Britain and the Occupation of Germany, 1945-49 Daniel Luke Cowling Wolfson College, University of Cambridge This dissertation is submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy June, 2018 Britain and the Occupation of Germany, 1945-49 Daniel Cowling The Allied Occupation of Germany, 1945-49, was intended to transform the war-torn Third Reich into a peaceable nation through a series of far-reaching political, economic, and social reforms. But amid the growing tensions Between East and West these radical plans would Be significantly altered, culminating in the formation of two German states in 1949. Historians have tended to view the occupation as a Backdrop to the nascent Cold War or a transitional period in the history of modern Germany. Yet this thesis suggests that British participation in the Allied occupation was, in fact, much more than simply an exercise in political pragmatism or a contriBution to the reBuilding of war-torn Europe. Rather, this undertaking catalysed Britain’s political and puBlic confrontation with Nazism, laying some of the most significant and durable foundations of the postwar Anglo-German relationship. This research utilises contemporary mass media sources and official records to explore British images and perceptions of Germany under occupation, scrutinising the interactions of decision-makers, the media, and the puBlic. It Begins with an examination of the pervasive culture war that emerged in wartime Britain over the precise interpretation and resolution of the so-called ‘German proBlem’. The thesis then goes on to consider puBlic portrayals of the occupation vis-à-vis the evolution of official policy, Beginning in the summer of 1945 when British policymakers responded to popular demands for a ‘hard peace’ and approved a rigorous programme of denazification, re-education, and demilitarisation. In the coming years, scandals engulfed the puBlic image of the British occupiers, threatening to undermine Britain’s claims on ‘winning the peace’ and even prompting an official public relations campaign. The mass market press led calls for an abrupt end to the occupation, fearing it was undermining the nation’s prestige while failing to adequately address the threat still posed By Germany. At around the same time, Britain’s political and military leaders reassessed their position in the face of the Cold War, turning towards the reconstruction and rehabilitation of western Germany. By 1949, a clear dichotomy had emerged, with implications reaching far Beyond the immediate postwar period: while anxieties over the ‘German proBlem’ remained largely intact amongst suBstantial sections of the British press and puBlic, with many regarding the occupation as an abject failure, policymakers were firmly set on the path towards Anglo-German reconciliation and alliance. Table of Contents Preface .................................................................................................... vi Acknowledgements ................................................................................ vii List of AbBreviations .............................................................................. viii List of Illustrations ................................................................................. viii List of Maps ............................................................................................. ix Introduction ............................................................................................ 1 Chapter One: Britain and the ‘German Problem’, 1941-45 ................... 28 Chapter Two: Winning the Peace .......................................................... 88 Chapter Three: Losing the Peace ......................................................... 144 Chapter Four: Get Out of Germany ..................................................... 218 Chapter Five: An End to Occupied Germany ....................................... 273 Conclusion: Britain Looks to Germany ................................................ 328 Appendix ............................................................................................. 337 Bibliography ........................................................................................ 