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Cold War Division of Germany HI136 History of Germany


Schedule 1. Germany in 1945 – die Stunde Null (zero 2. 3. 4. 5.

hour) Occupation Policies The First Berlin Crisis The Second Berlin Crisis Conclusion


Liberation of the Concentration Camp Dachau


‘A badly managed disaster area’

Refugees arriving in Berlin, 1945

Black market raid in Berlin, 1945


The Formal Division

Teheran Feb. 1943: Germany will be divided and occupied London Sept. 1944: three zones envisaged (joined by French in 1945) Potsdam July 1945: Germany to be single economic unit, but administered by zonal commanders meeting in Allied Control Council Officially, temporary situation pending peace treaty, but de facto consolidation 1947 Economic Council appears in western zones as protogovernment June 1948 separate currencies introduced May 1949 Federal Republic of (West) Germany announced; Oct. 1949 German Democratic Republic (East) follows May 1955 FRG joins NATO; GDR joins Warsaw Pact August 1961 Berlin Wall built cementing division



Principles Denazification Democratisation Demilitarisation Decentralisation Decartelisation (Dismantlement)


Soviet Occupation Gradualist approach with creeping Sovietisation (no one-party copy of USSR) Lack of planning, but ‘smash and grab’ (Beria) versus ‘reconstruction’ (Tyulpanov) factions Mass rapes alienate women Nationalisation of industry popular (77% support), but dismantling of 30% of factories unpopular (approx. 30%) Land reform (popular among farmers, but set unilateral precedent, upsetting western partners) Refugees: USSR mainly blamed for inhumane treatment of refugees, ca. 1.5 million die) Norman Naimark, The Russians in Germany


Revisionist views of Russia Stalin’s perceived desire for a deal on Germany (united but neutral) Message to KPD leaders in June 1945 that Germany would remain united Brakes on separatist pressures from East German leaders (June 1948) National unity offers (March 1952 Stalin Notes); was this to try to scupper FRG integration into military bloc? Rolf Steininger, Wilfried Loth, Stalin’s Unwanted Child


French Occupation

General Koenig, French commander

Hopes for dismemberment of Germany (Rhinelandia International control of Ruhr Oppose centralised institutions Non-signatories to Potsdam (no refugees allowed into French Zone) Punitive reparations from German industry and forestry Only join Anglo-American Bizone in 1948


British Occupation

Ernest Bevin, British foreign secretary

April 1946 British alarm at communist-SPD merger in Soviet Zone (bid for all-zone superparty?) Mid-1946 British sterling crisis; occupation becoming liability Invite other occupiers to merge zones (only US accept > Bizonia, Jan. 1947) Britain now seen as proactive & keen to encourage firmer line from Americans (Deighton, The Impossible Peace) Post-revisionist synthesis stresses regional actors


American Occupation JCS 1067: no fraternisation; population to be kept at subsistence level May 1946: US halt reparations deliveries to Soviet Zone Byrnes’ speech (Sept. 1946): America pledges to stay in Germany for long haul 1947 governor Clay blocks moves to nationalisation of industry Carolyn Eisenberg, Drawing the Line, for a critical view of the Americans


Marshall Aid, June 1947-1952 West Germany as ‘locomotive’ to economic recovery of western Europe Internationalisation of economy to satisfy French security worries Renewed West German infrastructure of Ruhr mines Was it more psychological than real aid? (Werner Abelshauser v. Christoph Buchheim) Cf dismantling policy in eastern Germany


Schedule 1. Germany in 1945 – die Stunde Null (zero 2. 3. 4. 5.

hour) Occupation Policies The First Berlin Crisis The Second Berlin Crisis Conclusion


Berlin: the quadripartite city


Berlin: cont. Liberated by USSR in April 1945 at cost of 100,000 casualties; western sectors occupied July 1945 Formal access only recognised via air Easy access to West via open border, including U-Bahn or flown out of Tempelhof


Berlin Airlift

American transport aircraft (‘raisin bomber’) lands at Tempelhof; note the children waiting for possible sweets thrown overboard

Soviet concerns at western preparations for separate West German state (London talks from Jan. 1948) Currency reform: June western Allies introduce deutschmark into western zones and West Berlin Soviets retaliate with closure of access to West Berlin General Clay organises airlift with political support from Mayor Reuter; despite difficulties in autumn 1948, tonnages rise in Nov. Propaganda debacle for East Western Allies move from being ‘victor powers’ to ‘protector powers’



Berlin: the Divided City

Poster showing smuggling of currency between sectors

‘Beware RIAS poison’: communist anti-American poster warning of US broadcasts

During blockade two city governments U-Bahn (West) & SBahn (East) Currency speculation ‘Shopwindow Berlin’: KuDamm as showcase of western standard of living Espionage centre (CIA Berlin tunnel, human intelligence) Broadcasting: RIAS American radio


Schedule 1. Germany in 1945 – die Stunde Null (zero 2. 3. 4. 5.

hour) Occupation Policies The First Berlin Crisis The Second Berlin Crisis Conclusion


Refugees via Berlin & InnerGerman border 60,000 Refugees via Berlin

Sector boundary closure after 17 June

50,000

Flown out on scheduled flights Flown out on Operation Stopwatch

40,000

Refugees via Demarcation Line

30,000 Demarcation Line closed

20,000

Khrushchev ultimatum

1961

1960

1959

1958

1957

1956

1955

1954

1953

1952

1951

0

1950

10,000


Berlin Crisis, 1958-61 GDR’s desire for recognition by West USSR’s hopes for peace treaties & removal of atomic weaponry from FRG Khrushchev ultimatum for West to leave West Berlin within 6 months Western intransigence & threat of nuclear weapons to preserve West Berlin; but nonintervention in East Berlin Economic race to overtake West German economy falters in 1960 Wall cheap alternative to subsidies by USSR


Conclusion: Division of Germany Traditional interpretation: Soviet Union is responsible Revisionist interpretation: USA are mainly responsible Post-revisionist interpretation: both sides are responsible


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