WW2 + Cold War times

• didnt want to accept the treaty of Versailles

• Germany wanted to be integrated into world politics

• Hitler built up the army again and prepared for war

• The western countries didnt stop Germany when its army got stronger and they grew a possible threat

• —> Germany’s appeasement policy worked

• Germany always assured to only want equality in the world, but they grew stronger —> shift in power

Germany left the league of Nations

non-aggression pact with Poland

Germany marched into Rhineland; France showed no reaction

Hossbach Memorandum; preparations for war

Sudetenland was handed to Germany (England agreed)

Germany and Italy became close (both facist governments)

—>allience between the two countries

Focus was more on the war against communism (Soviet Union)

—>National Socialism had the possibility to grow without restrictions

• Most European powers still struggled with economic problems after Great Depression

• Policy of Appeasement worked best with Germany

• Only France saw themselves ready for a German attack

• The western and eastern powers didnt want to cooperate against Germany

• German army was most modern

• 23 August 1939: Hitler-Stalin Pact and Additional Secret Protocol: non-aggression pact with USSR Germany

• 1 September 1939: Germany attacked Poland —> beginning WW"2

• Germany’s tactic: Blitzkrieg / war of aggression

• April-June 1940: Germany occupied Denmark, Norway, France

• August 1940-spring 1941: Battle of Britain, Germany bombed UK —> failed

• 22 June 1941: Operation Barbossa, conquering “Lebensraum” in the east; Germany attacked Soviet Union —> failed because fo low temperatures in autumm/winter

• End of 1942: Battle of Stalingrad, 6th army surrounded Stalingrad —> forced to surrender

• 7 december 1941: Pearl Harbour, Japan attacked US American Headquarters on Hawai

• 8 December: USA entered war by declaring war on Japan

• 14 August 1941: Atlantic charter, USSR,Britain,USA drafted goals for post-war world

• July 1943: British and US-Air forces bombed German cities

• 4 June 1944: D-Day, allied forces invasion in Normandy

• 6/9 August 1944: two atom bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki (Japan)

• Winter 1944/45: German military collapsed

• 30 April 1945: Hitlers suicide in Füherbunker, German army surrendered —> End of WW2

• 8 May 1945: official endind / armistice

• Nazis deported and executed all of their “enemies”

• Mass executions in Eastern Europe to gain “Lebensraum” for Germans

• —Ygoal: reduce number of slavic people to make room for German people

• Jews were to completely exterminated

• Jewish socialists and communists were executed by SA

• 1933/34: Jews were forced to sell their shops to german Aryans —> Aryanization

• Autumn 1935: Nuremberg Laws of Citizenship and Race: legal exclusion of Jews

• Pogrom night: destruction of synagogues and Jewish shops, murder of jews (Nov 1938)

• From 1940: Mass deportation of jews —> systematic genocide

unconditional surrender of Germany

• Three winning powers had to decide on how to treat Germany (USA, USSR, Britain)

• two ideologies: capitalism and communism

November 1943: Theran conference

February 1945: Yalta conference

17 July 1945: Potsdam conference

Possible solution: Morgenthau Plan; turn Germany into a mere agricultural economy

—> not realized

• Occupation zones were installed; French, American, British (west), Soviet (east)

• —> Berlin was also seperated into 4 zones

• Controlled by the Allied Control Council

• German borders were changed; Poland got their land back

• 5 June 1945: Berlin Declaration, WW2 allies ahd supreme power over Germany

• 10 February 1947: peace treaties with former allies to Nazi Germany

• discuss about war strategies against Japan and Germany with the big 3

• here it was decided, on how to divide Germany and how to put the dividing of power in Europe (as well the big 3)

Deciding over fate of Germany after WW2

• 5 D’s: Denazifi-, Democrati-, Demilitari-, Decentrali-, Decartelization

• Denazification: destruction of NSDAp with all its associated institutions

• Democratization: local self-government according to democratic principles

• Demilitarization: complete disarmament

• Decentralization: geared towards the administration and the economy

• Decartelization: destruction of state-run business and monopolies

3R’s: Re-education, Reperations, Resettlement

• Re-education: (Umerziehung), closely linked to democratization and denazification

