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The People's State of Hesse (German: Volksstaat Hessen) was the name of the German state of Hesse-Darmstadt from 1918 until 1945.
After the end of World War I the Grand Duchy of Hesse (German: Großherzogtum Hessen) became a republic and changed its name to People's State (meaning republic, in contrast to monarchy, not the later meaning of "people's republic" implying a socialist state). Its capital was Darmstadt. The state consisted of provinces Upper Hesse (German: Oberhessen, capital Gießen), Starkenburg (capital Darmstadt) and Rhenish Hesse (German: Rheinhessen, capital Mainz).
Area of the state was 7,692 km²; it had 1,347,279 inhabitants. Around two thirds were Protestants, one third Roman Catholics.
In accordance with Treaty of Versailles approximately 40% of its territory, in particular Rhine Hesse and part of Starkenburg, was until June 30, 1930 occupied by the French Army.
After the end of World War II Oberhessen and Starkenburg belonged into the American occupation zone while Rheinhessen on the left bank of Rhine to the French occupation zone. On September 19, 1945 American administration created the new state of Greater Hesse (German: Groß-Hessen) from their part of the former Hessian state, from the Prussian provinces of Hesse and Nassau and from Frankfurt am Main. On December 1, 1946 Greater Hesse was renamed Hesse and later became one of the federal states of West Germany.
The part of the state on the left bank of Rhine, and some western parts on the right bank of the Rhine, became part of the Rhineland-Palatinate (Rheinland-Pfalz) federal state.
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