Germany at the End of World War II

Germany – The Consequences of the Second World War, 1945-1963

In this course, Dr Armin Grünbacher (University of Birmingham) discusses the consequences of the Second World War in Germany. In the first lecture we explore the situation in Germany from May 1945 in the immediate aftermath of the Second World War. In the second lecture we examine the Allied occupation policies in newly divided Germany and the role Germany played in the start of the Cold War. In the third lecture we inquire into the currency reform of 1948 and the mythicised "economic miracle" that followed. Fourth, we highlight the changing relationship between the newly established East Germany and West Germany. Finally, in the fifth lecture, we conclude by thinking about the integration of West Germany into the West.

Germany at the End of World War II

In this lecture we think about Germany in 1945, at the end of the Second World War, focussing on: (i) after World War II, Germany was devastated, with millions of casualties, widespread destruction, and the country was divided into five zones of occupation; (ii) the immediate post-war period saw the implementation of denazification policies, the introduction of democratic structures, and significant refugee challenges; (iii) the full debate on German responsibility for the war and atrocities in the western Zones only began in the 1950s, marked by the Ulm Einsatzgruppen trial.