October 3, 1990 - East & West Germany Reunite - a podcast by Stephen Hammond

East and West Germany reunite. After World War II, Germany was divided into four zones controlled by the United States, Britain, France and the Soviet Union. In 1949, however, the Western countries combined their zones to create the Federal Republic of Germany, while the Soviet Union made its zone the communist-controlled German Democratic Republic. Germany’s divide was not only physical; it was also a symbol of the cold war that existed between Western nations and the Soviet Union. In 1955, West Germany became part of the NATO alliance, while East Germany joined the Warsaw Pact. Finally, the Soviet Union’s collapse led to the literal collapse of the Berlin wall in November, 1989. It didn’t take long after that for the two Germanys to discuss becoming one again. When East Germans elected a pro-reunification government, the process quickened until, on October 3, 1990, formal political reunification converted a divided country into one Germany.

---

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Further episodes of Human Rights a Day

Further podcasts by Stephen Hammond

Website of Stephen Hammond