To what extent was de-nazification a complete failure in Germany??

Question 1

Successes- Amnesty laws

Answer 1

Facts-

• Pursued a policy of ‘politics for the past’ which annulled many of the allied punishment for millions of germans who had been viewed as nazi sympathisers, amnesty laws therefore benefited 800,000 people previously tried as nazi sympathisers (a method of stabilising society and decreasing hatred and resentment between different areas of society)
• 131 law allowed 150,000 German officials who had been removed from positions to return to government positions including Hans Globke who had helped write the Nuremberg laws; shows Adenauer wanted to rebuild the country through forgiveness but whilst keeping an eye on them
• August 1952 the Neo nazi socialist reich party was banned, removing hostile elements in politics to stop any revival of nazism (this was a party with over 10,000 people and gained 11% of the vote in Lower Saxony
• second amnesty laws in 1954 annulled 400,000 people from being exonerated that were deemed nazi criminals by the British to allow reintegration in society
• Anti-communism- he was able to unite many politicians through a vehement opposition to communism which included housing former SS members the police, which gained right wing voters. KPD banned in 1956

Adenauer’s approach to de-nazification was clearly not to remove and punish all of those related to nazism in anyway, because many areas of the nazi regime were compulsory and many people joined out of self-preservation instead of willing support.

Question 2

Success- Post Fragebogen and Nuremberg 1946

Answer 2

Facts
- original fragebogen was changed to discriminate between extent of nazi involvement eg lesser offenders who might have been nazi members but without much evidence were placed on probation 2-3 years
- special tribunals introduced to deal with more marginal cases, improving the efficiency of the process and the speed at which Germany could get back to rebuilding itself.
-Leading nazis- Nuremberg trials in October 1946 saw 21 leading Nazi officials tried
Auschwitz trials in Poland 1947 saw Rudolf Hoss being executed (longest serving camp commander) along with 5 other senior camp members

The reformed Fragebogen had success relative to the old Fragebogen as there was more variation in punishment for nazi sympathisers relative to their involvement as they realised people held different motives for nazi involvement.
The punishment of leading Nazis was a success, although some such as the Nazi Doctor Mengele managed to escape

Question 3

Failures- the amnesty laws

Answer 3

Facts-

• the inclusion of former nazis in Adenauer’s cabinet like his minister for refugees Hans Kruger who had participated in the Munich Putsch came under foreign criticism notably from Britain, especially after the second amnesty laws pardoned 400,000 further people. Sir Ivonne Patrick (GB high commissioner) said ‘whenever I travelled to Germany I rain into the ghosts of hitlers reich, men who had occupied positions in administrations’ as though angry that there was a lack of concern for their involvement in Adenauer’s government.
• 66% of foreign office diplomats were former Nazi members, their foreign policy had centred around European hegemony which angered more people
• 1952- 3DMbillon was given to Israel in compensation for the jews of the holocaust; a very impersonal way of showing remorse from Germany even if Adenauer was remorseful himself, looks like blood money and seemingly no attempt of reconciliation with this gesture.

The process of de-nazification seemingly did not include getting rid of Nazis at all when so many were involved in the government, and many more being pardoned.

Question 4

Failures- the fragebogen

Answer 4

Facts- fragebogen excluded a number of key workers in the US zone who were needed to rebuild after the war

• The idea of a questionnaire compiled of 133 questions was logistically difficult in a time where Germany needed its workers to rebuild, people who were persecuted by the Nazis also had to complete it, almost everyone resented it
• The USA had ignored many of the mandatory aspects of Nazism; the Hitler Youth was mandatory for the youth and career advancement and opportunity was only accessible through Nazi party membership; fragebogen was ineffective determining the motives of such people.
• in one Lander, 2.5million people were under investigation for nazism.
• black market had developed for people buying certificates for work permission

its failure in 1951 due to the rising threat of the USSR perhaps epitomised its ineffectiveness and insignificance in the advancement of Germany, as the workers were vital in rebuilding Germany

Question 5

Line of argument/ criteria

Answer 5

De-nazification in Germany was only a success in the long run when it became clear that forgiveness and re-intergration rather than punishment and segregation was the way to rebuild Germany post-war. The short term policies of the fragebogen was too time consuming and although the word ‘de-nazification’ suggests a removal of Nazi elements, the real success of de-nazification was achieved through co-operation with many of them, once the worst of them had been punished correctly.