Lecture 5: Hot Wash, Cold War: The Denazification Laundry

1. Journals due; return Q1; access to web site?
2. The "Three Founding Myths" of post-1945 West Germany (see Reader no. 3)
   • Nazism=glory (Hitler's popularity, Autobahns)
     • consequence G:
     • consequence A:
   • Nazism=selfishness, opportunism, corruption
     • consequence G:
     • consequence A:
   • Nazism=violence, repression
     • consequence G:
     • consequence A:
   • Nazism=atrocious crimes,inhumanity
     • consequence G:
     • consequence A:
   • Nazism=integral part of German history (rediscovered in 1960s)
     • consequence G:
     • consequence A:
3. Two film clips on Germany, 1945ff. (Stunde Null, "Zero Hour")
   • 1994 (5:40): dismal atmosphere of postwar Germany
   • 1969 (12:00): friendly (Western) Allies
     • happy Trümmerfrauen
     • The political parties (west): KPD - SPD - FDP - CDU/CSU - BHE
     • (east): SED - LDPD - CDU - NDPD
4. Postwar milestones (refer to textbook chapter 6!)
   • Potsdam conference (17 July-2 Aug. 1945) resettlement/expulsion; econ. unity; reparations
   • 2-3-4-5 "Ds":
     • Denazification
     • Demilitarization
     • Deindustrialization
     • Decartellization
     • Democratization
   • Nuremberg Trial (Nov. 1945-Oct. 1946); 11 successor trials
   • US Secretary of State Byrnes' Stuttgart speech, Sept. 1946
     • George Marshall's March 1947 Moscow speech
   • Marshall Plan Currency Reform Berlin Blockade/Airlift