Of West
West Germany (German: Westdeutschland ) is the common English name for the Federal Republic of Germany (German: Bundesrepublik Deutschland ) in the period between its formation in May 1949 to German reunification in October 1990, when the communist East Germany was dissolved and the five states on its territory joined the Federal Republic of Germany, ending the more than 40-year division of Germany and Berlin. From the 1990 reunification onwards, the enlarged Federal Republic of Germany with sixteen states has been exclusively known as Germany in common usage.
The Federal Republic of Germany was organized from the initially 12 states formed in the three Western Zones or Allied Zones of occupation held by the United States, the United Kingdom, and France. The city of Bonn was its provisional capital city. The fourth Allied occupation zone or East Zone ( Ostzone ) was held by the Soviet Union. The parts east of the Oder-Neisse were de facto annexed by the Soviet Union and Communist Poland, the remaining central part around Berlin became the communist German Democratic Republic, GDR (in German: Deutsche Demokratische Republik, DDR) with its de facto capital East Berlin. As a result, the remaining Western Germany had a territory about half the size of its previous democratic-capitalist antecessor, the interwar Weimar Republic.
At the onset of the Cold War, Europe and Germany were divided among the Western and Eastern blocs. Germany was de facto divided into two countries, plus two special territories, the Saarland and divided Berlin. The Federal Republic of Germany claimed an exclusive mandate for all of Germany, considering itself to be the democratically re-organized German Reich on the grounds that the GDR government was not democratically elected, but was installed by a foreign occupying power and thus not legitimate. The number of federal states changed in the 1950s, when three south western states merged to form a single Baden-Württemberg in 1952, and when the Saarland joined the Federal Republic of Germany in 1957. In addition to the official ten states, West Berlin was considered an unofficial de facto eleventh state. While legally not part of the Federal Republic of Germany, as it was under four-power occupation, West Berlin was represented directly or indirectly in federal institutions.
Relations with the Soviet bloc improved during the era of Ostpolitik in the 1970s, and the two German states recognized the existence of each other. De jure West Germany formally maintained the exclusive mandate: it recognized the GDR as a de facto government still within a single German nation that in turn is represented de jure by the West German state only, while East Germany recognized the existence of two German countries de jure, and the West as both de facto and de jure foreign country.
The foundation for the influential position held by Germany today was laid during the Wirtschaftswunder (economic miracle) of the 1950s, when West Germany rose from the massive destruction wrought by World War II to become the world's third largest economy. The first chancellor Konrad Adenauer, who remained in office until 1963, had worked for a full alignment with the West rather than neutrality. He not only secured a membership in NATO, but he was also a proponent of agreements that developed into the present-day European Union. When the G6/G8 was established in 1975, there was no question whether the Federal Republic of Germany would be a member as well.
With the collapse of communism in Central and Eastern Europe in 1989, symbolized by the opening of the Berlin Wall, there was a rapid move towards German reunification. East Germany voted to dissolve itself and accede to the Federal Republic in 1990. Its postwar five states ( Länder ) were reconstituted, and along with reunited Berlin, which ended its special status and formed an additional Land , they formally joined the Federal Republic of Germany on 3 October 1990, raising the number of states from 10 to 16. The expanded Federal Republic of Germany, now exclusively known as simply Germany in the English language, retained its political culture, and it continues the memberships in international organizations, as well as its Western foreign policy alignment and affiliation to Western alliances like the European Union and NATO. The enlarged Federal Republic of Germany is the continuation of, and not a successor to, the (West German) Federal Republic of Germany with fewer states until 1990.
Western Germany ( Westdeutschland or westliches Deutschland ), where it is not a synonym for "West Germany", is mainly used as a geographic term referring vaguely to the Rhineland, a usage which dates back to before the Cold War. Citizens of the Federal Republic called their country Federal Republic, FR Germany or simply Germany. In the early years, the GDR termed the Federal Republic Westdeutschland , later the FRG ( BRD ). This abbreviation was strongly disliked by the West Germans as GDR jargon.
History
Main article: History of Germany since 1945After World War II, leaders from the United States, United Kingdom, and the Soviet Union held the Yalta Conference where future arrangements with post-war Europe and actions to be made against Japan in the Pacific were negotiated. The conference came to the agreement to split Germany into four occupation zones—the French Zone in the far west, the British Zone in the northwest, the American Zone in the south, and the Soviet Zone in the east. It then was not the intention to split Germany, only to designate zones of administration.
