By 1949 West Germany (officially the Federal Republic of Germany) and East Germany (the German Democratic Republic, or GDR) became their own countries. The French, American and British occupation zones made up the former and would be a part of NATO, a multinational alliance dedicated to mutual defense. The Russian zone became the latter and in 1955 would cofound the Warsaw Pact, a counterweight to NATO that consisted of several communist nations dedicated to mutual military support and political ties.
