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Author Speiser, Peter, 1975- author.

Title The British Army of the Rhine : turning Nazi enemies into Cold War partners / Peter Speiser
Published Urbana : University of Illinois Press, [2016]

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Description 1 online resource
Series The History of Military Occupation
History of military occupation.
Contents Britain, the Cold War, and the BAOR : policy makers, strategy, and organization -- The British : the influence of public opinion on the armed forces -- The Germans : complaints, criticism, and demands? -- The soldiers, the airmen, and the Germans : military strategies to improve relations with the German population -- "How the army of a democratic nation should behave" : the British administration and the BAOR -- Conclusion
Summary Between 1945 and 1957, West Germany made a dizzying pivot from Nazi bastion to Britain's Cold War ally against the Soviet Union. Successive London governments, though often faced with bitter public and military opposition, tasked the British Army of the Rhine (BAOR) to serve as a protecting force while strengthening West German integration into the Western defense structure. This book charts the BAOR's fraught transformation from occupier to ally by looking at the charged nexus where British troops and their families interacted with Germany's civilian population. Examining the relationship on many levels, the book ranges from how British mass media representations of Germany influenced BAOR troops to initiatives taken by the Army to improve relations. It also weighs German perceptions, surveying clashes between soldiers and civilians and comparing the popularity of the British services with that of the other occupying powers. As the book shows, the BAOR's presence did not improve the relationship between British servicemen and the German populace, but it did prevent further deterioration during a crucial and dangerous period of the early Cold War. An incisive look at an under-researched episode, this book sheds new light on Anglo-German diplomatic, political, and social relations after 1945, and evaluates their impact on the wider context of European integration in the postwar era.-- Provided by Publisher
Bibliography Includes bibliographical references (pages 187-197) and index
Notes Description based on print version record
Subject Great Britain. Army. British Army of the Rhine (1945- )
SUBJECT Great Britain. Army. British Army of the Rhine (1945- ) fast
Subject British -- Germany -- History -- 20th century
HISTORY -- Europe -- Germany.
British
Diplomatic relations
SUBJECT Germany -- History -- 1945-1990. http://id.loc.gov/authorities/subjects/sh91001545
Great Britain -- Foreign relations -- Germany (West)
Germany (West) -- Foreign relations -- Great Britain
Subject Germany
Germany (West)
Great Britain
Genre/Form History
Form Electronic book
LC no. 2019720014
ISBN 9780252098369
0252098366