|
The Allied occupation of Germany proceeded differently in the Soviet and Western occupation zones. In the Soviet or Eastern Zone there were numerous rapes of German women in the first days of occupation. This was rape on a massive scale and included children and elderly women. Large numbers of pregnacies must have occurred. I am not sure if the women involved sought abortions or how they viewed the resulting children. After the first days of occupation Red Army brought their soldiers under control. Looting continued for some time. The Government persued a policy of reparations which included shipping whole factories to Russia. Soviet occupation forces were not supplied like the Western forces and there was much more living off the land. [Dulles] The Western Allies initially has separate occupation zones. Initially there was to be a British and an American zone, but plans were changes to accomodate a French zone. There were some differences in the three Western zones, but faced with Soviet pressure the Western Allies eventually combined their zones. The most immediate problem was food. About 60 the population of Germany were in the French, British, and American zones. Before the War, only about 40 percent of the food was produced in the west and the War damage had significantly impaired food production.
It was President Roosevelt who insisted on Unconditional Surrnder. He unexpectedly made the announcement at Casablanca (January 1943). Prime-minister Churchill was surprised and even though he had reservations, acceeded to the Presiden't wishes. Marshall Stalin had no difficulty with the concept. President Rooevelt felt it had been a serious mistake not to occupy Germany after World War I and was determined not to make that mistake again. Critics charge that the insistence on unconditional surrender prolonged the War. Goebbels propaganda certainly made use of the unconditional demand in his propaganda, but it is unclear that it really prolonged the War. Hitler was not about to surrender, what ever the conditions offered. And the Allies were not prepared to treat with him. And in any case, it is the Soviets pressing ypon the Reich from the east that the German people most fered. In fact the Whrmmacht's principal effort in the last weeks of the war was to get as many men as far west as possible so they would not fall into Soviet hands. After Hitler committed suiside in Berlin (April 30, 1945), his successor Admiral Doenitz, a faithful NAZI, had but one task, arranging for Germny's surrender. Keitel and Jodhl surrendered to the Allies (May 7, 1945). Some important decessions had been made at Tehran and Yalta by the Allies, including the occupation zomes. None of the allies, however, had made firm decessions about the furure of German at the time of the NAZI surrender.
Red Army soldiers conducted numerous rapes of German women in the first days of occupation. This was rape on a massive scale and included children and elderly women. Large numbers of pregnacies must have occurred. I am not sure if the women involved sought abortions or how they viewed the resulting children. After the first days of occupation the Red Army brought their soldiers under control. Looting continued for some time. The SovietbGovernment pursued a policy of reparations which included shipping whole factories to Russia. Soviet occupation forces were not as well supplied as the Western forces and there was much more living off the land. [Dulles]
The Western occupation was a huge success. In a decade German was transformed from the most terrifying totalitarian power on earth to a democratic nation, fully compatable with the other Western democracies. Over time the attitudes of both the Germans and Western occupiers changed. It is not altogether clear just what caused the change on the part of the Germans. The character of the Western occupiers and their goals certainly affected German attitudes. The efficency of free market capitalism was another factor. The nature of the Soviets may have been an especially important factor. The Western Allies initially had three separate occupation zones. The first planrs were for a British and an American zone, but plans were changed to accomodate a French zone. There were some differences in the three Western zones, but faced with Soviet pressure the Western Allies eventually combined their zones. The most immediate problem was food. About 60 the population of Germany were in the French, British, and American zones. Before the War, only about 40 percent of the food was produced in the west and the War damage had significantly impaired food production.
We have collected a variety of photographs taken in Germany during the Allied World war II occupation. Some of them are interesing to do not fit neatly to any of the categories here. Some of them we do not fully understand. Hopefully our German readers will provide some insights here to help us better understand what was going on in Germany.
Dulles, Allen W. "That was then: Allen W. Dulles on the occupation of Germany" Foreign Affairs (November/December 2003).
Willoughby, John. Remaking the Conquering Heroes: The Postwar American Occupation
of Germany (Palgrave Macmillan/Palgrave, 2003).
Navigate the Boys' Historical Clothing Web Site:
[Return to Main World War II German aftermath page]
[Introduction]
[Activities]
[Biographies]
[Chronology]
[Clothing styles]
[Countries]
[Bibliographies]
[Contributions]
[FAQs]
[Glossaries]
[Satellite sites]
[Tools]
[Boys' Clothing Home]
