West zone

The term Westzone was used with two different meanings in occupied Germany after the end of World War II .

The Western Allied Occupation Zones

→ Main article : Trizone

For one, West Zone (in the singular only until no later than April 8, 1949 for the British Zone ) or in the plural western zones the name given to the three occupation zones in West Germany that the end of the Second World War Allies were allocated. The Federal Republic of Germany emerged from this part of Germany in 1949 . The term “West Zone” was the counterpart to the term “ East Zone ” from which the German Democratic Republic emerged .

The western zone included:

• the British zone of occupation
• the French zone of occupation
• the American zone of occupation

The French zone of occupation

There is also a second usage, after which the British zone of occupation was named "Northwest Zone", the French zone of occupation "West Zone" and the American zone of occupation "Southwest Zone". According to this definition, only the French occupation zone is meant by “West Zone” .

Web links

• Federal Agency for Civic Education: French Zone - Initial positions on occupation policy

Individual evidence

1. ↑ 1945–49: Allied occupation: Bizone / Trizone , website of the House of History Foundation of the Federal Republic of Germany . Retrieved October 21, 2014.