The Post-World War II Plans for Germany: A Cautionary Tale
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Chapter 1: The Morgenthau Plan Unveiled
The aftermath of World War II brought forth various ideas about how to reshape Germany. Among these, the Morgenthau Plan stood out for its extreme approach: dismantle the nation’s industrial capacity and reduce its population to a state of subsistence farming.
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Section 1.1: A Vision for Destruction
Herbert Hoover once remarked, “There is the illusion that the New Germany left after the annexations can be reduced to a ‘pastoral state.’ It cannot be done unless we exterminate or move 25,000,000 people out of it.” This statement underscores the harsh reality behind the Morgenthau Plan, which aimed to fundamentally alter Germany's landscape and demography.
Most people in the Western world share a typical narrative of World War II as a moral battle for hum