Germany differ?
USSR wanted a weakened, communist-friendly Germany.
USA/UK wanted a recovered, capitalist Germany to avoid another war.
What was Bizonia and when was it formed?
In 1947, the US and UK merged their zones to improve economic recovery – seen as provocative by the USSR.
What triggered the Berlin Blockade (1948–49)?
Western Allies introduced a new currency (Deutschmark) in their zones and West Berlin – Stalin responded with a blockade.
What was the Berlin Airlift (1948–49)?
A successful Western operation that supplied West Berlin by air for nearly a year during the Soviet blockade.
When was West Germany (FRG) officially established?
May 1949 – the Federal Republic of Germany, a democratic state in the Western zones.
When was East Germany (GDR) created?
October 1949 – the German Democratic Republic, a communist state under Soviet control.
How did the division of Germany reflect the Cold War?
It symbolised the East–West divide, with Germany becoming the front line of Cold War tensions.
What happened to Nazi leaders after the war?
Many were tried at the Nuremberg Trials (1945–46) for war crimes and crimes against humanity.
