A return to limited sovereignty for West Germany

The Soviet Union reacts by granting the DDR restricted freedoms

5 May 1955 saw the conclusion of a treaty between the Western Allies and the Federal Republic of Germany, ending the occupation regime and granting West Germany “the full power of a sovereign state”. Despite this apparently unambiguous wording, 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 Allies also retained authority in matters relating to the security of their armed forces until 1968, when the Federal German Emergency Powers Act was passed.

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 was careful to preserve its full political, military and economic influence across the Eastern bloc. Whilst the DDR remained economically dependent on the Soviets, Moscow continued to issue directives to the SED Politburo and imposed a treaty in 1957 that would allow the Soviet army to intervene “in the event of a threat to security”. This explains why historians view the DDR as a satellite state of the Soviet Union.