At the Potsdam Conference of 1945, which arrangement was agreed for Germany and Berlin?

• A. Divided into four zones controlled by the Allies
• B. Germany would be permanently occupied by the Soviet Union
• C. Germany would immediately become a single neutral state
• D. The Allies would annex all German territories

Answer: (A)

After World War II, the Allies agreed on a plan to govern Germany that would prevent a revival of militarism while allowing rebuilding under shared oversight. Potsdam established that Germany would be divided into four occupation zones, each controlled by one of the major Allied powers, and Berlin would be divided into four sectors as well—even though the city lay inside the Soviet zone. This four-power arrangement reflected a temporary, cooperative framework aimed at demilitarization, denazification, and reconstruction, rather than leaving Germany under a single power or making it a neutral state. The idea of permanently occupying Germany by the Soviet Union or annexing German territories was not part of that plan, and the goal was not to create a single neutral Germany.