Cold War Beginnings The Occupation of Germany

Yalta (February 1945) The Big Three Germany and Berlin to be divided into 4 zones Poland Gain land from Germany Lose land to USSR USSR would enter war against Japan 3 months after the fall of Germany USSR guarantees free elections for Eastern Europe http://www.history.com/media.do?action=clip&id=tdih_0211

The Big Three

Germany and Berlin to be divided into 4 zones

Poland

Gain land from Germany

Lose land to USSR

USSR would enter war against Japan 3 months after the fall of Germany

USSR guarantees free elections for Eastern Europe

Four Occupation Zones

Potsdam (July-August 1945) Suburb of Berlin Clement Attlee, Truman, and Stalin Agreed to see eventual reunification of Germany Germany would pay reparations to USSR $10 Billion 25% of whatever industrial equipment and goods were left over after the reestablishment of German peacetime economy

Suburb of Berlin

Clement Attlee, Truman, and Stalin

Agreed to see eventual reunification of Germany

Germany would pay reparations to USSR

$10 Billion

25% of whatever industrial equipment and goods were left over after the reestablishment of German peacetime economy

Soviet Occupation Soviet Goals Reestablish the German Communist Party (KPD) Walter Ulbricht (1946-1971) Land Reform Plunder the resources of the Soviet zone To aid internal Soviet rebuilding Insure that a revived Germany could not threaten the USSR again By the end of 1945, the Soviets had carted off 4,339 German enterprises, more than a quarter of all productive capacity in the Soviet zone Results Support for the KPD waned, the two merged into Socialist Unity Party (SED) with Communists like Ulbricht eventually dominating the leadership Communism would survive only with force and coercion

Soviet Goals

Reestablish the German Communist Party (KPD)

Walter Ulbricht (1946-1971)

Land Reform

Plunder the resources of the Soviet zone

To aid internal Soviet rebuilding

Insure that a revived Germany could not threaten the USSR again

By the end of 1945, the Soviets had carted off 4,339 German enterprises, more than a quarter of all productive capacity in the Soviet zone

Results

Support for the KPD waned, the two merged into Socialist Unity Party (SED) with Communists like Ulbricht eventually dominating the leadership

Communism would survive only with force and coercion

JCS 1067 (April 1945) The German people had committed crimes against the world They should be treated harshly Their living standards reduced Their economic assets used in the rebuilding of the rest of Europe De-Nazification De-Cartelization Reeducation Gradual establishment of democracy

The German people had committed crimes against the world

They should be treated harshly

Their living standards reduced

Their economic assets used in the rebuilding of the rest of Europe

De-Nazification

De-Cartelization

Reeducation

Gradual establishment of democracy

Reality General Lucius D. Clay Under Eisenhower Clay ran the occupation Clay realized he could not restore order, stability, and democracy while also stripping the country of its infrastructure and jailing all previous members of the Nazi Party He circumvented JCS 1067

General Lucius D. Clay

Under Eisenhower Clay ran the occupation

Clay realized he could not restore order, stability, and democracy while also stripping the country of its infrastructure and jailing all previous members of the Nazi Party

He circumvented JCS 1067

The American Occupation General Goals Recast Germany in the American image Free market economy Democratic political system Tolerance for diverse points of view Decentralized federal government Open trading system Germany should be purged of its Nazi leaders

General Goals

Recast Germany in the American image

Free market economy

Democratic political system

Tolerance for diverse points of view

Decentralized federal government

Open trading system

Germany should be purged of its Nazi leaders

De-Nazification in the American Zone JCS 1067: “All members of the Nazi party who have been more than nominal participants in its activities, all active supporters of Nazism or militarism and all other persons hostile to Allied purposes will be removed and excluded from public office and from positions of influence in private enterprise.” Clay This would compromise recovery efforts Communists would fill the void After investigation, 3 million Germans were identified as people subject to penalties for their wartime actions Aug. 1946 General Clay granted amnesty to all those born after January 1, 1919 Dec. 1946 General Clay granted amnesty to all those with low incomes 2 million left De-Nazification turned over to the German authorities 1 million were charged 1,549 were found to be major offenders 500,000 were fined or given light prison sentences

JCS 1067: “All members of the Nazi party who have been more than nominal participants in its activities, all active supporters of Nazism or militarism and all other persons hostile to Allied purposes will be removed and excluded from public office and from positions of influence in private enterprise.”

Clay

This would compromise recovery efforts

Communists would fill the void

After investigation, 3 million Germans were identified as people subject to penalties for their wartime actions

Aug. 1946 General Clay granted amnesty to all those born after January 1, 1919

Dec. 1946 General Clay granted amnesty to all those with low incomes

2 million left

De-Nazification turned over to the German authorities

1 million were charged

1,549 were found to be major offenders

500,000 were fined or given light prison sentences

Nuremberg The Nuremberg War Crimes Trials brought 22 Nazi officials to court in 1945-46 http://www.history.com/media.do?action=clip&id=tdih_nov20_broadband

The Nuremberg War Crimes Trials brought 22 Nazi officials to court in 1945-46

Some of the defendants at Nuremberg. Front row, from left to right: Hermann Göring, Rudolf Hess, Joachim von Ribbentrop, Wilhelm Keitel. Back row from left to right: Karl Döwnitz, Erich Raeder, Baldur von Schirach, Fritz Sauckel, Alfred Jodl

Some of the defendants at Nuremberg. Front row, from left to right: Hermann Göring, Rudolf Hess, Joachim von Ribbentrop, Wilhelm Keitel. Back row from left to right: Karl Döwnitz, Erich Raeder, Baldur von Schirach, Fritz Sauckel, Alfred Jodl

Nuremberg’s Conclusions With newspaper and radio coverage broadcasting news globally, much of the world first learned the full extent of the "Crimes against Peace, War Crimes, and Crimes against Humanity." Half of the 22 defendants were sentenced to death, three were acquitted, and the remaining were imprisoned. Among the International Military Tribunal's conclusions were the following: A war of aggression, in any form, is prohibited under international law. The individual is responsible for crimes carried out under superior orders. The Gestapo, Nazi Party, SS, and SA were criminal organizations. The leaders and organizers of these criminal organizations were guilty of crimes carried out by others in executing the criminal plan. In addition to the well-known Nuremberg Trials of 1945-46, there were Subsequent Nuremberg Proceedings held between December 1946, and April 1949, which tried 177 persons.

