The Mouse that roared? Pro-Nazi resistance in U.S. occupied Germany, 1945-49 : a view from the American Archives
Date
1996
Authors
Crawford, Shawn Joseph
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Abstract
This thesis entails an examination of pro-Nazi activity in post-World War Two Germany in the U.S. zone of occupation (1945-49). The thesis explores the prevalence and historical significance of pro-Nazi resistance. This investigation comprised the use of declassified U.S. military and intelligence documents from the American occupation, as well as secondary literature. The thesis concludes that there were significant underground pro-Nazi groups, ranging from those operating "underground railways" for escaping Nazis, to well-organized groups planning to resurrect Nazi Germany. If unchecked, some groups would have posed a threat to the democratic future of Germany, however, the most dangerous conspiracies were crushed by the Allies. Ultimately, the thesis concludes that the prosperity of democratic West Germany in the 1950s, along with the infamy of the Nazi legacy, effectively closed any window of opportunity that these pro-Nazi groups had during the occupation.