• Reparations: to be paid by Germany as a compensation for the damage and losses caused

• —> the Allied powers could decide what to take as reparations

• —> USSR tried to take something, but the East wsnt wealthy

• —> Western powers took nearly nothing

• Resettlement: affected the German population of the disconnected eastern territories as well as minorities in Czechoslovakia and other eastern European states; they had to be expelled to central and west Germany

• —> resettlement was the hardest to carry out since it affected a big part of the population

• Germany faced an hour zero

• Difficulties with resettlement, displaced persons in WW2 and forced laborers

• 18% of apartments in Germany were destroyed; 28% damaged

• Health problems

• Broken energy and water supply —> lack of heating and cooking supplies

• All parts of the population affected

• Lack of food

• Autumn 1945: Nuremberg trials; 24 Nazis punished (more punishment afterwards)

• Dissolving Nazi party and all other organizations or institutions associated or founded by it and prohibiting their re-establishment

• active members of Nazi Party wont be employed in; economic organizations, cooperations, the industry sector, education and press

• In general, everything which was created or organized by Nazi parties was either abolished, dissolved or destroyed

• —> school, police, government, politics and military

Main propaganda method: movies

• —> make them consciuos of what they did; mostly movies, also visits of the KZs, posters

• —> Germans were shocked and felt guilty

• German children learned about democracy

• Press: independent and new (ARD,ZDF,…) —> make the whole country independent

• —>“Amerika-Häuser”; the adults were supposed to learn about democracy (wasnt efective)

• —>they didnt want to be educated; not really opposed to Nacional Socialism - Trust issues

• Communism was still a “threat” from the east —> change of strategy: Cold War

• —> Germany should be allied with USA against their “common enemy”, the USSR

• Germany was allowed to be armed again —> contradicting to former policies

—> but all this was quickly not cared about anymore because the threat from the east was bigger

Not a lot of people actually found guilty for what the Nazis did

They started to actually deal with the Nazi past: 70s/80s

• East German regime did not give blame for what happened to the Germans; it simply wasnt talked about —> collective amnesia / NS thinking was never eliminated

• many denazification efforts, later stopped abruptly to focus on country’s reconstruction

• Communist regime was direct contrast to Nazi regime at first glance (facism worst form of capitalism, they said)

• GDR stated that the whole country waas free of fascism —> whitewashed past

• still no independent media —> protected the collective amnesia

• Contrast to west: denazification also wasnt perfect, but they worked on it (not forgotten)

• Anti-Semitism was on the rise in the GDR again —> Holocaust denial

• —> voices against this way of dealing with the past were silenced

Prevent Germany from becoming a threat to world peace again

—> eliminate Nazism and militarism, arrest war criminals, industrial disarmament, demilitarization of Germany and control over Germany

• Aim of occupation wasnt meant as oppression

• Germans have full responsibility for what they did to their country (Eisenhower speech)

• USA wanted Western Europe to become capitalist and independent countries

• —>building up the economy, so that they will become trading and political partners

• plan to achieve that: Merging the 3 western zones into one

• First bizone with UK (1946) —> then Trizone with France (1948)

• May 1947: own parliamentary board for legislation introduced —> not a new german state

12 March 1947

• provided help by USA to every country that felt threatened by communism/USSR

• —>Harry S. Truman: president USA

• —> showed the start of a division between East and West

• Containment policy

Introduced 5 June 1947

• named after Secretary of state Marshall

• meant to financially support western European countries (eastern countries refused plan)

• —> military threat by USSR prevented them from joining Marshall Plan

• creating new trading partners —> establish capitalism/democracy to oppose communism

• Western countries were glad, because they got help and money

• American citizens were not happy, bcause they couldnt understand why they should help

• Economic effects: establish inter. market, build up economy, reduce poverty

• Psychological effects: Feeling of unity (USA/EU),Cap vs Com, international cooperation

