I was looking at a time lapse of Europe during WWII and around 1944-45 the U.S & U.K seem to have claimed territory from the fallen German "Empire." Correct me if I'm mistaken, but didn't the USSR take land and keep it (East Berlin) until the fall?
A Map of the German Occupation post WWII
When and why did we give it up? Sorry for the ignorance.
You're looking at a map of the Allied occupation zones in Germany, which were placed under temporary military administration after the Nazi government had been totally dissolved. The Allies had repeatedly assured the world during the war that they didn't plan to annex a single acre, but "desire to see no territorial changes that do not accord with the freely expressed wishes of the peoples concerned" in the words of the Atlantic Charter.
In the Declaration of Defeat of Germany issued immediately after the Nazis' unconditional surrender, the Allies said (emphasis added):
There is no central Government or authority in Germany capable of accepting responsibility for the maintenance of order, the administration of the country and compliance with the requirements of the victorious Powers.
It is in these circumstances necessary, without prejudice to any subsequent decisions that may be taken respecting Germany, to make provision for the cessation of any further hostilities on the part of the German armed forces, for the maintenance of order in Germany and for the administration of the country, and to announce the immediate requirements with which Germany must comply... The assumption, for the purposes stated above, of the said authority and powers does not affect the annexation of Germany.
All four powers, including the Soviet Union, held to this declaration. East and West Germany were both accorded independence (with certain powers reserved) by their respective occupiers. This couldn't be done in Berlin, though, as it was technically administered by the four Allies jointly, and the Soviets had boycotted meetings since 1948. The Soviets unilaterally ceded their sector (East Berlin) to East Germany; the Western Allies organized a local government for their sector (West Berlin) and let it elect a nonvoting delegate to the West German legislature. None of this, however, was ever annexed by anyone. It was all held under temporary military occupation with the goal of returning it to a friendly German government, which was in fact done in 1991.
