Sectors & Bizonia

The Four Power Zones of Germany

In 1945, the Four Power Allied Control Council divided Germany up. Germany was divided into Four Power Zones. Each would be controlled by a different country; the USA, the USSR, Britain, and France.

The Allied Control Council

In 1945, the Four Power Allied Control Council divided Germany up. Germany was divided into Four Power Zones.
Each country was free to determine how they would run their zone.
To ensure that all Germans were treated equally, the Allied Control Council was established which coordinated economic and political decisions, making sure that all plans were unanimously decided upon.
Berlin (the capital city) would also be divided into similar zones.

USSR zone

Stalin always saw Berlin as a separate city under Communist control and did not see that ever ending, especially as the USSR were the first to liberate Germany from Nazi control.
Stalin even thought that Berlin would become a centre for the communist movement of Germany.
Stalin set up the Soviet Military Administration which was responsible for merging the Communist Party and the Social Democrats into the German Socialist Unity Party (SED), in an attempt to increase communist influence.
The USSR also nationalised industry and made learning Russian compulsory in all schools.

USA zone

The USA organised free elections in their zone.
In 1947 the USA merged its zone with the British zone.

British zone

The British sought to help their section of Germany to recover economically. This relied on help from America and the Marshall Plan as Britain wasn’t economically strong enough to help Germany.
Britain wanted to protect the Ruhr Valley from potential French and Soviet control.
The British and American zones were merged in 1947.

French zone

The French supported the creation of two separate Germany’s (East and West).
The French also wanted to make sure that French security was looked after and wanted to make sure there was a bloc between France and Germany. They sought the internationalisation of the Ruhr Valley (an area on the border between France and Germany) so that they could dominate the area.

Bizonia

The creation of Bizonia on the 1st of January 1947 escalated tensions between the USSR and the Western Powers, eventually resulting in the division of Germany into East and West.

German economic recovery

Both the USA and Britain wanted Germany to economically recover. Yet, this proved very difficult, especially because of the large migration of Polish and Czech refugees into Germany due to the treatment that they faced from the USSR.
Britain, America and France therefore, wanted to stop the reparation payments from their areas of Germany as it was costing too much money and preventing economic rehabilitation.
This situation was made worse by the fact that the USSR was dismantling Germany factories and taking them to the USSR

The creation of Bizonia

By May 1946 the USA stopped paying reparations to the USSR until an overall economic plan was established.
This caused tension with the USSR who saw this as a way of creating western capitalism in Germany.
All 4 zones in Germany were suffering economically so on 1st January 1947 the American and British occupation zones merged into one zone creating Bizonia.
The creation of Bizonia showed that the 4 Power Zone system of government in Europe had failed.

The impact of Bizonia

The Soviets rejected the creation of Bizonia and suggested that all of Germany be unified under one economic administration. The West rejected this as they didn’t want the USSR to control the economy.
The disagreement escalated tensions which eventually led to the creation of East and West Germany.
A new currency was created in June 1948 (Deutsche Mark) which would be used in all of the Western zones of Germany (including Berlin).
This new currency was not well received by the USSR. It seemed as if the wartime alliance had completely broken down.

The Creation of East & West Germany

Between 1947-1949 Germany was divided into West and East Germany. This created slightly more stability because of the merge of Western areas. However, the ideological gap widened, especially in Berlin.

The West German Constitution

In May 1949 the West German Constitution was approved with Konrad Adenauer becoming the first Chancellor of West Germany.

East & West

Britain, France and America still had final decision-making powers over Germany internationally but internal matters were made inside Germany by the new government.
In response to this Stalin set up the Soviet Military Administration which was responsible for merging the Communist Party and the Social Democrats into the German Socialist Unity Party (SED), in an attempt to increase communist influence.

1Origins of the Cold War, 1945-9

1.1Events of 1945

1.1.1The Grand Alliance

1.1.2Yalta Conference

1.1.3Potsdam Conference

1.2The Collapse of the Grand Alliance

1.2.1Communism in the 20th Century

1.2.2Relations between Roosevelt, Stalin & Attlee

1.2.3A-A* (AO3/4) - Origins of the Cold War

1.3Developing Tensions

1.3.1USSR Actions

1.3.2Long Telegram & Iron Curtain Speech

1.3.3Cominform

1.3.4Greek Civil War & the Truman Doctrine

1.3.5A-A* (AO3/4) - Developing Tensions

1.4US Involvement in Europe

1.4.1US Policy Towards Britain & Europe

1.4.2US Attitudes Towards Germany & Berlin

1.4.3The Marshall Plan

1.5Conflict over Germany

1.5.1Sectors & Bizonia

1.5.2The Berlin Blockade

1.5.3The Formation of NATO, April 1949

1.5.4A-A* (AO3/4) - US Involvement in Europe

2Widening of the Cold War

2.1US Containment in Asia

2.1.1Japan

2.1.2China & Taiwan

2.2The Korean War

2.2.1Causes & Military Action in Korean War

2.2.2Attitudes of the USSR, China & the USA

2.2.3Panmunjon Armistice & Impact of the Korean War

2.2.4A-A* (AO3/4) - Widening of the Cold War

2.3Increasing Cold War Tensions, 1949 -1953

2.3.1McCarthyism & The 'Red Scare'

2.3.2USA Dominance in the United Nations

2.4Global Alliances

2.4.1Global Alliances in Europe & Asia

2.4.2Eisenhower, Brinkmanship & Domino Theory

2.4.3A-A* (AO3/4) - Tensions & Alliances

3The Global War

3.1Khrushchev

3.1.1Polish & Hungarian Uprisings 1956

3.1.2East-West Relations

3.2Cold War Rivalries

3.2.1Arms Race & Space Race

3.2.2Berlin Crisis & The Berlin Wall

3.2.3A-A* (AO3/4) - Khrushchev

3.3Conflict in Asia

3.3.1Indo-China

3.4Confrontation Between Superpowers

3.4.1Relations Between the USA & Cuba

3.4.2The Cuban Missile Crisis & its Significance

4Confrontation & Cooperation

4.1Vietnam

4.1.1Johnson

4.1.2Nixon

4.1.3Paris Peace Talks

4.2Cooperation

4.2.1Khrushchev & Kennedy

4.3Pressures on the USSR

4.3.1Czechoslovakia

4.3.2A-A* (AO3/4) - Confrontation & Cooperation

5Brezhnev Era

5.1Detente

5.1.1Settlements

5.1.2Detente up to 1979

5.2Second Cold War

5.2.1Renewed Hostilities

5.3Developments in Africa & Americas

5.3.1Angola, Ethiopia, Chila, Nicaragua, Grenada

5.3.2A-A* (AO3/4) - Brezhnev Era

6Ending of the Cold War

6.1Gorbachev

6.1.1Gorbachev & Reforms

6.2Cooperation between US & USSR

6.2.1Key Figures & Summits

6.3Collapse of Communism in Eastern Europe

6.3.1Significance of 1989

6.4End of Tensions Across the World

6.4.1Africa, Afghanistan & the Americas

6.4.2Malta Summit & the Aftermath

6.4.3A-A* (AO3/4) - Ending of the Cold War

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