Creation of the West

• Decentralisation:

  • US ZONE -> set foundations for states -> 3 landars, May 1946 there were federal elections
  • FRENCH ZONE -> strongest supporter, stubborn, resisted democratic parties, March 1947 --> Landar elections
  • BRITAIN ZONE -> doubted Germany could be democratic, due to economic stress, May 1947 free elections
• Denazification:

  • US ZONE -> missionary zeal, capitalist structure to remove Nazis
  • FRENCH ZONE -> low priority, focused on security and defence
  • BRITAIN ZONE -> pragmatic, questionnaire, case by case as they allowed ex-nazis to be leaders and teachers in unis
• Basic Problems and Basic Solutions:

  • Housing -> 1/4 of homes destroyed, extreme pressure due to homelessness and refugees. Those in undamaged homes took refugees in (1 room), British Nissen Huts - became permanent
  • Fuel -> short supply, recovery in the 1950s
  • Food -> rations fell dramatically -> allies tried to stop this, increase in malnourishment, typhus and whooping cough, 1947 = famine, Anglo- American Zone 700-1200 calories a day, Private Aide CARE, German Red Cross, Churches, Food Parcels
• Economic Revival:

  • cooperation
  • humanitarian crisis was getting worse
  • made no sense to dismantle the industry of the strongest economy in the world
  • Britain had a lot of debt which was shifted to Germany
  • growing concern of the USSR and communism
  • iron curtain
• Bizone:

  • 1946 -> economic cooperation
  • stopped sending industrial goods to soviets as they didn't send agricultural good
  • merger from US and British zone
  • James Byrnes 1946 -> allowed German State
  • 1st January 1947 -> Bizone, economic, more disputes
• The Marshal Plan:

  • European market decline
  • 1945-1946
  • USA pumped money into Europe
  • US fear of communism --> Germany was vital
  • Greek Civil War, Truman Doctrine Marshal Plan
  • Comprehensive recovery which Stalin was against
  • Trizone 1949
• Deutsche Mark (1):

  • created as the economy was not stable due to Nazi policies, as inflation was high and hidden with the reichsmark loosing value
  • a black market was thriving
  • financial issues were a main issue for production and trade which was needed after the war
  • the USSR didn't want a currency reform as it would split Germany into 2
  • introduced 20th June 1948
• Deutsche Mark (2):

  • the black market collapsed, absenteeism plummeted, business was stimulated, resurrected trade
  • liberated the economy, major crisis in Berlin