Germany Zones of Occupation

The final months of the Allied occupation of Germany.

This informative map of Allied-occupied Germany was distributed for the Information & Education Program by the Army-Air Force Troop Information and Education Division. It was published in March 1949, just a few months before the formal occupation government transitioned to the Federal Republic of Germany. Bright red borders and text identify the respective zone of occupation for each Allied power. Historic German provinces are highlighted in different colors, reflecting the underlying political organization of each region. Major cities and geographic features are labeled, while an inset in the lower right shows further details about the then-contested city of Berlin.

Following Germany’s unconditional surrender in 1945, the Allied powers divided the country into roughly four occupation zones. Initial cooperation among the U.S., Britain, France, and the Soviet Union soon gave way to ideological tensions, with the latter imposing a communist regime in its sector. Economic disparities and political differences deepened the divide, culminating in the establishment of the Federal Republic of Germany (West Germany) in May 1949, aligned with the Western bloc, and the German Democratic Republic (East Germany) under Soviet control in October. The formal partitioning of Germany is considered by many to be the official onset of the Cold War.

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