western zone 1945-49 Flashcards
what was main west political party + leader
CDU ardenaeur
what did the west give in September 1945
licenses to political parties in local elections
what happened in 1945
fuel crises - soviets demand 20% payment
what did Churchill give in 1946
iron curtain speech Missouri = tensions rose
evidence food difficulties western zone 1947
famine w/ - half advised daily calorie intake - black market on food
what was a cause of the famine
1946 may - east agricultural goods to west
how serious were issues faced by west germany in early years?
grossly underestimated -mitigated and resolved by west well
what huts were built that became permanent housing
nissen huts
what did the create in may 1947
bizonia
what was the bizone
economic union BUT - referred to as ‘germ cell of BRD’ for German economic council - power for laws on taxation.
what was the BRD
formed may 1949 - west
when was the Marshall plan
June 1947
what was the Marshall plan based on
anti communist truman doctrine
how much money given to west germany under Marshall plan
1.5 billion
what was an economic issue provided by nazis
inflation hidden by state control - loss reichsmark = thriving black market
what was introduced in 1947
new hard deustchemark currency introduced -
one one level negative aspect of deustachmark
small savers lost out + division further
BUT overall success of duestchamark
black market collapsed - hard work encouraged - complements Marshall plan resurrecting trade
quote from American banker on currency reform
spirit of country changed overnight
democratisation in west
CDU unite all christian dem graphics in may 1946 elections
democratisation in east
KPD full backing in zone but 5% in west - ulbricht- ‘must be cyrtsla clear democratic but strings in our hands beneath’
demilitarisation in west
disarmament of all German military + same for east
denazification in west
- USA purged all nazis w/ 324 given death penalty
- UK place majority in least Categ V
denazification east
- believe nazi = capitalism - new socio economic
- 450,000 ex nazis dismissed - but employed
decentralisation in east
5 lander = surface federalism but 1952 regional authorities dissolved
western zone decentralisation
may 1946 first free federal elections in west - general clay promotes
evidence of west fault for bizonia causing crisis in Berlin
1946 foreign office documents - Bevin (BRITISH FOREIGN MINISTER) understood vision zones w/o soviets = clear measure to crisis
