Figure 1.--. |
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The NAZI regime headed by Admiral Dönitz surrendered unconditionlly to the Allies. The last few days of the War involved the Wehrmacht trying to move as much of its persnnel west as possible. The Germans had to surrender twice. Once to the Western Allies and a day latter to the Soviets. This began a period of military occupation and de-Nazification. It also made the German Question the central issue in what would become the Cold War. Negotiating a peace treaty proved more of a problem, largely because of te developing Cold War and the division of Germany. The Soviets and the Western Allies failed to agree on the terms of a peace treaty with Germany. Soviet attempts to force the Allies out of Berlin failed with the Berlin Air Lift (1948-49). The United States, Great Britain, and France became the Federal Republic of Germany (1949). The Allied granted the Federal Republic independence (1955). The Soviet Union proclaimed the independence of East Germany as the German Democratic Republiv (DDR) (1954). As a negotisating too, the Soviets threatened to negotiate a separate peace treaty with the DDR. This would have endagered Allied access to Berlin. The Soviets and the DDR built the Belin Wall (1961). The DDR remained a Soviet satellite until Germany was reunited (1990). The main Allied countries and Germany signed a peace treaty just before re-unification (September 1990). This was needed to make Germany's new borders definitive. Agreement was reached between the four main Allies and the two German states with the proviso that it wouldn't become fully effective until ratified by the new, united German government.
The NAZI regime headed by Admiral Dönitz after Hitler's suicide surrendered unconditionlly to the Allies. The last few days of the War involved the Wehrmacht trying to move as much of its persnnel west as possible so they could surrender to the Western Allies. Admiral Dönitez who was in northern Germany attenpted to surrender to General Montgomery rather than the Red Army. Montgomery refused to accept his surrender, but agreed to accept the surrender at the forces facing his front line. Dönitz finally ordered General Alfred Jodl to General Eisenhower's Headquarters--Allied Expeditionary Forces (SHAEF) detachment in Rheims to seek terms to end the fighting. Jodl expected to be treated as a professional military man and to negotiate the terms of surrender. He was informed there would be no negotiation, only unconditional surrender. He returned to Dönietz who realized there was no alterative. Jodl signed the unconditional surrender of German forces on all fronts at 2:41 a.m. on May 7, which was to take effect on May 8 at 11:01 p.m. A second surrender ceremony was held with the Soviets. Thus NAZI Germany surrendered unconditionally, as President Roosevelt had insisted. Jodl after signing praised the suffering of the German military and people and expressed the hope that the German people would be treated with generosity. He made no reference to the NAZI treatment of the countries which they had overrun. General Eisenhower sugnaled Washington, "The missuon of this Allied command has been accomplished on May 7, 1945." With that the most terrible conflict in European history was over. Unlike theend of World War I, there was no doubt in German minds that their country had been militarily defeated.
The NAZI surrender began a period of military occupation and de-Nazification. It also made the German Question the central issue in what would become the Cold War. Germany as decided atYalta was divided into four occupation zones (American, English, French, and Soviet). Berlin located within the Soviet Zone was itself divided into four separate zones. As differences developed between the Soviets and Western Allies, the Western Allies eventually merged their occupation zone. The two occupation zones eventually became East and West Germany.
Negotiating a peace treaty proved more of a problem, largely because of te developing Cold War and the division of Germany. The Soviets and the Western Allies failed to agree on the terms of how to administer the occupation zones, let alone the future of Germany and a peace treaty with Germany. The falling out point was currency reform. This lead to Soviet attempts to force the Allies out of Berlin. This failed with the Berlin Air Lift (1948-49), but any kind of joint administratoin ofthe four occupation zones was no longer possible.
The United States, Great Britain, and France merged their zones and recognized became the Federal Republic of Germany (1949). The Federal Republic's Constitution aaproved at this time pledged to do everything possible to get the lost eastern provinces returned. The first Chancellor of the Federal Republic, Konrad Adenauer, never abandoned the issue. The Allied ended the occupation of Germsny and granted the Federal Republic full independence (1955).
The Soviet Union proclaimed the independence of East Germany as the German Democratic Republiv (DDR) (1954). The DDR from a very early period, as a Soviet puppet state, accepted the Oder-Niesse line as Germany's eastern frontier with Poland. As a negotisating tool, the Soviets threatened to negotiate a separate peace treaty with the DDR. This would have endagered Allied access to Berlin. The Soviets and the DDR built the Belin Wall (1961). The DDR remained a Soviet satellite until Germany was reunited (1990).
Following the success of Solidarity in Poland, the people of East Berlin began to demonstrate against the Easter German DDR Government. Large scale demonstrations became increasingly common. DDR officials prepared to use the security services to supress the street demonstrations. Chairman Gorbechev ibn a departure from his predecessors refused to approve such measures. Unable to forcibly supress the demonstrations, DDR officials wre forced to resign. The Berlin Wall was finally breached on November 9, 1989. The SED government announced that travel restrictions for East Germans had been lifted. That night the people of East Berlin surged into the western part of the city. Hundreds of thousands of Berliners celebrated throughout the night. Even more East Berliners crossed the next day. Soon Berliners with hammers and chissels and sledge hammars began demolishing the hated wall by hand.
The fall of the Berlin Wall meant the defacto unification of Germany (November 1989). The DDR continued for a few months, but with out popular support or Soviet backing, unification within the structure of the Federal Republic was inevitable. President Bush was concerned that the fall of the Wall could result in an issue between America and the Soviet Union. The collapse of the Communist regimes in Eastern Europe unfolded with a rapidity that neither Soviet or Western leaders had anticipated. To ensure a stable transition, President Bush proposed a 4-year year plan for reunification. This was rapidly overcome by events. His primary goal was to get the new united Germany to recognize the Oder-Niesse Line as Germany's definitive eastern border with Poland. Any suggestion of changing the border would be opposed by Poland ad the Soviet Union which still had a substatial military force in East Germany. Germany was thus compeled to recognize the post-War border to obtain international recognition of unification. Most Germans understood and accepted this. There was no real public opposition to this in Germny. The main Allied countries and Germany signed a peace treaty just before re-unification (September 1990). This was needed to make Germany's new borders definitive. Agreement was reached between the four main Allies and the two German states with the proviso that it wouldn't become fully effective until ratified by the new, united German government.
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