Federal Republic of Germany

West Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG), existed from its formation on May 23, 1949, until German reunification on October 3, 1990. Sometimes called the Bonn Republic after its capital, it was established during the Allied occupation of Germany after World War II, formed from states in the zones held by the United States, the United Kingdom, and France. During the Cold War, West Germany and West Berlin were part of the Western Bloc. It initially claimed to be the sole democratic continuation of the German Reich. West Germany became the world's second-largest economy during its 1950s economic miracle.