ABSTRACT
On 3 October 1990 the German people celebrated the birth of a united Germany. Since the capitulation of the Third Reich in May 1945 and the division of the country into four zones occupied by the Americans, British, French and Russians the country had not been united. At the Potsdam Conference in July/August 1945 the German Territories east of the Oder/Neiße rivers were given to Poland and the northeastern part of East Prussia to the USSR. From then on the different zones went different ways. In the Russian zone political parties which were anti-fascist were allowed from as early as 10 June 1945 and the following political parties came into being: KPD (Kommunistische Partei Deutschlands), SPD (Sozialdemokratische Partei Deutschlands), the CDU (Christlich-Demokratische Union Deutschlands) and the LDPD (Liberal-Demokratische Partei Deutschlands). Political activities were also allowed in the other zones and in 1946-7 elections were held for state parliaments in the new Länder. In 1947 the American and British zones merged to become the so-called Bizone, which formed the basis of the future Federal Republic. Relations between the western Allies and the Russians deteriorated and Winston Churchill spoke on 5 March 1946 of an iron curtain descending in Europe. From this time on the Russian aim of creating a communist satellite state by dividing Germany proceeded swiftly. In September 1945 land was taken from its owners in the land reform (Bodenreform) and agricultural collective farms and co-operatives were created. Similar measures took businesses out of private hands. In the summer of 1946 a new type of unified school (Einheitsschule) was created, replacing the former different schools such as grammar school (Gymnasium) and secondary modern school (Mittelschule).
