American Influences In Germany

When the dust settled after World War II, Europe was left in ruins, but no country more so than Germany. Thoroughly defeated by the allied powers, the Third Reich under Hitler had come to an end, leaving the once prosperous nation without a ruler, a government, or an economy. The nation was physically ruined and it fell to the allied powers (US, Great Britain, and the USSR) and France to execute legislative authority over Germany. Each victor had control over an individual zone and played the main role in shaping policy and recovery within that area directly after WWII. This paper will examine the American impact on several key components of the newly created Federal Republic of Germany. The country needed to be completely rebuilt and outside

This topic should be of interest to others because in an ever changing world, it reflects upon the ways in which human populations can rebuild after destruction. Events similar to those of World War II may present themselves again, and it is important to learn from past failures and successes in order to avoid or repeat them. By analyzing primary and secondary sources, one can determine the nature of American influences in Germany during the post-war period and understand both the German and American arguments for actions that took place during this time.

A New Kind of Market

The lifeline of any country lies in its market and the prosperity of that system. When building a nation from the ground up, it was key for the United States to help Germany first become more self-sufficient in the marketplace. In the months immediately following the unconditional surrender, America was responsible for the Germans within the US zone, providing the necessary consumer goods and food out of pocket in order to keep the ravaged nation from completely falling apart. This burden fell on the tax payers of the United States and lawmakers quickly realized the need for self-sufficiency. The American government first began investing in industry.

A pact with sixteen Western nations, this initiative laid the groundwork for what would later become the European Union. The goals were quite simple: promote cooperation between countries and recovery programs among member states, reduce economic barriers to trade and expansion, and look into the possibility of creating a customs union (free trade area). As a founding member, Germany (and the United States occupying government) was able to play a role in the policies and agreements made. America was in a position of power, and by creating favorable trade conditions, negotiators essentially primed the European market for American goods when Europe ultimately recovered. The OEEC was driven by the Marshall Plan, an economic recovery program that benefited all of Western Europe. The money given to Germany allowed the nation to rebuild its economy and rejoin the ranks of leaders in the European economic scene. The uniting force that propelled the Bizone economy into success mirrored that of the Marshall