With newspaper and radio coverage broadcasting news globally, much of the world first learned the full extent of the "Crimes against Peace, War Crimes, and Crimes against Humanity." Half of the 22 defendants were sentenced to death, three were acquitted, and the remaining were imprisoned.

Among the International Military Tribunal's conclusions were the following:

A war of aggression, in any form, is prohibited under international law.

The individual is responsible for crimes carried out under superior orders.

The Gestapo, Nazi Party, SS, and SA were criminal organizations.

The leaders and organizers of these criminal organizations were guilty of crimes carried out by others in executing the criminal plan.

In addition to the well-known Nuremberg Trials of 1945-46, there were Subsequent Nuremberg Proceedings held between December 1946, and April 1949, which tried 177 persons.

Confronting the Crimes Many Germans had no grasp of what they and their leaders had done The US made German civilians tour the death camps In some areas Germans were required to watch documentary films on Dachau and Buchenwald before receiving ration cards “ In the half-light of the projector, I could see that most people turned their faces away after the beginning of the film…” November 1946, 37% of Germans questioned in a survey of the American zone agreed with the statement, “the extermination of the Jews and Poles and other non-Aryans was necessary for the security of Germans” 1952 Poll 37% of West Germans said it was better for Germany to have no Jews on its territory and 25% of West Germans said they had a “good opinion” of Hitler

Many Germans had no grasp of what they and their leaders had done

The US made German civilians tour the death camps

In some areas Germans were required to watch documentary films on Dachau and Buchenwald before receiving ration cards

“ In the half-light of the projector, I could see that most people turned their faces away after the beginning of the film…”

November 1946, 37% of Germans questioned in a survey of the American zone agreed with the statement, “the extermination of the Jews and Poles and other non-Aryans was necessary for the security of Germans”

1952 Poll 37% of West Germans said it was better for Germany to have no Jews on its territory and 25% of West Germans said they had a “good opinion” of Hitler

De-Cartelization JCS 1067: Clay and his team should, “take no steps (a) looking toward the economic rehabilitation of Germany, or (b) designed to maintain or strengthen the German economy” Clay believed this must have been written by “economic idiots” and ignored it IG Farben Original plan was to break it up into 50 smaller units In 1952, Farben was broken down into four core companies Hoechst Bayer BASF Casella

JCS 1067: Clay and his team should, “take no steps (a) looking toward the economic rehabilitation of Germany, or (b) designed to maintain or strengthen the German economy”

Clay believed this must have been written by “economic idiots” and ignored it

IG Farben

Original plan was to break it up into 50 smaller units

In 1952, Farben was broken down into four core companies

Hoechst

Bayer

BASF

Casella

Political Reform The US granted licenses initially to only four political parties CDU (Christian Democratic Union) FDP (Free Democratic Party) SPD (Social Democratic Party) KPD (German Communist Party) First local elections in January 1946 CDU and SPD emerged as the leading forces and have been so ever since

The US granted licenses initially to only four political parties

CDU (Christian Democratic Union)

FDP (Free Democratic Party)

SPD (Social Democratic Party)

KPD (German Communist Party)

First local elections in January 1946

CDU and SPD emerged as the leading forces and have been so ever since

Conclusion What was the U.S. most concerned about? Ans. Economics and stability What was the Soviet Union most concerned about? Ans. Revenge Why the difference? These differences would be partly responsible for the two sides drifting apart

What was the U.S. most concerned about?

Ans. Economics and stability

What was the Soviet Union most concerned about?

Ans. Revenge

Why the difference?

These differences would be partly responsible for the two sides drifting apart

Tension Conflict over reparations and the treatment of the German economy Western powers balked at turning over reparations from their sectors to the Soviets Truman: “Unless we do what we can to help, we may lose next winter what we won at such terrible cost last spring” May 1946, Clay announced a blockage of all reparations to the East

Conflict over reparations and the treatment of the German economy

Western powers balked at turning over reparations from their sectors to the Soviets

Truman: “Unless we do what we can to help, we may lose next winter what we won at such terrible cost last spring”

May 1946, Clay announced a blockage of all reparations to the East

The Iron Curtain Winston Churchill, March 5, 1946 at Westminster College in Fulton, Missouri http://www.history.com/media.do?action=clip&id=tdih_0305

Winston Churchill, March 5, 1946 at Westminster College in Fulton, Missouri

Cold War In Germany, the United States is taking measures to strengthen reactionary forces for the purposes of opposing democratic reconstruction…The American occupation policy does not have the objective of eliminating the remnants of German Fascism and rebuilding German political life…The United States is not taking measures to eliminate the monopolistic associations of German industrialists Nikolai Novikov, Soviet ambassador to the United States (Sept. 1946)

In Germany, the United States is taking measures to strengthen reactionary forces for the purposes of opposing democratic reconstruction…The American occupation policy does not have the objective of eliminating the remnants of German Fascism and rebuilding German political life…The United States is not taking measures to eliminate the monopolistic associations of German industrialists

Nikolai Novikov, Soviet ambassador to the United States (Sept. 1946)