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The first German defeat in Europe came at Stalingrad in February 1943. Later, in 1945, Germany was invaded from both the east and west. The allied forces in the west, led by American divisions, crossed the Rhine into Germany from the beginning of March. By April the Soviet forces had encircled Berlin in the east, and Hitler committed suicide there on April 30. Germany surrendered to the Allies a few days later.

Germany was then occupied and divided into four military zones, each controlled by one of the four allied powers: USSR, USA, Britain and France. Its capital Berlin was similarly divided amongst the occupiers.