1. Cold War Division of Germany
HI136 History of Germany

2. Schedule Germany in 1945 – die Stunde Null (zero hour)
Occupation Policies
The First Berlin Crisis
The Second Berlin Crisis
Conclusion

3. Liberation of the Concentration Camp Dachau

4. ‘A badly managed disaster area’
Refugees arriving in Berlin, 1945
Black market raid in Berlin, 1945

5. 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 proto-government
June 1948 separate currencies introduced
May 1949 Federal Republic of (West) Germany announced; Oct German Democratic Republic (East) follows
May 1955 FRG joins NATO; GDR joins Warsaw Pact
August 1961 Berlin Wall built cementing division

7. Principles Denazification Democratisation Demilitarisation
Decentralisation
Decartelisation
(Dismantlement)

8. 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

9. 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

10. French Occupation 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
General Koenig, French commander

11. British Occupation
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
Ernest Bevin, British foreign secretary

12. 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

13. Marshall Aid, June
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

14. Schedule Germany in 1945 – die Stunde Null (zero hour)
Occupation Policies
The First Berlin Crisis
The Second Berlin Crisis
Conclusion

15. Berlin: the quadripartite city

16. 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

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

19. Berlin: the Divided City
During blockade two city governments
U-Bahn (West) & S-Bahn (East)
Currency speculation
‘Shopwindow Berlin’: Ku-Damm as showcase of western standard of living
Espionage centre (CIA Berlin tunnel, human intelligence)
Broadcasting: RIAS American radio
‘Beware RIAS poison’: communist anti-American poster warning of US broadcasts
Poster showing smuggling of currency between sectors

20. Schedule Germany in 1945 – die Stunde Null (zero hour)
Occupation Policies
The First Berlin Crisis
The Second Berlin Crisis
Conclusion

21. Refugees via Berlin & Inner-German border

22. 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 non-intervention in East Berlin
Economic race to overtake West German economy falters in 1960
Wall cheap alternative to subsidies by USSR

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