The denazification policies of the Western Allies, 1945-49

Question 1

What was denazification?

Answer 1

Nazi Party was banned, the legal system denazified and symbols of the Nazi rule destroyed

Question 2

How did the Allied soldiers attempt to denazify the population?

Answer 2

At the time of the liberation of death camps such as Bergen-Belsen - Allied soldiers forced local population to view the evidence of the atrocities or even assist with the burial of bodies

Question 3

What was a major focus of the denazification process?

Answer 3

. Nuremberg war crimes trials of 1945-46 - 23 were tried - 10
executed
. Trials included cases against judges and doctors who had been complicit with the regime

Question 4

Why were the Nuremberg trials successful?

Answer 4

. Brought justice to those responsible for committing such atrocities
. Provided a forum to present the evidence of Nazi criminality to the German public and wider world

Question 5

What cultural and educational examples of denazification were there?

Answer 5

. Symbols of Nazi rule, such as the large swastika at the Nuremberg, were destroyed
. In education - efforts were made to retrain teachers