Which had the greater impact on preventing the four occupying powers from agreeing on German unity, the amalgamation of the SPD and KPD in April 1946 or disagreement over German reparations?

1. Which of the following had the greater impact on preventing the four occupying powers from agreeing on German unity? [10marks]

• The amalgamation of the SPD and KPD in April 1946.
• Disagreement over German reparations.

The amalgamation of the SPD and KPD had a greater impact on preventing the four occupying powers from agreeing on German unity when compared to reparation. Although, it can be argued that reparation had a dramatic effect because it had split the four powers into twos; France and the USSR demanding reparation from Germany and Britain and USA that didn’t desire a repeat of the Treaty of Versailles. This was minor because it didn’t have a strong impact on German unity.

The Allies agreed that Germany should never again have the opportunity to destroy European peace as it had in the two world wars. A primary aim of the Allies was to prevent the resurgence of a powerful and aggressive Germany. As a first step toward demilitarizing, degasifying, and democratizing Germany, the Allies established an international military tribunal in August 1945 to jointly try individuals considered responsible for the outbreak of the war and for crimes committed by the Hitler regime. Stalin elucidated his plan for finally bringing a reunited Germany into Moscow’s sphere of influence to the leaders of the German Communist Party (KPD). The Red Army would openly control the Soviet zone of occupation, while the KPD would pursue to win the support of the German workers in both the Soviet and the Western zones. When the Germany was allowed to hold elections for a new parliament, Stalin hoped that the KPD would form a governing coalition with the socialist and Liberal Parties, eventually taking control of the German government. This may have been the reason that the USSR was the first inhabiting power to allow the formation of democratic parties in its zone.