Upheaval: Turning Points for Nations in Crisis

When Germany surrendered to the Allies in May 1945, the country was in shambles. Almost all its cities were destroyed, one-quarter of its former territory was lost, its economy had collapsed, it was divided into four occupation zones, and about 10 million of its citizens were homeless (217-8). Nevertheless, Germany became “the most powerful country in Europe west of Russia” (218). Shedding its authoritarian past, it developed a liberal democracy and strong economy. Diamond explores how Germany successfully navigated this crisis.

In 1949, the Allies joined their three zones of British, French, and American occupation into one country, which became West Germany. The Russian zone, which included Berlin, became East Germany. The city of Berlin was divided among the allies and became a means for East Germans to escape Soviet repression and go west. To prevent this exodus, the Soviet Union built the Berlin Wall in 1961. Over 1,000 East Germans died trying to escape to the West. With the Cold War in place, the US allocated economic aid to West Germany. The US needed West Germany to regain its strength and serve as “a bulwark against communism” (222).

While the Allies prosecuted the top leaders of the Nazi Party for crimes against humanity, large numbers of Germans were simply re-educated.