Transforming Occupation in the Western Zones of Germany : Politics, Everyday Life and Social Interactions, 1945-55

Transforming Occupation in the Western Zones of Germany provides an in-depth transnational study of power politics, daily life, and social interactions in the Western Zones of occupied Germany during the aftermath of the Second World War.

Combining a history from below with a top-down perspective, the volume explores the origins, impacts, and legacies of the occupations of the western zones of Germany by the United States, Britain and France, examining complex yet topical issues that often arise as a consequence of war including regime change, transitional justice, everyday life under occupation, the role of intermediaries, and the multifaceted relationship between occupiers and occupied. Adopting a novel set of approaches that puts questions of power, social relations, gender, race, and the environment centre stage, it moves beyond existing narratives to place the occupation within a broader framework of continuity and change in post-war western Europe.

Incorporating essays from 16 international scholars, this volume provides a substantial contribution to the emerging fields of occupation studies and the comparative history of post-war Europe.

“In the end, this book makes powerful interventions in a seemingly well-trodden field. Erlichman and Knowles show that when we revise the conceptual framework, occupied Germany continues to have contemporary salience. Consequently, this book is a necessary addition to the bookshelf of every historian of post-war Germany, Europe, and the Cold War, and would sit nicely in any interested reader’s collection.” – Australian Journal of Politics and History

"[…] adopting a new approach, this stimulating volume of essays offers fascinating insights into the period of occupation in the British, French and US zones." - Journal of European Studies

“[This] volume is timely and will be crucial reading for scholars of political transition and those who wish to encourage further study in order to contribute positively to the aftermath of conflict and military occupation wherever it occurs.” – Journal of Contemporary European Studies

“This is an exceptionally valuable volume that brings together a first-rate group of historians. It belongs on the bookshelf of anyone interested in postwar Germany or the long legacies of the Allied occupation.” —Adam Seipp, Professor of History, Texas A&M University, USA

“This outstanding collection sheds fascinating new light on many diverse aspects of the occupation of western Germany after 1945. More than this, however, it asks that we rethink our understanding of occupation in modern history in more general terms. As such, it will be crucial reading for scholars of political transition in a wide variety of different fields.” —Neil Gregor, Professor of Modern European History, University of Southampton, UK

“This collection offers new insights on familiar questions and opens new lines of inquiry regarding the occupation of western Germany in the wake of the Second World War. A diverse group of younger and more established scholars examine multiple aspects of developments in all three zones from perspectives of legal, political, economic, social, cultural, and gender history. Framed in terms of occupation, the volume underscores the inherently coercive aspects of the situation, while illuminating the agency of both the occupiers and the occupied. Often casting a critical eye on the planning and practices of the western powers, the authors recount fascinating stories of conflict and cooperation between victors and vanquished that reveal the contingency and complexity of the history of occupied Germany.” —Timothy L. Schroer, Professor of History, University of West Georgia, USA