20 june 1948

• Deutsche Mark was introduced

• Stalin had tight grip on east European states

• —> Poland, Czechoslovakia, Greece, Hungary, Bulgaria, Romania

• USSR established satellite states with puppet governements

• wanted the countries to become communist and not belong to the west

• As contrast to Marshall plan: Comecon (January 1949)

• —>Council for mutual economic assistance

• —> GDR joined in 1950

• —>USSR wanted to have sth. similar to the Marshall Plan to support East (did not work)

• Both sides saw the others as the antagonist (Capitalism vs Communism)

• —>both saw their own system as the only good one (more & more alienation)

• February-June 1948: London conference, western European states and USA discussed the future of Western Europe —>west Germany was supposed to be integrated (without USSR)

• Soviet representative left the Allied Control Council

• 24 Junge 1948: Berlin Blockade, Western zones in Berlin were cut off from supply

• —> reaction: Berlin airlift; supplying citizens by planes with food and goods (about 1 year)

• Summer 1948: blockade from west on East Berlin and Soviet zone

• 12 May 1949: both blockades ended —> “The iron curtain” (introduced by Churchill)

• —> metaphorical “border” between West and East / strong and not see-through

• —> “you cannot see what is happening on the other side” —> no traveling / trading

• One of the most famous speeches of that time —> first mentioned the “iron curtain”

• British have respects for Russians, but its tense —> iron curtain descended across EU

• Communist parties are gaining totalitarian control —> police governments established

• —> no democracy —> not the peace they wanted

• policy of appeasement will not work —> Russians still dont want war

• —> they want to expand their territory and doctrines

• There should be a settlement quickly

• —> otherwise the Russians have more time to prepare for possible future attacks

• Churchill has friends in Britain and USA

• Churchill has a new racial theory: only English-speaking nations can be fully valuable nations —> comparison to Hitler

• Soviet Union has suffered many losses under Germany and therefore wants to secure the loyalty of the countries that fought together with them to the Soviet Union

• Communism has gained more influence because it proved to be better

• In the last year: Communists have been reliable, daring, self-sacrificing fighters against the fascists

• Stalin states the complete opposite

• —> If west says something, East says the opposite and vice versa

• Britain/USA never actually fought against USSR but always provided weapons and military

1 July 1948: London documents; guideline for developement of a new constitution

—> All 3 Allies have to agree to the constitution

—> German government can do everything a normal government can do except foreign policy

—> Allies can still intervene if they think the constitution is endangered

—> Every change in the constitution has to be agreed to by the 3 countries

—> They will control if the democratization in every aspect of life is working

• Parliamentary Council worked on the constitution

• Federalism instead of centralized government

8 April 1949: Allies agreed on Basic Law

8 May 1949: accepted by Parliamentary Council

12 May 1949: accepted by federal governments

23 May 1949: Basic Law was enacted, foundation of Federal Republic of Germany

• Konrad Adenauer (CDU) became first chancellor

• 4 October 1949: consultations on founding a new state started with SED (Sozialistische Einheitspartei Deutschlands) and other parties

• 7 October 1949: German’s people council enacted constitution and Otto Grotewohl became first minister president of GDR

since 1945

• USSR established satellite states in Eastern Europeean countries

• Example: Poland, communists took over power with the help of the soviet army

1949

• North Atlantic treaty organization

• 12 founding mebers; only western countries

• military and political cooperation

• —> against east

1950-1953

• war between North and south Korea

• North Korea was supported by China and the Soviet Union

• South Korea was supported by USA

  —> First proxy-war in Cold war

1952

• Stalin proposed a neutral, united Germany without military

• First try for a united Germany, didnt work out because of the opposing views on political system

5 March 1953

• Local uprising in Soviet sphere; demanded liberalization

  
  

• Uprising in Eastern Germany against new york regulations; more work for the same money

• Began in East Berlin; spread over the whole country

• Protests against the government and the Sovietization of the country

• were violently stopped by Soviet military

1955

• Guaranteed Austrian neutrality

• withdrawal of Allied troops

• fueled the belief that Stalinist policies might be weakened

1955

• Defense treaty between thee Soviet Union and all eastern european countriesinder Soviet control

