Post-WWII Europe, Denazification, and the Creation of the United Nations

Flashcards covering post-WWII European conditions, Allied conferences, the division of Germany, denazification, the Nuremberg Trials, and the founding of the United Nations.

Food rations dropped to 900 calories per day.

To what level did daily food rations drop in Berlin during the severe shortages after WWII?

It was held in February 1945 and attended by Franklin D. Roosevelt (USA), Winston Churchill (UK), and Joseph Stalin (USSR).

When was the Yalta Conference held, and who were the "Big Three" leaders in attendance?

President Truman replaced Roosevelt, and Clement Attlee replaced Churchill mid-conference, leaving Stalin as the sole remaining original leader.

What major leadership changes occurred among the Allied powers during the Potsdam Conference in July-August 1945?

Demilitarization, Denazification, Democratization, and Decentralization.

What were the key Four "D"s agreed upon for post-war German policy?

They believed Nazi extremism had stemmed from the Great Depression and wanted Germany to act as a bulwark against Soviet expansionism.

Why did the US and UK advocate for a prosperous, democratic Germany following WWII?

The US and UK merged their occupation zones in 1947 to form the Bizone, and France joined in 1948 to create the Trizone.

How were the Bizone and Trizone formed in post-war Germany?

The Deutsche Mark.

What currency was introduced by the Western Allies in 1948 to stabilize the West German economy?

Allied planes flew at 3-minute intervals round-the-clock between June 1948 and May 1949, delivering over 2.4 million tons of food and fuel.

What operational details characterized the Berlin Airlift organized by General William Tunner?

The Federal Republic of Germany (FRG/West Germany) was a Western-aligned democratic state with Bonn as its capital; the German Democratic Republic (GDR/East Germany) was a Soviet-aligned socialist state.

What were the formal names, capitals, and political alignments of the two German states established in 1949?

The Fragebogen.

What standardized questionnaire was used as a method for evaluating individuals during denazification?

The Waffen-SS.

Which elite Nazi organization with 600,000 members was specifically targeted during denazification?

The vast number of suspects (3.5 million) threatened to stall economic reconstruction, and rising Cold War tensions during the Berlin Blockade shifted priority toward anti-communist alignment.

Why was denazification deprioritized in the Western occupation zones by 1948?

Hans Globke served as advisor to Chancellor Adenauer, and Kurt Georg Kiesinger served as Chancellor.

Which former high-ranking Nazis held prominent positions in post-war West Germany?

Approximately 30%.

What percentage of former Nazis joined the Communist Party in the Soviet occupation zone to erase their past?

It established that genocide crimes are not subject to a statute of limitations.

What legal precedent regarding genocide was established by the Frankfurt Auschwitz Trials in 1963?

They were held between November 1945 and October 1946 by the International Military Tribunal (IMT), comprising judges from the USA, UK, France, and USSR.

When were the Nuremberg Trials held, and what court conducted them?

Crimes against humanity.

What new legal charge was introduced into international law for the first time during the Nuremberg Trials?

It established that individuals cannot escape accountability for systematic atrocities by claiming they were simply following orders.

What precedent did the Nuremberg Trials set regarding defense claims of "simply following orders"?

12 defendants were sentenced to death by hanging, 7 received prison terms served at Spandau Prison, and 3 were acquitted.

What were the specific sentencing outcomes for the 22 defendants at the Nuremberg Trials?

Adolf Eichmann, Josef Mengele, and Wernher von Braun.

Name three high-profile perpetrators who escaped immediate trial at Nuremberg.

October 24, 1945, with 51 founding member states.

On what date did the United Nations Charter officially come into force, and with how many founding member states?

USA, UK, USSR/Russia, France, and China.

Which five countries are permanent members of the UN Security Council with veto power?

In The Hague (Den Haag), Netherlands.

Where is the International Court of Justice (ICJ) located?

Franco-German reconciliation and humanitarian solidarity (such as joint efforts during the Berlin Airlift).

What sparked Western European integration following World War II?