On this day 80 years ago, on June 5, 1945 (April 25, 1945 in the lunar calendar), Germany was divided into 4 occupation zones. On May 8, 1945, Germany was defeated and surrendered. On June 5, the representatives of the United States, the Soviet Union, Britain, and France signed 3 documents including the "Declaration on Defeating Germany and Assuming Supreme Power in Germany" in Berlin, declaring that the 4-country division occupied Germany and Berlin. The commanders-in-chief of the 4-country occupation zones formed the Allied Control Committee against Germany, which served as the highest authority during the occupation. The committee was located in Berlin and its members were Soviet Marshal Zhukov, American General Eisenhower, British Marshal Montgomery, and French General Koenig. The committee had a coordination committee as an auxiliary body. The question of Germany must be decided by consensus and consultation among the four countries. The four countries will divide their troops to secure the territory of Germany before the Nazi expansion. The Nazi expansion began with the annexation of Austria in 1937. The occupation areas are divided as follows: Soviet occupation in the east; British occupation in the northwest; US occupation in the southwest; French occupation in the west. The UN justifies the action: "This is because there is no central German government capable of maintaining order." Other provisions of the Berlin declaration include: the complete demolition of all German military factories; the release of prisoners of war by the Nazi government, the withdrawal of all German troops beyond the borders of Germany, the arrest of all Nazis suspected of war crimes; and a strong warning to those who attempt to destroy the archives of the Third Reich. On March 20, 1948, the Soviet Union opposed the merger of the three occupied territories of the United States, Britain and France, and withdrew from the Allied Control Committee against Germany, which has since ceased to work.