‘Look at how she’s ingratiating herself with the Western bloc!’ On 8 December 1948, French cartoonist Henri Monier paints an ironic picture of the question of the political future of a defeated, occupied Germany. On the right, French and British soldiers observe how the young Gretchen (Germany) is flirting with the American GI. Three years after the end of the Second World War, the western part of Germany is becoming increasingly integrated into the Western bloc, led by the United States. Already by December 1946, the British and Americans decided to merge their respective occupation zones. With the addition of the French zone in 1948, West Germany became the Trizone. From 20 April to 2 June 1948, the three powers met in London to discuss the future of the country and decided to call a constituent assembly, the German Parliamentary Council.