Who helped whom after WWII - Germany - Britain or vice versa ?

**Dracula** · May 08, 2009, 01:23 PM

Now I need an independant oppinion but also of british and germans themselves. My step-father who is german says Germany helped Britain after the war rebuild with a lot of money. He says Britain was suffering of crisis that was not because of the war and they couldn't do it by themselves. He also says the Marshal plan only put Germany in debt and "we could have done without that perfectly well, it only made us pay more money to the americans"

RomeKb8 says it was Britain that helped the germans.

So who helped whom after WWII ? Who helped Britain in its post-war crisis/I am not exactly sure when was it and can it be named "post-war" or more likely 60s/ ? And was the Marshal plan that good and what was the true role of America in it ?

**eisenkopf** · May 08, 2009, 04:36 PM

To be honest, most of your questions can be easily answered by checking commonly available sources. The Marshall Plan is not something which is highly controversial, and the sources and numbers are reliable.

The USA helped all of Western Europe with financial credits, raw materials, processed materials, and food. Its volume equaled about 3% of the supported nations GNP. The positive effect on the receiving countries' economies has often been over-estimated, but was nevertheless substantial.

Considering the German-British help: Your step-father and Romekb8 are both wrong. Germany and the UK did not support each other, but were both supported by the USA, although Britain received twice as much as Western Germany. Of the 1,7 billion US dollars received by Western Germany, about 1 billion has been paid back.

**Edward lV** · May 08, 2009, 04:39 PM

Why did Germany deserve support? They should be grateful we didnt leave them all to Russia.

**eisenkopf** · May 08, 2009, 04:43 PM

Originally Posted by total war king

Why did Germany deserve support? They should be grateful we didnt leave them all to Russia.

And you should be grateful that Germany has served well for 40 years as a buffer against the USSR.

**Edward lV** · May 08, 2009, 04:44 PM

Originally Posted by eisenkopf

And you should be grateful that Germany has served well for 40 years as a buffer against the USSR.

why?

**eisenkopf** · May 08, 2009, 04:48 PM

Originally Posted by total war king

why?

Your first post implied, by using the pronoun "we", that you consider yourself as a citizen of the USA. However, your use of a mass murderer and totalitarian dictator as avatar, could suggest that your are not quite sure, and maybe confused?

**Edward lV** · May 08, 2009, 04:49 PM

Originally Posted by eisenkopf

Your first post implied, by using the pronoun "we", that you consider yourself as a citizen of the USA. However, your use of a mass murderer and totalitarian dictator as avatar, could suggest that your are not quite sure, and maybe confused?

MY first responce should have implied I was British. I got the avi because he looks cool.

**Ahlerich** · May 13, 2009, 07:58 AM

Originally Posted by total war king

Why did Germany deserve support? They should be grateful we didnt leave them all to Russia.

wrong. usa wanted us as a buffer. they feared if germany becomes commnist the rest of europe will as well.

the marshall plan helped germany because the usa believed that a poor germany is more likely to fall to communism and that is why they didnt want a poor germany.

essentially they served themselves but germany profitted of that as well of course

**Abendstern** · May 13, 2009, 08:34 AM

That and what better propaganda in cold war times than to have a nation being divided in between the systems with one half prospering and the other one suffering.

**Applesmack** · May 08, 2009, 04:59 PM

West Germany got off quite easy I think. So did all those units that fought on the Eastern front and commited horrific atrocities, yet surrendered to the Americans and avoided the justice they truly deserve. Almost frustrating actually. IMO, even if they had received no allied economical support whatsoever, they should still be forever grateful to the West for sparing them the brutal Soviet wrath. In other words, I agree with "total war king"

**Dracula** · May 08, 2009, 05:16 PM

Originally Posted by Total Fanatic :)

West Germany got off quite easy I think. So did all those units that fought on the Eastern front and commited horrific atrocities, yet surrendered to the Americans and avoided the justice they truly deserve. Almost frustrating actually. IMO, even if they had received no allied economical support whatsoever, they should still be forever grateful to the West for sparing them the brutal Soviet wrath. In other words, I agree with "total war king"

Sparing what ? Half of Germany plus the capital got sovietized...Incredible post.

**Edward lV** · May 08, 2009, 05:21 PM

Originally Posted by Dracula

Sparing what ? Half of Germany plus the capital got sovietized...Incredible post.

Oh im so sorry. We should have gave a crap shouldnt we?

**Applesmack** · May 08, 2009, 05:23 PM

Originally Posted by Dracula

Sparing what ? Half of Germany plus the capital got sovietized...Incredible post.

If you had any eyes, you would notice I was talking about West Germany. They were spared and got off very easy.

**Dracula** · May 08, 2009, 05:28 PM

Originally Posted by Total Fanatic :)

If you had any eyes, you would notice I was talking about West Germany. They were spared and got off very easy.

When one says "Germany" it is not "West Germany".

**Applesmack** · May 08, 2009, 05:29 PM

Originally Posted by Dracula

When one says "Germany" it is not "West Germany".

I said "West" Germany...

**gaunty14** · May 09, 2009, 04:53 AM

Originally Posted by Dracula

Sparing what ? Half of Germany plus the capital got sovietized...Incredible post.

well technically only half of Berlin was communist

just my two sence, please don't drag me into this stupid arguement about capitalist/communist

the asnwer is the USA helped rebuild western Europe, so we would not fall to communism,Britain also helped in the Berlin Aiflift, so we also helped the jerries

**Edward lV** · May 08, 2009, 05:29 PM

Originally Posted by Total Fanatic :)

West Germany got off quite easy I think.

Nuff said

Originally Posted by Poach

Heh, yes the French are indeed rather French....

Seriously though, with all Europe part of the USSR, Britain would have been next. We, like the rest of Europe, were on our knees after WW2. The US was fine, and they have the Atlantic Ocean. The USSR was bloodied but in better shape than Western Europe. With the state of our nation, we would be unlikely to have won the Second Battle of Britain, especially with throngs of Soviet submarines and warships engaging us and the US in the Second Battle of the Atlantic.

j

I dobt this scenario would ever happen