War and Its Legacy in Germany - The Aftermath Flashcards
What happened at the Nuremberg Trials?
The Allies agreed to put the leading members of the Nazi Party on trial as war criminals. These were known as the Nuremberg Trials.
When did the Nuremberg Trials take place?
The Nuremberg Trials started on 20th November, 1945. They lasted nearly 12 months, ending on 1st October, 1946.
Why were the trials held in Nuremberg?
The trials were held at Nuremberg as it was strongly associated with the development of the Nazi Party and it was where the Nazis held their annual rallies.
Who was put on trial at the Nuremberg Trials?
Leading members of the Nazi Party were put on trial. These included high-ranking Nazis, leading doctors, lawyers, judges and members of the Einsatzgruppen.
What were the Nazis accused of at the Nuremberg Trials?
- Crimes against peace, ie waging war.
- War crimes such as the abuse and murder of prisoners.
- Crimes against humanity including the new crime of genocide.
What were the results of the Nuremberg Trials?
Almost 200 Nazis were tried at Nuremberg with 142 found guilty. Twelve Nazis were given the death sentence. The rest were given prison sentences ranging from 10 years to life.
what happened to Germany after the war?
Germany was now occupied and divided into four military zones, each controlled by one of the four allied powers: USSR, USA, Britain and France. Its capital Berlin was similarly divided amongst the occupiers.
how was denazification carried out?
- The Nazi Party was banned and advocating National Socialist ideas was made punishable by death.
- The Swastika symbol and other Nazi emblems were banned in public.
- Germans were made to complete questionnaires about the extent of their involvement in Nazism.
- Ex-Nazis were taken on tours of concentration camps or made to watch video clips of Jewish prisoners.
what was the aim of denazification?
The policy aimed to force Germans to confront the crimes of the Nazi regime, but also to re-educate them in order to leave Nazism behind.
what were the 5 categories of involvement germans were categorised into?
- Major offenders
- Offenders
- Lesser offender
- Followers
- Persons exonerated
why was denazification scaled back?
As the Cold War began and Britain and the USA came to see the newly created West Germany as a key ally, denazification was scaled back to not offend the population. This allowed several ex-Nazis to regain prominence, though Nazi ideology remained firmly crushed as democracy developed.
how was West Germany treated by the allies?
Initially, the allies pursued a policy of de-militarisation and de-industrialisation to ensure Germany could not equip itself to fight a war.
However, this policy was relaxed when the allies realised Germany needed to be economically strong to protect against the Cold War threat of communism.
what was the political system of West Germany?
The allies established a democratic, federal constitution and Konrad Adenauer became the country’s first Chancellor, serving until 1963.
how was East Germany treated by the allies?
The Soviet Union wanted reparations from Germany for the damage caused during the war and so much of East Germany’s industry was dismantled and taken back to the USSR.
This left already shattered country very weak.
what was the political system of East Germany?
The USSR ensured the creation of a communist dictatorship led by the Socialist Unity Party and Wilhelm Pieck became its first President.
