AH Challenge: Morgenthau Plan

I'm sure that this has been picked up as ASB a few times before, but I'm interested in what the Morgenthau Plan would have looked like if it had happened. What would the long-term effects be, etc.?
 
Well, if it had gone into affect, the industrial dismantling part would have stopped more or less as OTL as the USSR would become the bigger threat and the Allied powers would likely still see a capable Germany as part fo their side a good thing.

Poland would be smaller, France would likely annex the Saar protectorate, though as for Germany proper a few different scenarios could happen.

For isntance, the one below, Denmark is awarded Sleschwig-Holstein, while Southern Germany becomes the BRD, Eastern Germany becomes the DDR and the Internatioanlized area of Western Germany becomes the NDR.

Now, as for the NDR and BRD, they could merge to form the FRG, or they may stay seperate, I don't know, but all in all if German Reunification went on schedule modern Germany would be larger.

Morgenthau%20Germanies[2].png
 
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In my younger years I pondered some time about a background universe for a science fiction story, where WW2 was much worse in Europe than it really was - meaning Soviets, Germans and Americans/British acquiring rudimentary, low-yield nuclear weapons earlier and those being used in the European theatre. I can't remember the details, but both Soviet Union and Germany bombed each other somewhat extensively, with Soviet Union being unable to cement it's influence in Eastern Europe after the war (maybe because of the majority of the Soviet leadership ending up dead, Stalin included, and Soviet Union in serious internal disarray).

Germany was also decimated and ended up being something of a disease-ridden, de-industrialised wasteland for some decades or so, with the surviving population abandoning the ruined cities and trying to make a some kind of a living in the fallout-afflicted countryside. Something like a "Morgenthau Germany" created with nukes.

I never fleshed the scenario out beyond something like this, so don't mind the inevitable gaping logical holes :rolleyes:
 
If Germany is de-industrialised, I think that without massive Allied aid, large-scale famine follows ...

If Germany is divided between three puppet states, with pieces annexed by Belgium, Netherlands, France and Denmark, let's prepare for another round of Germany vs the World ...

Who knows, maybe Franz Joseph Strauss really leads a European alliance against USA in the Seventies :D
 
Interesting case.
The map you used is from Wiki right ? I saw a map in scholary book and it looked different actually.
As to plans-I think Allies would need to support Germany for a while before it would be able to become more agricultural and feed itself.
The industry would help other european countries develop faster, while non-armed Germany would ease Cold War.
In 1960 we could see start of modernization of Soviet Union and more peacefull relations with the West, without confrontation with in Germany. Meanwhile it would become a new interesting state focused on gardening, cattle herding, various forms of interesting foodstuffs. Also the other European countries would most likely be richer.
In 1970s I think Soviet Union would decide to reform itself into a loser, democratic structure and slowly allowed its puppets to modernize and be free more. We could see the end of Cold War happening but in more controlled and peacefull way. There would be a lot less conflicts during the CW anyway.
In 1990s Germany would be known as Garten Statt(Garden State) and supply much of agriculture to the rest of the Europe. Due to less fear of German revisionism, european integration would go smoother and better.
 
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