0h 2min, may 1, 1945 y - Zones of occupation

Description:

American Zone:
-Wanted a democratic state with an economy that would allow it to develop as a trading partner
-They were initially anxious to prevent any resurgence of Nazism or the spread of communism so all German political activity was suspended
-There was a population of 17.2 million
-Industry: modern manufacturing in Hessen and Wurttemberg but depended on imports from the Ruhr for coal and steel
-They had good agriculture

British Zone:
-They had the same attitude as the American zone
-There was a population of 22.3 million
-They had the Ruhr valley, contributing 87% of Germany's coal production and 70% of steel production
-Their agriculture depended on importing from other zones

French Zone:
-They wanted the break-up of Germany
-There was a population of 15.9 million
-Their industry consisted of the Saar coalfields and timber from the Black Forest
-They had some agriculture

Soviet Zone:
-Stalin favoured a neutral and disarmed, united Germany
-The soviet authorities were anxious to embed communism quickly and firmly within their sector in the hope that this would become the dominant government when Germany re-emerged as a single united country.
-They had a population of 17.3 million
-It was mainly rural, but contained major industrial centres in Saxony and Thuringia. They had some lignite mines but needed to import Ruhr coal
-They had good agriculture, especially in the North

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