West Germany was the informal name for the Federal Republic of Germany from 1949 to 1990, during which years the Federal Republic did not yet include East Germany. Since the day of the reunification (October 3, 1990) the country is called Germany again.
West Germany was proclaimed May 23, 1949, with Bonn as capital, and included the post-World War II UK, US, and French occupation zones. West Germany was declared "fully sovereign" May 5, 1955, although with the former occupying troops remaining on the ground, just as the Soviet Army remained in East Germany.
West Germany joined NATO on May 9, 1955, thus becoming a focus of the Cold War with its juxtaposition to East Germany, a member of the subsequently founded Warsaw Pact. The former German capital, Berlin, was also divided into East Berlin and West Berlin but West Berlin was completely surrounded by East Germany. Though the German inhabitants of West Berlin were citizens of the Federal Republic of Germany, West Berlin was not legally incorporated into West Germany; it remained under the formal occupation of the western allies until 1990, although most day-to-day administration was conducted by an elected West Berlin government.
After the fall of the Berlin Wall on November 9, 1989, the unification of the two Germanies was arranged: the Volkskammer (the parliament of East Germany) decided formally on August 23, 1990 that the territory of East Germany will accede to the ambit of the Basic Law of the West Germany on October 3, 1990. At the day of the German reunification the basic law of West Germany had become the constitution of Germany. West Germany as well as East Germany ceased to exist.
The four occupying powers officially withdrew on March 15, 1991. The US, however, maintained military bases, such as Ramstein Air Base, Baumholder, Grafenwöhr. The UK also maintains a smaller military presence in the country (see BFG).
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- Germany
- History of Germany since 1945
- History of West Germany
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