These revision notes provide an in depth summary of this specific chapter of AQA History in the Study of The quest for political stability: Germany, 1871–1991. They can be used directly as lecture notes or can be reduced further to more of a summary of the topic.
History revision – Occupation and division, 1945 – 48 (15)
- Day to day political authority in Gr was in the hands of the military commanders of
each Allied country, coordinated through the ACC
- Longer term issues of how to deal with legacy of Nazism and how to re-build a united
Gr state were the focus of Potsdam
The Potsdam Conference – 17th July 2nd August 1945
- Winston Churchill – replaced by Clement Attlee as Labour win election
- Harry Truman
- Joseph Stalin
- Disagreements were already apparent between Soviets and W Allies at Yalta
- The agreement at the end of Potsdam clarified no specific policy proposals, simply
reiterating the 4 D’s
Main concerns
- E and W differed in interpretation of democracy
o W powers wanted to avoid strong centralised government
o Stalin determined to install Com control in Soviets zone
- Soviet Union was already establishing Com-dominated administration in Berlin
- Poland’s borders and extent of reparations to be taken from Gr
Summary of outcomes
- Poland’s W border fixed at the Oder and Neisse rivers – further than W Allies wanted
- Gr’s former E territories incorporated into Poland and Soviet Union
- Reparations to be taken from each zone and they set the value
o Soviets get extra 25% from W zones
- Confirmation that Gr divided into 4 zones
- Agreed to introduce representative and elective government (democratisation) and to
decentralise the Gr economy
- Nazi Party outlawed and Gr to be Denazified
- Conference merely ratified what had already been discussed at Yalta
- Compromise met on reparations that didn’t really suit anyone
- Conference clearly highlighted relations between W and Soviets was breaking down
- Cooperation over a common goal (Hitler) was replaced by suspicion over peace aims
and a breakdown of trust
- Death of Roosevelt in April 1945 didn’t help – Soviets liked Truman less
o Truman had hardline stance against Com
- Separate reparations meant Gr couldn’t be treated as an “economic unit”
- Symbolised the end of one war and the beginning of another
Denazification
- One of the key elements of Potsdam was that the Gr people face up to the horror
The Nuremburg Trials
- Twelve trials between 1945-49
- Most famous was on the 20th November 1945
- International Military Tribunal, which sat in Nuremburg, was made up of 2 judges from
each of the Allies
- The accused could not defend on grounds of following orders or ‘so did you’
- Defendants charged on four counts:
o Conspiracy to wage aggressive war
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