• Eastern counterpart to NATO

1955-1975

• North against West

• North wanted communist government for the whole country; supported by USSR

• South wanted a country modelling the west; supported by USA

  —> proxy war

• Big loss for the USA

1956

• also called Hungarian revolution

• hungarians fought against Soviet Union Regime; didnt want the Stalinist control

• wanted the west to help them, but West didnt want to risk global confrontation

• Were beat down by USSR in November, but had achieved internal autonomy

1956

• Mass protests in Poland against communist government

• Also violently beat down

1960

• US spy plane was shot down by Soviet forces over Soviet territory

1962

• USA felt threatened by Soviet Nucelar Missile stationed in Cuba; wanted to pressure USSR into removing them by threatening to attack Soviet ships near the US

• Almost broke into a Nuclear War

• was solved by a secret arrangment of USSR removing missiles from Cuba and USA removing missiles from turkey

1950s-1960s

• competition between USSR and USA concerning space technology

• political motivation

1968

• period of political liebralization and mass protest in the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic

• wanted democracy and protested against Soviet regime

• USSR managed to get back control of the country

• Only reform: seperation into Chzechia and Slovakia

• Brezhnev Doctrine: Soviet Doctrine claiming that any uprising in a socialist country can be

  put down with the help of other socialist countries (i.e. countries under Soviet control)

1979-1989

• USSR against Afghan Islamist groups Mujahideen

• USA and western countries supported the islamist groups to weaken USSR, as well as some Muslim countries

1983

• Annual NATO exercise

• Simulated an atomic war

• was very realistic, USSR believed the exercise was to cover up an actual atomic bomb attack

• first Cuba was US-influenced but after Castro overthrew the dictator, it became a communist state and the USSR became more and more involved

• the storring of nuclear weapons on Cuba, felt like a thrat to world peace for the USA and they will defend themselve if its needed

• In the end both, the USSR removed their missiles from Cuba and the US removed their from turkey

• conflict comes from both side, everytime the one party describes the other as the bad guy and thatthey only want to defend themselves

1967

• French forces withdrawn from NATO command in 1966

• report calls for a course of deterrenc and dètente in Europe

1968:

• calling for talks with East and West to solve European problems; especially German question

• intiatives end because of Prague Spring

1969-1972

• First USSR expresses interest in disarmament talks

• —> talks begin in November 1969

• Strategic Arms Limitation talks

• Talks between USA and USSR to limit arms

1972, 1979

• “ping-pong-diplomacy”; ping pong players from China and USA became friends; eased the tensions between the countries

• pressure on USSR to continue arms limitation talks

1972-1979

• even more reduction of arms of two countries

• Ratification of US is postponed because of Soviet Invasion in Afghanistan

• —> 1982: effectively in force; announced by Reagan

• 1986: no longer in force; US claims that USSR has violated it

1972

• Agreement between the four occupational powers of Berlin

• Concluded in a better relationship between East and west in Berlin

1983

• new front in the arms race between USA und USSR

1981-1987

• Signed in 1987

• 1988: actually ratified by both sides

• INFs are eliminated

1988

• Soviet forces and Soviet occupation forces in Eastern Europe are reduced

1949-1963

• Chancellor: Konrad Adenauer (CDU)

• 4 goals for government: German unity, economic consolidation, military security, national sovereignity (unity= “policy of strength”

• —> make West Germany strong enough to overcome obstacles to unity

• Strenght meant cooperation with the west

• 1951: ECSC (European Coal and Steel community)

• 1952: EDC (European Defense Community Treaty)

• 1954/55: Treaties of Paris (included Treaty on Germany); ended the Statue of occupation; FRG was sovereign country, admittance to NATO

• western integration shortly dangered before the Hallstein-doctrine because of Stalin notes

• 1957: joined the EEC (European economic community)

• 1963: German-French friendship treaty (Elysée-treaty)

