Germany Occupation Zones

Definition

After World War II, Germany was divided into four occupation zones by the Allied powers - the United States, Great Britain, France and the Soviet Union. Each power controlled its zone but also jointly administered Berlin.

Analogy

Think about it like four friends who decide to share a pizza. They each have their own slice (or zone) that they're responsible for eating (or governing), but they all have an equal say in how to handle the last piece (Berlin).

Related terms

Cold War: A period of geopolitical tension between the Soviet Union and the United States and their respective allies after World War II.

Iron Curtain: The political, military, and ideological barrier erected by the Soviet Union after World War II to seal off itself and its dependent eastern European allies from open contact with the West.

Marshall Plan: An American initiative passed in 1948 to aid Western Europe where the US gave over $12 billion in economic assistance to help rebuild Western European economies after WWII.