The Allies and the German problem, 1941-1949: from cooperation to alternative settlement

The Allies and the German Problem, 1941-1949 examines Allied policymaking during the Second World War and the military occupation of postwar Germany. Charting the planning for the postwar occupation of Germany and later the failure of the peace process during the early years of the Cold War, it demonstrates how the initial unity of the Allies disintegrated during the postwar military occupation in the face of their separate goals for postwar Germany and Europe. After two years of 'diplomatic trench warfare' between representatives of the U.S., the U.K., France, and the U.S.S.R., the Western Allies devised a provisional plan to establish a postwar peace settlement. This was considered to be a pragmatic solution during the climate of the emerging Cold War, when the division of postwar Europe became increasingly apparent. Decision making that was made in reaction to contemporary events resulted in the establishment of two separate German states.