1949-1963

• Chairman of SED (Socialist unity party): Walter Ulbricht (“gead of state”) (govern: Politburo)

• Planned economy: focus on heavy (chemical) insustry instead of consumer production

• majority of economy was state-owned businesses or trade organizations (small business)

• —> economy was fully controlled of the state

• Ulbricht was fully convinced of his Communist goals;after Stalin’s death, new Soviet leadership wanted a different direction

• —> June 1953: confusion in East germany; led to uprisings (17 June)

• 1950: joined Comecon

• —> Görlitz treaty: recognition of Oder-Neiße-border

• 1954: Soviet declaration of East German sovereignity

• 1955: Soviet-East German treaty —> proclaimed the sovereignity of the GDR

• 1956: admittance Warsaw Pact; created a military cooperation

• —> economy was unstable because many skilled and educated workers left the country

• —> after building the wall, the economy stabilized

1949-1961

• 17 June 1953: uprisings in east berlin, quickly and violently put down by Soviet fores; seen as a sign of unity in FRG, became a national holiday there

• 1948-49: first berlin crisis (Airlift); fterwards situation in Berlin was tense, but peaceful

• in Berlin. direct contrast to welathy West and a lack of goods in East

• Germans could only cross the border to the other state in Berlin —> thousands of East Germans fled through Berlin (in total 2,7 mio. until 1961)

• 1955: Geneva summit; meeting of the Allies, no agreement concerning reunification was achieved

• 1958: second Berlin crisis: Stalins successor Krushchev set an ultimatum to the Western allies; he wanted Berlin as a free City without the Allies occupying it —> he didnt want the Western presence as a constant threat in the East, wanted to stop the mass immigration to the West through Berlin —> ultimatum failed

• 13 August 1961: Berlin Wall was built

• FRG wanted the Allies to intervene the constructions of the wall, but they couldnt want to do anything

• After the stream of refugees to the West stopped, West Germany had to hire guest workers from soouth and south- east of Europe

• West slowly increased contact and cooperation with East

• By 1963: situation has calmed

• 1963: US president Kennedy visited FRG; “ich bin ein Berliner” speech

• 1969: Willy Brandt (SPD) became chancellor of FRG

• Dealing with the East until 1969: Hallstein Doctrine, policy of strength, unification through collapse of GDR

• —> FRG is the only true Germany, they dont want naything to do with the West

• Brandt wanted to change his approach -> new Ostpolitik was introduced (change trough rapproachment) —> 1969: unification through mutual rapproachment

• Achievements of New Ostpolitik

  —> 7 December 1970: genuflaction (Kniefall) from Willy Brandt, very symbolic

  —> 1970: Moscow treaty, treaty of Warsaw: closer relations between West and East

  —>21 December 1972: Basic Treaty between the two German states; settled friendly relations as neighbors (1973: both joined the UN)

  —>both states were part of CSCE —> Helsinki accords

  —> changed the relation between West Germany and the whole East and paved the way for unification

• 1950s Easter marches, protest against remilitarization of West Germany

• 1970s demonstration against Vietnam war, especially university students

• 1980: Krefeld Appeal demanded revoking of acceptance of stationing of US middle range missiles by Bundestag; supported by Green Party, churches, trade unions, some Social Democrats

• October 1981 in Bonn: 30.000 demonstrators

• 1983: NATO dual-track decision, peace movement organized more demonstration

  —> blockade of American Base to prevent stationing of nuclear rockets

• 1975: first NGO for environment founded (renamed BUND in 1977)

• 1980: foundation Green Party

  —> 1983: seats in Bundestag

• - 1985-87: first Green provincial minister

• Debate within Green Party about representative vs. Direct democracy

  —> discussion had disappeared since Weimar Republic

• 1960’s: pill was invented, new concepts of sexual freedom

• New womens movement; demanded gender equality, especially in family and occupation

• New role of women; was criticized by society

• Demand for legalization of abortion

• 1974: law for abortion on demand was passed but declared unconstitutional after

  —> only medically or socially indicated abortions until 12 months pregnancy