1945-49 Flashcards
what were the effects of a division of Germany?
- Ideological changes
- continuous changes to society
- rebuilding the nation
- changes to government
what were the Soviets actions in the east initially?
- in 1945, the ‘Moscow Communists’ led by Ulbricht flew into east Germany
- 1945 - large estates broken up and redistributed (junkers)
- 1945 - soviets start to take reparations (even whole factories were transported to the USSR)
- 1946 - SED party formed one left wing party with effectively all the power
- 1947 - cominform
- 1948-49 - Stalin starts the Berlin blockade
what were the West’s actions initially to the division of Germany?
-1947 - Bizonia merged the British and US zones together
-1947 - Truman doctrine announces the aim to prevent spread of communism
-1947 - Marshall plan aid announced
-1948 - Currency reform (deutschemark) brought markets ‘overnight’
1949 - Trizonia established and further on the FRG was formed
1949 - NATO
What happened to the POWs in the USSR
There were 3.3 million in the USSR and were kept under captivity until the 1950s. Around a third of them did not survive
Extent of damage post war
20% of housing was completely destroyed and a further 30% badly damaged in the major cities
How much had food consumption fell
By 1945, calorie intake had halved. If it had not been for the allies emergency relief, many people would have starved
How much Marshall plan aid had Germany been given?
About 12% of the aid, around 1.5 billion USD
Why was the currency reform needed
Around 1/2 of all economic activity in western zones was through the black market barter system
What did the currency reform lead to?
It directly led to the Berlin blockade, as the soviets believed it was a deliberate attempt to undermine the soviet zone
What events made by the west contributed to a divided Germany
- creation of bizonia January 1947
- introduction of Marshall plan June 1947
- creation of DM June 1948
What events made by the soviets contributed to a divided Germany
- nationalisation of industry and land reform 1945-6
- establishing a German Economic Conference June 1947
- creation of the Ostmark June 1948
- Berlin blockade
How did O’Dochartaigh describe the division of Germany
‘Ultimately, both chose to settle for half a cake baked to their own preferred recipe, with the recipe being supplied by the occupying forces
How did the creation of the SED further divide Germany
In the western sector of Berlin, 72% of SPD members rejected the formation of the SED, showing even further division
