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Germany (Territory Under Allied Occupation, 1945-1955) records
80196
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Title: An Inventory of the Germany (Territory Under Allied Occupation, 1945-1955) records
Date (inclusive): 1945-1949
Collection Number: 80196
Contributing Institution: Hoover Institution Library and Archives
Language of Material:
English
Physical Description:
55 manuscript boxes
(22.0 Linear Feet)
Abstract: The records relate to demilitarization, denazification, democratization, and reconstruction of Germany after World War II.
Includes minutes, reports, memoranda, laws, proclamations, press releases, agenda, and bulletins.
Creator:
Germany (Territory under Allied occupation, 1945-1955)
Physical Location: Hoover Institution Library & Archives
The collection is open for research; materials must be requested in advance via our reservation system. If there are audiovisual
or digital media material in the collection, they must be reformatted before providing access.
For copyright status, please contact the Hoover Institution Library & Archives.
Acquired by the Hoover Institution Library & Archives in 1982.
[Identification of item], An Inventory of the Germany (Territory Under Allied Occupation, 1945-1955) Records, 1949-1955, [Box
no., Folder no. or title], Hoover Institution Library & Archives.
The Allied powers that defeated Nazi Germany in World War II divided the country into three zones of occupation: American,
British, and Soviet. Each zone was ruled by the Commander-in-Chief of the respective occupational forces. The French zone
was added in December 1946. Matters that affected Germany as a whole, however, would have to be decided jointly by all three
Commanders-in-Chief, who for this purpose formed a single organ of control called the Control Council.
The purpose of the Allied Control Council was to deal with the central administration of the country. The Potsdam Agreement
of 2 August 1945 further specified the tasks of the Control Council. Key items in the occupiers' agenda were the five D's:
Denazification, Democratization, Dismantling, Disarming and Decentralization.
As relations between the Western Allies (especially the United States and the United Kingdom) and the Soviet Union quickly
deteriorated, and so did their cooperation in the administration of occupied Germany. As early as in September 1946, disagreement
arose regarding the distribution of coal for industry in the four occupation zones, and the Soviet representative in the council
withdrew his support of the plan agreed upon by the governments of the United States, Britain and France.
Against Soviet protests, the two English-speaking powers pushed for an economic collaboration between the different zones,
and on 1 January 1947 the British and American zones merged to form the Bizone and later the Trizone (after inclusion of the
French zone).
Over the course of 1947 and early 1948 they began to prepare the currency reform that would introduce the Deutsche Mark, and
ultimately the creation of an independent West German state. When the Soviets learned about this, they claimed that such plans
were in violation of the Potsdam Agreement, that the Western powers were not interested in further regular four-power control
of Germany, and that under such circumstances the Control Council had no purpose anymore.
On 20 March 1948, Marshal Vasiliy Sokolsky, the Soviet representative, walked out of the meeting of the Council, never to
return. As the Control Council could only act with the agreement of all four members, this move basically shut down the institution,
while the Cold War reached an early high point during the Soviet blockade of Berlin.
The Western powers instituted the Allied High Commission by September 1949 which remained in operation until 1955. In Eastern
Germany, the Soviet administration with its representative of the ACC was the highest authority, later this position was converted
to a High Commissioner as well, until the German Democratic Republic gained sovereignty.
Germany remained under nominal military occupation until 15 March 1991, when the final ratification of the Treaty on the Final
Settlement With Respect to Germany (signed on 12 September 1990) was lodged with the German Government.
Scope and Content of Collection
The records relate to demilitarization, denazification, democratization, and reconstruction of Germany after World War II.
Includes minutes, reports, memoranda, laws, proclamations, press releases, agenda, and bulletins.
The collection represents materials documenting the efforts of economic rehabilitation of Germany under Allied Control Authority
Coordinating Committee (ACAC) and covers the varied national and international civilian and military apparatus that evolved.
The documents illustrate the diverse approaches of the Americans, British, and Russians in efforts to combat hunger, disease,
and crime, preserve cultural artifacts, re-establish industry and utilities, and resolve important problems involving currency,
housing, education, newspapers, elections, and displaced persons.
Records are arranged as originally received from the organization; generally by Office of Military Government (U.S. Zone)
Germany (Territory under Allied Occupation, 1945-1955: U.S. Zone) Office of Military Government for Bavaria. Kreis Traunstein
Records Hoover Institution Library & Archives
Germany (Territory under Allied Occupation, 1945-1955: U.S. Zone) Office of Military Government Records, 1943-1950, Hoover
Institution Library & Archives
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Germany -- History -- 1945-1955
Military government