conflict over Germany

How was economic and political unity to be maintained in Germany?

Coordination of actions through the Allied Control Council. They had to be unanimous

The four parties in the Soviet Zone were:

Communists KPD
German social democrats SPD
Liberals LDPD
Christian Democrats CDU

Communist party

KDP

German social democrats

SDP

Liberal Party

LDPD

Christian Democrats

CDU

What was Soviet intentions for its zone?

communist party to emerge as a dominant group so it would form a nucleus of a movement

What happened in the Soviet zone?

SPD and KPD forcibly merged by SMAD. Created a new party in February 1946. This was called SED.

What was the view of Soviet zone?

Place of tyranny and repression.

Unilateral policies introduced by the Soviets in their zone:

Land reform, nationalisation of large industrial production, compulsory tuition in Russian for German school pupils.

British zone population

22.5 million people

What did the British zone contain?

the Ruhr industrial area and the port of Hamburg
the Ruhr was the industrial heart of Germany and it was the centre of economic recovery.
The economic importance had political implications as Soviet influence over it would provide further access to reparations from Germany and would strengthen the possibility of support for the communists amongst the Germans.

Why did the British zones contents cause problems?

Costly to feed large population which increased dependence on USA
Soviet and French efforts to control Ruhr.
Sov access \= further reparations

Creation of North Rhine Westphalia by Britains military governor date?

23 August 1946

North Rhine Westphalia

Populous state of Germany. Signaled British commitment to merger of USA Brit zones

Lucius Clay

Military governor of the US zone from 1947, Commander-in-Chief of US forces in Europe.
Influential in shifting US policy towards Germany. FavoUred reconstruction of the Germany economy. Influenced George Marshall and contributed to the division of Germany by 1949.

OMGUS

Office of Military Government, United States -
organisation set up to monitor the zones of Western Germany. One task was to establish the extent of Nazism and Nazi sympathy. Monitored the appointment of new officials.

When was OMGUS dismantled by?

By 1949

Federalism define

A system of government based on having a central government that deals with laws covering the whole country, while individual state governments make laws specific to a state.

Kennan's opinion in 1945 about the zones

USA must develop in its zone a degree of independence and economic security that ensured its safety from threat of Eastern Europe states.

First commander of OMGUS

Dwight D. Eisenhower

Change in American zone 1945-47

Clay less compliant for making joint occupation work. He said no to:
Soviets demand the Ruhr to be under joint control; continued deprivation of German population; Soviet desire to create a centralised Germany.

French opinion of Germany up to 1947

Complete dismemberment of Germany and internationalisation of the Ruhr in particular, with a strong French influence on its administration. Wanted a number of small independent states.

French position ultimately ended up being..

.. support of the creation of two German states with the Western part closely allied and influenced by Western powers.

Issues in 1946

British absorb large numbers of refugees from Poland, Czechoslovakia.
Soviet Union remove industrial plant s and resources to restore its own industrial recovery.
Soviet Union stopped getting reparations in May. USSR saw it as an American strategy designed to create a capitalist system in German economy.

January 1947

British and American zones merged economically to be Bizonia

What did Bizonia indicate

the four power control of Germany had failed

Bizonia and the Marshall plan developed what

the division of Germany

Soviet response to Bizonia

Oppose!

Moscow Conference 1947 March April

Council of Ministers met and the USSR demanded a new central administration to be set up but it failed. No firm decisions on Germany

London Conference Nov December 1947

Failure!
Western powers recognise that four power control of Germany would not work and now there was no agreements over Germany still.

Who declared there would be no further reparations to the Soviets and when?

Lucius Clay 1946

What did the Soviets demand at the Moscow conference?

new central administration to be made but failed in their attempt.

when was the decision to introduce new currency?

February to June 1948
Between February and June 1948, Britain, France, the USA and the Benelux states met in London and a decision was made to introduce a new currency into the Western zones of Germany which would move these zones towards a position of economic stability and also represent the beginnings of a formation of a separate West Germany state.
On June 7th 1948 it was decided at the London conference that West Germany should have its own constitution which was was brought about through pressure from Britain and France.

when was it decided that West Germany should have its own constitution?

7 June 1948

When was the Berlin blockade?

24th June 1948 (the day after the western-backed Deutsch Mark was introduced) to 12th May 1949
The USSR alarmed by the economic aid to Germany as well as the Western allies introducing the Deutschmark as a single currency zones
The Soviets blocked all railroad and canal access to the western zones of Berlin around 2.5 million civilians had no access to food, electricity and other basic goods

Who was Britain's foreign secretary during the Berlin blockade?

Ernest Bevin
He became the prime mover in driving the allied response. He argued that the Soviet Union's ultimate aim was to spread communism across the whole of Germany and ousting the western powers from West Berlin was their first step in the process.

What did the failure of the Berlin Blockade show?

Containment was a success and West Germany could be created
the western powers instituted an airlift that lasted nearly a year and delivered vital supplies (the blockade and the Berlin airlift represented the first major conflict of the Cold War)

Konrad Adenauer

The first chancellor of West Germany; he was able to establish a stable democratic government and economic recovery.

What was in East Germany's constitution?

One party state system with SED as the only party for voter choice.

What did Stalin want for the future of Germany?

Pro Soviet united Germany

When was West Germany formed?

May 1949

When was East Germany formed?

October 1949

When was NATO formed?

April 1949

What was the WEU?

Western European Union

Aims of WEU

prevent a form of German resurgence that would threaten post-war Europe.
played a role in polarising cold war

USA's opinion of WEU

should be an Atlantic alliance not just European

Aims of NATO

political defence system against anything that could undermine long term objectives for Europe,
against Soviet military aggression.
peaceful settlement of dispute and elimination of international tensions.

INITIAL MEMBERS OF NATO

Belgium, Luxembourg, Canada, the Netherlands, Denmark, Norway, Portugal, Italy, Iceland, France, UK USA

Alexander Panyushkin

Soviet ambassador to the US in 1949 who summarised objections to NATO and peaceful Soviet intentions

Bizonia

By 1946, the USA and Britain wanted to establish an economic recovery in their zones. IN January 1947, the british and american zones merged economically which is known as Bizonia. The Soviet response was to oppose Bizonia as the USSR saw it as an American strategy to create a German economy based on the Western capitalist system.

What did the USSR demand at the Moscow conference?

The USSR demanded at the Moscow Conference that a new central administration should be created however no firm decisions about Germany were made.
The West feared that a centralised administration would lead to a Soviet controlled Germany.

The Moscow Conference

Held during March and April of 1947
Consisted of Britain, France, China, the USA and the USSR

What was Bevin adamant about?

That military force must not be used to access West Berlin but must keep it supplied with essentials. US General Clay supported this view and believed that any withdrawal from West Berlin would threaten the future of democracy.

When was having a separate West German state approved?

The decision was taken in June 1948 with the constitution being drawn up and approved in early 1949

Why were the USSR initially reluctant to establish a permanent division of Germany?

Its objective was to create a pro-soviet united Germany. However by March 1949, a constitution for the new East German state had been assembled. The constitution was based on a one party state system with the SED as the party for voter choice.
In October, the new East German state was officially formed.

The Berlin airlift

The Berlin airlift transported around 23 million tons of supplies
Stalin hoped the Berlin Blockade would force the allies to abandon their efforts to create a west German state however, the berlin lift showed that it was unsuccessful
By May 1949 when the soviets lifted the blockade the divided between east and west berlin was stronger

NATO Article 5

"An armed attack on any member shall be considered an attack on all."