By agreement of the Allies, Berlin was divided into four sectors, after the unconditional surrender on May 8, 1945. The allied powers of France, the Soviet Union, the United Kingdom and the United States of America were each granted control of a sector, with permission to station troops there.
The first contingent of French forces, from the 1st Armored Division, arrived in Berlin on July 3, 1945 A.D. They were led by General de Beauchesne and occupied Camp "Cyclop", in the district of Reinickendorf.[1]
After the withdrawal of the Soviet Union from the Allied Control Council and the start of the Berlin Crisis, in 1961, units from the other three countries were ordered to protect West Berlin against Soviet troops and against the GDR's own National People's Army (NVA) troops, since the Federal Republic of Germany was not allowed to station Bundeswehr units in West Berlin. The French Army first stationed troops in Berlin in 1947. Their headquarters were called "Quartier Napoléon".[1]