1: Defeated Germany to Divided Germany 1945 - 1949
- Created by: BeccaEK
- Created on: 02-05-15 11:33
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- Defeated Germany to Divided Germany 1945-1949
- Wartime conferences - Yalta + Potsdam
- From mid 1944 it was clear Germany would lose the war
- They were surrounded by hostile forces in West and East
- Yalta = Feb 1945
- UN set up to help maintain world security + stability
- Stalin appeared to agree to free elections
- Potsdam = July 1945
- By now relations between big 3 (USA, UK, U**R) had soured
- Began to show differences in political ideology
- Agreed Germany to be split into 4 'zones of occupation'
- American, British, French + Soviet
- Berlin still capital but divided by 4
- Sowed the seed for cold war between capitalism + communism
- Potsdam - agreed reparations would come from industrial equipment + machinery
- Western allies keen to avoid problems from punishing Germany too harshly
- U**R had not forgotten how Germany treated it
- Took different approach to collecting reperations
- U**R's asset ********* annpyed the West
- The 2 sides were meant to trade resources but U**R never kept to this
- By now relations between big 3 (USA, UK, U**R) had soured
- Differences between the conferences
- New leaders in both USA + UK
- Potsdam - agreed reparations would come from industrial equipment + machinery
- Western allies keen to avoid problems from punishing Germany too harshly
- U**R had not forgotten how Germany treated it
- Took different approach to collecting reperations
- U**R's asset ********* annpyed the West
- The 2 sides were meant to trade resources but U**R never kept to this
- From mid 1944 it was clear Germany would lose the war
- Living conditions 1945-1949
- Millions of refugees flooded back to Germany
- But food + fuel shortages occured
- Rumours of cannibalism
- But food + fuel shortages occured
- 1946-1947 - food ration was lower than in WW2
- Money became practically worthless
- Eastern zone affected by flow of refugees
- Large number of these had been freed from concentration camps
- Immediately after war = resentment between allies + German population
- Eastern zone - up to 2 million women ***** by Soviet soldiers
- Up to 90% pregnancies aborted at this time
- Western zones - many Germans resented lifestyle choices of the west
- Eastern zone - up to 2 million women ***** by Soviet soldiers
- Soldiers came back to find their wives mixed with other men
- Some had so little money they turned to prostitution
- Occupying forces provided large client base
- Some had so little money they turned to prostitution
- Winter 1946-1947
- Hit Germany hard
- Severe food shortages - rations equal to those given in concentration camps
- Millions of refugees flooded back to Germany
- De-nazification
- Process of getting rid of Nazi images + influence
- In the East it was done thoroughly + ruthlessly
- Those suspected of being Nazis imprisoned in 'special camps'
- These were old concentration camps
- Also used to detain Soviet soldiers who contracted STDs
- 25% of 60,000 prisoners held 1948-1950 died from malnutrition + disease
- Those suspected of being Nazis imprisoned in 'special camps'
- In the West it was eventually abandoned
- Not sure whether they wanted to punish or rehabilitate Nazis
- Process became unworkable
- Abandoned 1950s
- Ex-Nazis then able to work in legal system + government
- Too useful tp punish
- Of 6000 ** men operating Auschwitz only 22 put on trial
- Only 17 got prison sentences of 3 years to life
- Only 5 of them executed
- Only 17 got prison sentences of 3 years to life
- Increasing division
- East
- Small group of committed German communists sent back to East Germany
- They had lived in exile in U**R
- Led by Walter Ulbricht
- Soviets allowed different political parties to exsist
- But any trace of democracy was fake
- KPD found it hard to get support
- Many could remember Nazi's anti-communist propaganda clearly
- Soviet Mmlitary administration forced them ito merge with SPD
- They formed SED
- SED introduced number of policies
- These were set to transform society + economy of Eastern zone
- They formed SED
- Nationalised 60% business + industry by 1949
- Education system dramatically reformed
- Mass organisations set up for women
- Small group of committed German communists sent back to East Germany
- West
- Political parties allowed to re-establish themselves
- Main ones = Social Democratic, Communist, Christian Democratic Union, Free Democratic
- Increasingly suspicious of Soviet intentions
- Soviets distrusted the West
- Marshall Plan
- Aimed to revive western European economy
- Would open up European market to USA
- Within 4 years, $13billion had been pumped into the west
- Results were impressive
- Massive economic growth
- Jan 1947 Bizonia created
- Increased tensions with East - reunification less likely
- June 1948 Deutschmark introduced in western zones
- Resulted in Berlin Blockade June 1948 - May 1949
- Stalin closed all routes from western zones to Berlin
- Western allies supplied Berlin with supplies by air
- Resulted in Berlin Blockade June 1948 - May 1949
- April 1949 - French joined to create Trizonia
- May 1949 - FRG formed
- Political parties allowed to re-establish themselves
- East
- Wartime conferences - Yalta + Potsdam
- These were old concentration camps
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