20
votes
Accepted
If the UK received the highest amount of Marshall Aid, why was it broke?
I remember being told as a boy in the 1970's that the reason our economy and industry was in such a poor state, particularly when compared with the West German "economic miracle", was that the RAF and ...
- 77.4k
19
votes
Accepted
What is the origin of the American stereotypes about Swedish women?
Swedish liberal attitudes developed during the post World War 2 era (remember that Sweden had been neutral, and had not suffered nearly as much during the war as many other European countries).
As ...
- 77.4k
18
votes
Accepted
Do we know the names of the German soldiers entombed at Babie Doły?
There is another (fictional!) movie about the affair: Nasser Asphalt (Wet asphalt, 1958). Emphasis mine:
... and Boyd, after listening to a tale from his chauffeur Jupp (Gert Fröbe), in the last ...
- 8,382
14
votes
Accepted
What was the rationale behind restrictions on camera ownership in post-war Germany?
To answer this question, from the outset there has to be a distinction between the German zones occupied by the Western allies and the Soviet occupied zone, i.e the parts that first became the Tri-...
- 2,466
12
votes
Why were the Germans and Russians so fixated on an unlikely "separate peace" in 1945?
In 1941, future President Harry Truman reportedly advocated a "bait and bleed" strategy that, "If we see that Germany is winning we ought to help Russia, and if Russia is winning we ought to help ...
- 104k
12
votes
Why were the Germans and Russians so fixated on an unlikely "separate peace" in 1945?
My father served on the Eastern Front from 1943-45, as a non-commissioned officer for one of the Axis minor allies. He had at least heard rumors of a plan to surrender to the Western Allies, who would ...
- 409
11
votes
Why did the GHQ not promote English during the occupation?
You can't "abolish" a language by decree. People can't just be ordered to forget how to speak, nor can they learn an entirely new language within a short period of time. As long as the language ...
- 97.5k
10
votes
Was there a German re-urbanization plan for after WWII?
Short Answer:
No, with the exception of East Germany, city planning was done by a city and not by a State (Land) or national authority.
Between 1933 and 1945, with exceptions, this was also generally ...
- 9,504
8
votes
What is the origin of the American stereotypes about Swedish women?
There are a couple of reasons. The main ones are lack of a double standard, and the fact that Sweden had its "1960s" about ten years earlier.
The lack of a double standard explains the stereotype of ...
- 104k
7
votes
How was the safety of allied leaders ensured in transportation for conferences during WW2?
The Allies had sufficient control of the Atlantic Ocean for FDR and Churchill to arrive safely at Casablanca by sea in 1943 (the routes were "safe enough" for over 100,000 Allied troops). Getting to ...
- 104k
6
votes
How could Poles from Kresy be enough to repopulate entire regions of Poland?
It is worth noting that during the Second Polish Republic, Vilno and Lvov were the third and sixth largest cities in the country, with between 200,000-300,000 people. Gdańsk, Szczecin, and Wrocław had ...
- 104k
5
votes
Accepted
How is historical "average calorie consumption" data from eighty years ago estimated?
These numbers were not measured like "actual calories consumed". But the numbers cited are quite easily "calculated" – for the cities.
From the start of the war for Germany in 1939 ...
- 80.8k
5
votes
Why were the Germans and Russians so fixated on an unlikely "separate peace" in 1945?
Stalin was working with premises that seem odd to us
As others have said, in the Soviet view, the US/UK and Nazi Germany were not that different. They were enemies of Communism, and it seemed natural ...
- 31.4k
5
votes
Accepted
Why did the US release the Phillipines as a colony?
The United States had promised the Philippines independence in 1934, on a timetable to end in 1946, and kept that promise. Beginning in 1935, the Philippines had Commonwealth status as a stopgap.
The ...
- 104k
5
votes
Can you tell me the name and location of post war camp in the Netherlands
This doesn't seem to be one of the larger camps, listed in Prison camps in the Netherlands. Although especially Kamp Erica near Ommen might give you quite a glimpse of the conditions in general after ...
- 80.8k
5
votes
What was the reason that Poland wanted a part of Germany north of Stettin/Szczecin and west of the Oder?
The city is located on both sides of the river, although the bigger part is on the West bank. The city is a port, an important port like Danzig, only much less capable for actually shipping large ...
- 80.8k
5
votes
Accepted
What nationality are the soldiers in these WW2 pictures?
The badge on the brigadier cap is from Czechoslovakia, for example see here. The lower rank soldier wears a cap with a smaller badge without a diamond and swords.
The shoulder pad insignia is ...
- 278
4
votes
In 1947, how many Reichsmarks would 1 U.S. dollar buy?
That is not really easy to answer, as the German economy was not really in orderly fashion functioning. The black market dominated many sectors of civilian life, internationla trade was "low" and most ...
- 80.8k
4
votes
Why did the expelled Sudeten Germans and Danube Germans go to Germany, as opposed to Austria?
This is what we are talking about:
A
B
C
D
E
F
E: (Map of the Czech Republic present day borders with relative ethnic German inhabitants around 1930 marked in colour. Source: WP: ...
- 80.8k
4
votes
Why were the Germans and Russians so fixated on an unlikely "separate peace" in 1945?
I mean, apart from the fact the British and Americans met, planned, collaborated, shared intelligence etc separately from the Russians, which, yes, was a problem for the Soviet Union
Stalin in his ...
- 4,308
4
votes
How did the Germans get housing again after WWII?
I'd like to add this as "anecdotal" answer, not as definite but as additional data point:
In some cases entire new towns were created, especially for the "ethnically cleansed" as they're now called. ...
- 2,466
4
votes
Did the US promise to save Romania from the Soviets?
There's nothing special about Romania here. There were anti-Communist insurgencies throughout the Communist-controlled portion of Europe.
After losing millions of lives in the war against Nazi Germany,...
- 14.3k
4
votes
Do we know the names of the German soldiers entombed at Babie Doły?
Some quick search on a local newspaper(www.trojmiasto.pl) reveals one name: Willi Kurtz, but as the article says it's only supposedly. BTW the article starts with information that the bunker is in ...
- 141
3
votes
Accepted
How much is one 1945 German Mark to one 2016 Euro?
One Reichsmark is worth exactly zero Euros today as the Reichsmark is not legal tender. You can go to eBay to find out what the asking price is for collectors, banknotes seem to be going for about US$...
- 2,372
3
votes
Why were the Germans and Russians so fixated on an unlikely "separate peace" in 1945?
One has to keep in mind that the alliance between the UK, the US, and the USSR was always a very uneasy one. Two forms of government diametrically opposed to each other, forced together by ...
- 3,441
3
votes
Was there a German re-urbanization plan for after WWII?
East Germany did have some mandatory guidelines in the form of The 16 Principles of Urban Design (german article)
There was no real nationwide plan, and it probably would have been of little use. ...
- 8,382
3
votes
Did the US promise to save Romania from the Soviets?
The Western Allies had very limited ability to help eastern European countries that the Soviets had invaded. Contrary to the belief of some that they could have continued advancing to Moscow in spring ...
- 31.4k
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