Former German areas east of the Oder River and the Neisse River were put under Polish administration, and millions of Germans were expelled from there, to be replaced by Poles. (With the Soviet Union likewise taking a big bite from eastern Poland and East Prussia) In 1946–1949, the first three zones were combined in steps. First the British and American zones were combined into the quasi-state of Bizonia, then only months afterward the French zone was included into Trizonia. At the same time, new federal states ( Länder ) were formed in the Allied zones, replacing the pre-war states.
In 1949, with the continuation and aggravation of the Cold War (note the Berlin Airlift of 1948–49), the two German states that were originated in the Western Allied and the Soviet Zones became known internationally as West Germany and East Germany. Commonly known in English as East Germany, the former Soviet Occupation Zone, became the German Democratic Republic or GDR . From 3 October 1990, after the reformation of the GDR's Länder , the East German states joined the Federal Republic. Since the German reunification in 1990, the Federal Republic of Germany (still the country's legal and official name) is often also called simply Germany.
NATO membership
The Federal Republic of Germany, founded on 23 May 1949, was declared "fully sovereign" on 5 May 1955. The former occupying Western troops remained on the ground, now as part of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) which West Germany joined on 9 May 1955, promising to re-arm itself soon.
West Germany became a focus of the Cold War with its juxtaposition to East Germany, a member of the subsequently founded Warsaw Pact. The former capital, Berlin, had been divided into four sectors, the Western Allies joining their sectors to form West Berlin, while the Soviets held East Berlin. West Berlin was completely surrounded by East German territory and had suffered a Soviet blockade in 1948/1949 which had been overcome by the Berlin airlift.
The outbreak of the Korean War in June 1950 led to U.S. calls for the rearmament of West Germany in order to help defend Western Europe from the perceived Soviet threat. Germany's partners in the Coal and Steel Community proposed to establish a European Defence Community (EDC), with an integrated army, navy and air force, composed of the armed forces of its member states. The West German military would be subject to complete EDC control, but the other EDC member states (Belgium, France, Italy, Luxembourg and the Netherlands) would cooperate in the EDC while maintaining independent control of their own armed forces.
Though the EDC treaty was signed (May 1952), it never entered into force. France's Gaullists rejected it on the grounds that it threatened national sovereignty, and when the French National Assembly refused to ratify it (August 1954), the treaty died. The French Gaullists and communists had killed the French governments' proposal. Other means then had to be found to allow West German rearmament. In response, at the London and Paris Conferences, the Brussels Treaty was modified to include West Germany, and to form the Western European Union (WEU). West Germany was to be permitted to rearm, an idea which was rejected by many Germans, and have full sovereign control of its military called Bundeswehr; the WEU would however regulate the size of the armed forces permitted to each of its member states. Also, the German constitution prohibited any military action
The West
Discover new land and experience exciting adventures and duels! The West is waiting for you!
West Iceland Official Travel Guide Home
West Iceland official travel guide home is the page for all tourism and travel in West Iceland.
West Berkshire Council - Current Vacancies at West Berkshire Council ...
The following pages will provide you with information on having a career at West Berkshire Council. You will be able to search for any of the active vacancies that we are currently ...
West Coast Plaza - Home
Bask in the many exciting events that are happening here at West Coast Plaza!
United States Military Academy at West Point
West Point, The United States Military Academy home page. Consistently rated among the top colleges. Located 50 miles north of NY, NY. Develops Leaders.
WEST > Welcome to WEST!
Welcome to WEST! RECORD STUDENT NUMBERS! The 2009-10 year started with a new student intake of 60. Two-thirds of them are training for initial ministry.
West .:. Business Culture at the Leading CRM Solution Provider
Our culture not only supports our position as a leading customer care provider, but our employees as individuals. Visit our site to see available career opportunities.
Take your life in a different direction. Go West. | Mercyhurst College ...
Take your life in a different direction. Go West. With associate degrees in facilities and property management, business administration and liberal arts, Mercyhurst West will put ...
West Africa - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
West Africa or Western Africa is the westernmost region of the African continent. Geopolitically, the UN definition of Western Africa includes the following 16 countries ...
West Corporation
West Corporation is a leading CRM solution provider, offering comprehensive customer service outsourcing programs to keep you connected with your customers.