The Federal Republic of Germany (West Germany) gained full sovereignty on May 5, 1955, after the United States, Great Britain, and France ended their military occupation, which had begun in 1945. This marked the end of Allied occupation and a significant step in West Germany's transition to a sovereign state and its integration into the Western sphere.
Importantly, the announcement did not take into account the “reserved rights” of the Allies regarding decisions relating to Berlin, the question of reunification and the conclusion of peace treaties. The Soviet Union followed suit on 20 September 1955, granting the DDR “full sovereignty”. However, the freedoms granted in the treaty existed only on paper, as the Soviet Union preserved its full political, military and economic influence across the Eastern bloc. More
