- Reconstruction of Germany
The reconstruction of Germany was a long process. After
World War II ,Germany suffered heavy losses: the country's cities were severely damaged from the heavy bombings in the closing chapters of World War II, agricultural production was only 35% of what it was before the war. During the war, 7,5 million Germans had been killed, roughly 11 percent of the population (see alsoWorld War II casualties ).At the
Potsdam conference the victorious allies ceded roughly 25% of Germany's pre-war territory toPoland and theSoviet Union . The German population in this area was expelled by force, together with the Germans of theSudetenland and the German populations scattered throughout the rest ofEastern Europe . Between 0.5 and 2 million died in the process, depending on source. (See alsoExpulsion of Germans after World War II ). As a result thepopulation density grew in the "new" Germany that remained after the dismemberment.As agreed at Potsdam, an attempt was made to convert Germany into a pastoral and agricultural nation, which would only be allowed light industry. Huge amounts of factories were dismantled as reparations or simply destroyed (see also the
Morgenthau Plan ). Due to these policies large numbers of German civilians died in the years following the unconditional surrender in what would eventually becomeWest Germany . (See alsoEisenhower and German POWs ).Millions of German
prisoners of war were for several years used asforced labor , both by the Western and Eastern Allies.Beginning immediately after the German surrender and continuing for the next two years the U.S. pursued a vigorous program to harvest all technological and scientific know-how as well as all patents in Germany. John Gimbel comes to the conclusion, in his book "Science Technology and Reparations: Exploitation and Plunder in Postwar Germany", that the "intellectual reparations" taken by the U.S. and the UK amounted to close to 10 billion dollars--equivalent to around 100 billion dollars in 2006 (Ref: Norman M. Naimark The Russians in Germany pg. 206) (see also
Operation paperclip ).Rehabilitation and "denazification"
As soon as 1945, the Allied forces worked heavily on removing
Nazi symbolism from Germany, this process was dubbed "denazification ."By mid 1947 the start of the
Cold War had led to a reconsideration of policy, as the Germans were seen as possible allies in the conflict and the dawning realization that the Economic recovery of Europe was dependent on the reactivation of German industry. With the repudiation of the U.S. occupation directive JCS 1067 in July 1947 the Western Allies were able to start planning for the introduction of acurrency reform to halt the rampant inflation. This type of act to help the German economy had been prohibited by the directive and its execution also led to the eventual division of Germany. (see alsoBerlin Blockade )In
1948 , the Deutsche Mark replaced the occupationcurrency as thecurrency of the Western occupation zones, leading to their eventual economic recovery.In 1947 the
Marshall plan , initially known as the "European Recovery Program" was initiated. In the years 1947-1952 some $13 billion of economic and technical assistance—-equivalent to around $130 billion in 2006--were allocated to Western Europe. Despite protests from many beneficiaries the Marshall plan, although in the less generous form of loans, was in 1949 extended to also include the newly formedWest Germany . In the years 1949-1952 West Germany received loans which totaled $1.45 billion dollars--equivalent to around $145 billion in 2006.The country subsequently began exporting local products, reduced
unemployment , increased food production, reduced theblack market , and slowly, but continuously, improved the country'sstandard of living .By 1950 the
UK andFrance were finally forced to stop the dismantling of German heavy industry. [http://www.wdr.de/themen/politik/deutschland/wiederaufbau/chronik/infobox/html.php?block=3&artnr=6&blockoff=3&bf=1] [http://www.thyssenkrupp.com/en/konzern/geschichte_chronik_t1949.html] [http://www.ena.lu?lang=2&doc=16822] .The country's economic recovery was, once it was permitted, swift and effective; during the mid-1950s, the unemployment rate in Germany was so low that it led to the influx of Turkish immigrants into the country's
labor force .Fact|date=February 2007 Germany's economy continued to improve until the1973 oil crisis . (see alsoWirtschaftswunder ))Rehabilitation Milestones
*In 1946 the US Secretary of State (foreign minister) made the speech
Restatement of Policy on Germany , repudiating theMorgenthau plan policies.*In 1947 the
JCS 1067 was rescinded.*In 1948 the
Deutsche Mark replaced the almost worthlessReichsmark in theAllied western occupation zones initiating the start of economic recovery in western Germany*In 1949 West Germany is formed from the Western occupation zones, with the exception of the
Saarland .*In 1949 the
Marshall Plan is extended to also include West Germany.*In 1950 dismantling of West German heavy industry ends.
*In 1955 the military occupation of West Germany ends.
*In 1955
NATO , which was formed in 1948, allowed West Germany to join.*In 1957 France returned the
Saarland to West Germany.*In 1957 West Germany was one of the founding nations of the
European Union .*In 1973 West Germany joined the
United Nations (formed in 1945).*In 1991 a unified Germany was allowed by the Allies of WW2 to become fully
sovereign after signing theTreaty on the Final Settlement with Respect to Germany .ee also
*
GARIOA
*The industrial plans for Germany
*Restatement of Policy on Germany
*The President's Economic Mission to Germany and Austria
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