Post-war period

The term post-war period is usually allowed as indicating the period which immediately follows the Second world war and which lasts until the beginnings of the cold war and the death of Stalin. During this period, the organization and the economy of the nation are developed and the majority of the damage caused by the war are repaired. It is frequently marked by the lack of food, of products of all types and the bad living conditions.

Immediate assessment of the Second world war

Post-war period in Germany

Although already outstanding post-war periods ago for the Germany (after the Guerre Thirty Year old in 1648, after the Congrès of Vienna in 1815, after the First World War in 1918 and the Traité of Versailles), the term post-war period ( Nachkrieg in German and for the period of the post-war period) was left allotted only to the post-war period of 1945.

After the end of the second world war, most of Europe and of Germany was nothing any more but ruins and debris. The Alliés thus founded after the Capitulation of the Third Reich a policy of Démocratisation, of Démilitarisation, Dénazification, Décentralisation and Démontage.

According to the point of view of most of the German population, after the defeat, this policy was however a policy of winners, because from a certain manner, the German people released themselves in a general and political way of Germany Nazie.

Post-war period in the 4 zones of occupation

On these five points, the 4 powers which occupied Germany (the United States, the United Kingdom, Soviet Union and later the France) were in agreement: Disassembling, Demilitarization, Denazification, Democratization and Decentralization (called 5 " D"). They however continued these tasks by them differently directing, and this with a different step.

Disassembling

Disassembling allowed demilitarization and - above all in the Soviet Zone of occupation - the replacement of what was destroyed by the German troops and the war. That was done rather quickly and that opened the way with a policy close to the capital and wage employment in West Germany.

Demilitarization

Germany was private of army, whereas in 1918 it had had right has 100.000 men.

Denazification

The allies decide to purify the public office of Germany and to banish the representatives Nazis of them. Thus, they attempt to remove any symbol related to the ideology of IIIe Reich to erase of it the influence up to that point dominating in Europe. Will be followed from there the Procès of Nuremberg of November 1945 in October 1946 when will be judged the leaders Nazis of the many committed crimes.

Democratization

In May and October 1946, there were the first elections of mayors and presidents of Land in the English and American zones.

Decentralization

The 4 powers which occupied Germany made more autonomous the territory.

The expulsion of the German-speaking populations in the East

This period was marked by expulsions of the old territories before German which belong from now on to the Poland, to the Baltic States, the Czechoslovakia and the Soviet Union since the capitulation (like the old towns of Königsberg, Breslau….). 12 million German occupying a large territory approximately as current Germany had then to return to Germany, and this shift in population was thus carried out in a rather brutal way.

The spectacular development of the West Germany

August 1st

Called Wirtschaftswunder, the growth of the West Germany made that very quickly this country becomes the third world economy.

The development of East Germany

In the Soviet zone of occupation, the rebuilding was done much more slowly than in the zones of occupation of the West. The Soviet Union did not help the rebuilding of East Germany, on the contrary, it granted expenses of repair in the shape of machines of industrial production and other important things for the infrastructure like the engines and the rails of railroads. Therefore the situation until 1948 did not really improve. Moreover, one reform of the currency took place in East Germany in 1948, reform which made only hardly improved the situation. Thus, the black-market and barter flowered in East Germany longer than in West Germany. The situation not being improving, a big number of people decided to settle in West Germany. The situation improved slowly as from 1949 while in West Germany, people could already make the races in stores filled. To the East, the ration coupons were still distributed. It is not that as from the 50 qu years' a slow growth started. However the population was still not satisfied. But the government with the capacity did not realize there and thus they increased the output norms much early too. From this moment, it was too for the majority of the population which went down in the streets and people protested against the defective provisioning. If the Red Army had not strongly repressed this resistance, the existence of GDR would have been threatened. A significant economic growth took place only as from 1961, the same year as the construction of the Berlin Wall.

The iron curtain

Introduction of the people's democracies

Yugoslavia de Tito

The news gives in Asia

Occupation of Japan

The civil war in China

First steps of the decolonization

Zionism in Palestine

Beginnings of the cold war

Marshall plan against Jdanov doctrines

Harry S. Truman denounces the installation of the Communist regimes in the countries occupied by the Red Army (Truman doctrine).

He wants to help the free people to resist the communist threat in Europe of the East. This help takes the form of the economic support: Marshall plan.

The USSR retorts by the Doctrine Jdanov which announces that its country will support all the revolutionary movements fighting against the will of American domination.

Blockade of Berlin

Rebuilding and Welfare state

In the immediate future post-war period, it is necessary to rebuild the infrastructures destroyed by the war, in particular in France and Germany.

The baby-boom

Post-war period with the cinema

Germany year zero (Deutschland Stunde null) of Roberto Rossellini left in 1947, turned in Berlin in the debris of the city.
the marriage of Maria Braun To groove Werner Fassbinder, left in 1979.

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