338 vi Preface This dissertation is the result of my own work and includes nothing that is the outcome of work done in collaboration except as declared in the Preface and specified in the text. It is not suBstantially the same as any that I have suBmitted, or, is Being concurrently suBmitted for a degree or diploma or other qualification at the University of CamBridge or any other University or similar institution except as declared in the Preface and specified in the text. I further state that no suBstantial part of my dissertation has already Been suBmitted, or, is Being concurrently suBmitted for any such degree, diploma or other qualification at the University of CamBridge or any other University of similar institution except as declared in the Preface and specified in the text. It does not exceed the prescriBed word limit for the relevant Degree Committee. vii Acknowledgements I owe a great deBt to various sources of academic guidance, institutional support, intellectual inspiration, and light relief. First and foremost, I would like to thank Alexandra Reider, whose advice and support from near and far has never wavered. I could not have completed this work without your help, nor would I have had quite as much fun along the way. I also wish to thank my supervisor, Henning Grunwald, for all his assistance over the last years and helpful comments on this thesis. Likewise, I am grateful for the support of Richard J. Evans, who has consistently offered valuable critiques of my work alongside professional guidance. I also owe thanks to the various people and organisations who let me do this. The Arts and Humanities Research Council, German History Society, CamBridge University History Faculty, and Wolfson College, CamBridge have all provided me with sources of funding for which I am particularly appreciative. Likewise, the staff at the Imperial War Museum Archive, National Archives, CamBridge University LiBrary, and British LiBrary have all helped me with my research. I should also thank Edna Wearmouth and Mary Bouman, whom I will never meet But whose engaging stories of life in postwar Germany made this study all the more relatable. I also would never have even contemplated studying for a PhD without the teachers and staff at Parrs Wood High School, where I learnt history and much more Besides. Finally, I must acknowledge all my friends and family Back in Manchester and across the world who have made the last few years pretty alright. A special mention goes to my mum and dad, who have remained supportive; my niece Izzy, who has always insisted on ‘helping’ with work; Jens Åklundh, whose particular Brand of Scandinavian cynicism has Been a source of strength; Joe, Michael and everyone else Back home who remain sound; the Alma, which has helped me focus while writing-up; and Mark E. Smith, who is not appreciated But was always gonna make an appearance here. viii List of Abbreviations Allied Control Council (ACC) British Air Forces of Occupation (BAFO) British Army of the Rhine (BAOR) British Intelligence OBjectives SuB-Committee (BIOS) British Military Government (BMG) British Zone Review (BZR) Central Office of Information (COI) Control Commission for Germany (British Element) (CCG (BE)) Control Office for Germany and Austria (COGA) Crown Film Unit (CFU) European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC) Her Majesty’s Stationery Office (HMSO) International Military TriBunal (IMT) National Socialist German Workers’ Party (NSDAP) PuBlic Relations/Information Services Control Group (PR/ISC) Save Europe Now (SEN) ix List of illustrations Illustration 1: Win the Peace Movement advertisement, Daily Mirror, 1 May 1945 Illustration 2: David Low, London Evening Standard, 19 April 1945 Illustration 3: Stills from A Foreign Affair (1948) Illustration 4: ‘Definitely Wallflowers’, Daily Mirror, 28 May 1945 Illustration 5: ‘Pocket Cartoon’, Daily Express, 10 July 1945 Illustration 6: ‘Cartoon’, Daily Mail, 16 July 1945 Illustration 7: ‘Picture Gallery - So This is Fraternisation!’, Daily Mail, 17 July 1945 (original photograph found in Imperial War Museum Archive) Illustration 8: ‘Fraternisation with Germans Begins’, Picture Post, 5 January 1946 Illustration 9: ‘“…Down a Shady Lane…”’, Birmingham Daily Gazette, 19 July 1945. Illustration 10: ‘The First of the British Wives to Join Their HusBands in Berlin’, Picture Post, 31 August 1946 Illustration 11: British Wives and Families arrive in Cuxhaven, 1946, Imperial War Museum Archive Illustration 12: NAAFI Store in the British Zone, date unknown, Imperial War Museum Archive Illustration 13: The Malcolm CluB, LüBBecke, date unknown, Imperial War Museum Archive Illustration 14: NAAFI Bar, unknown date, Imperial War Museum Archive Illustration 15: Germany Under Control ExhiBition Poster Illustration 16: Military Police Sign, unknown date, Imperial War Museum Archive Illustration 17: ‘The Cuckoo in the Nest’, Daily Mail, 6 August 1947 x Illustration 18: British ‘Racqueteers’ in Schwerin, date unknown, Imperial War Museum Archive Illustration 19: Naunton Wayne and Basil Radford starring in It’s Not Cricket (1949) Illustration 20: ‘For a Good Square Meal…I’ll Go Back to Germany’, Daily Mirror, 3 June 1949. Illustration 21: ‘These Germans…William Connor Flew to the Ruhr to Write the Story Behind… The Picture That Shocked Britain’, Daily Mirror, 7