Winning the peace the British in occupied Germany, 1945-1948 Knowles, Christopher (Historian) creator author. text bibliography History. enk 2017 monographic eng print 278 pages ; 24 cm " By adopting a unique biographical approach, this book examines the aims and intentions of twelve important and influential individuals who worked for the British Military Government in occupied Germany during the first three years after the end of the Second World War. British policy was distinctive, and the British zone was the largest and economically most important of all four zones. Although the three Western Allies all ended in the same place with the creation of an independent Federal Republic of (West) Germany in 1949, they took different paths to get there. The role of the British has been much misunderstood. Winning the Peace strikes a balance between earlier self-congratulatory accounts of the British occupation, and the later more critical historiography. It highlights diversity of aims and personal backgrounds and in so doing explains some of the complexities and apparent contradictions in British occupation policy. The book concludes that, despite diversity among those studied, all twelve individuals followed a policy described as the 'three Rs' - Reconstruction, Renewal and Reconciliation - rather than the 'four Ds' - De-militarisation, De-nazification, De-industrialisation, and Democratisation - highlighted in earlier histories of the occupation. Whilst reflecting on the role of human agency, Christopher Knowles examines why individuals sometimes failed to achieve what they originally intended, and how their aims and perceptions changed over time to reveal broader political, sociological and cultural forces, outside their direct control. This book is an innovative study for those interested in the Allied occupation, the post-war history of Germany and the study of military occupation generally. "-- "A study of the contribution made by twelve individuals to the development of British policy in occupied Germany after the end of the Second World War"-- Machine generated contents note: -- 1. Introduction -- Part I. Physical Reconstruction -- The Military Governors and Army Generals -- 2. Creating Order Out of Chaos -- 3. The Occupation as a Moral Crusade -- 4. Criticism at Home and Allegations of Corruption -- Part II. Political Renewal: Civilian Diplomats and Administrators -- 5. 'Trying to Beat the Swastika into the Parish Pump' -- First Steps Towards Political Renewal -- 6. International Socialist Visions of Political Renewal -- 7. Regional Administration in Hamburg -- Part III. Personal Reconciliation -- Young Men with No Adult Experience but War -- 8. A Younger Generation -- 9. The English Army Officer who Created the German News Magazine Der Spiegel -- 10. Getting to Know the Germans -- Conclusion -- Notes -- Bibliography -- Index. Christopher Knowles. Includes bibliographical references and index. e-gx--- e-uk--- Reconstruction (1939-1951) World War (1939-1945) World War (1939-1945) Peace Germany History 1945-1955 British Germany History 20th century Reconstruction (1939-1951) Germany World War, 1939-1945 Peace Military government Germany History 20th century Great Britain Armed Forces Germany History 20th century HISTORY / Military / World War II HISTORY / Europe / Great Britain Armed Forces British Military government Germany Great Britain Deutschland 1900-1999 fast DD257 .K54 2017 943.087/4 HIS027100 HIS015000 NQ 6040 9781474267434 1474267432 9781474267441 2016029665 DLC 161209 20170926152716.0 in00003711565 eng