Morgenthau plan accepted for post-war German reconstruction

Melvin Loh

Is there any way that US Treasury Secretary Henry Morgenthau's proposed 1944 economic plan for the post-war elimination of Germany's heavy industry, and the reduction of Germany to purely an agricultural nation, could've eventuated during the occupation and reconstruction of the country from 1945 onwards ? How would subsequent events such as the Cold War's start, Denazification, the Marshall Plan and West German rearmament have been affected by the adoption of Morgenthau's plan ?
 

NapoleonXIV

Banned
I know very little about that era but would like to offer the idea that such a plan could very well work to Germany's advantage, at least over the long term. The plan let up around 1960 or even later, yes? At such time then new and developing post industrial establishments, such as electronics would find (unless the plan had really awful effects) fairly virgin territory for development. My understanding is that something like this is going on in Ireland right now, where the large amount of pristine countryside (along with an advantageous tax structure admittedly) is attracting information services firms from the world over.
 

Valamyr

Banned
It would cause WW3 sooner or later.

Germany would have to rise again if she wasn't promised an honorable place amongst the powerful nations of the world.
 

Peter

Matt Quinn said:
Thing is, the Morganthau Plan would have led to the deaths of possibly 20 million Germans from starvation.
Click to expand...

No. The (western) allies would have, of politicial reasons, provided them with the neccesary aid.
 

Adam Parsons

Aw, crap...this means that the USA, Britain, and France are going to have to keep throwing their money at Germany to keep it from falling into the gnarled talons of the Evil Eastern Hordes(TM). Compared to the "cabbage republic" the Allies have created, East Germany is going to look like a "worker's paradise"!
 

zoomar

Even assuming the Morgenthau Plan was still under consideration by VE day, the only way it could have served as the basis for German reconstruction would be in the context of a joint 4-power administration of Germany. Once the cold war and iron curtain developed, each side would have to reestablish and industrialized and re-militarized state in their zones.

It all of the victorious powers agreed that it was more important to destroy Germany as a modern state the entire history of E/W relationships might have been different. Perhaps Germany (and Austria) would have remained occupied by all four powers even in the context of growing hostility between East and West.

I also think Matt's point is right. I believe Morgenthau's plan DID envisage mass starvation in Germany - in part because they deserved it and because there were too many Germans. If the plan was implemented, the west would not step in to save them.
 
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