West Germany
| Imperial German Federation Kaiserliche Deutscher Bund (German) | |
|---|---|
 Flag
 Coat of arms
| |
Anthem: Ich hab' mich ergeben "I have given myself" | |
 Map of divided Germany. The West is in brown, while the East is in red. | |
| Capital | Aachen |
| Largest city | Cologne |
| Official languages | German |
| Religion |
|
| Demonym | West German |
| Government | Federal semi-constitutional monarchy |
• Emperor | Louis Ferdinand Georg Friedrich |
• Reich Chancellor | Robert Lehr (1949-1951) Friedrich Merz |
| Legislature | Deutscher Reichstag |
| Reichstag | |
| Reichsrat | |
| Formation | |
• Unification of Germany | 18 January 1871 |
• Weimar Republic | 11 November 1918 |
| 24 March 1933 | |
• Surrender of Nazi Germany | 1946 |
| 1948 | |
| 1949 | |
| Currency | Reichsmark (RM) |
| Time zone | UTC+1 (CET) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC+2 |
| Date format | dd-mm-yyyy |
| Driving side | right |
| Internet TLD | .db |
West Germany, officially known as the Imperial German Federation (German: Kaiserliche Deutscher Bund) is a capitalist country in Central Europe. Along with the Free Socialist Republic of Germany (known as East Germany), it is one of two states claiming to be the legitimate government of Germany, a division that arose due to the split between Allied and Comintern zones of occupation following Nazi Germany's defeat in World War II. West Germany also includes parts of the west and south of the formerly independent German-speaking country of Austria, today comprising the southernmost parts of the Bund.
West Germany is a federal constitutional monarchy, however, the state has been overwhelmingly dominated by right-wingers since its inception, with the German Democratic People's Party (DDVP) having rarely lost power. The state has a reputation for being one of the most nationalistic and militiarized states in Europe, in spite of the break with its Nazi past. Due to the onset of the Cold War, Allied forces relaxed restrictions on figures associated with the old regime from holding public office, although National Socialist ideology officially remains banned.
The country is a member of Alliance of Free States.
