The Treatment of Postwar Germans by the Allies: The Ethical or Unethical Reality

Book Essay on: James Bacque, Crimes and Mercies: The Fate of German Civilians under Allied Occupation, 1944-1950
(Great Britain: Little, Brown and Company, 1997), 288 pages. UCSB: DD.257.B32 1997

by James Coon
December 5, 2008

for Prof. Marcuse's lecture course
Germany, 1945-present
UC Santa Barbara, Fall 2008

About James Coon

I am a fourth year History and German Studies major. I’ve developed a deep interest in German language, history and culture ever since I lived with a host family for a month in Bavaria while I was in high school. I selected Bacque’s book because the plight of the Germans after the conclusion of the war, as well as what they had to specifically contend with compared to the Allies and the central Europeans, has always particularly interested me.

Abstract (back to top)

In this book, James Bacque analyzes recently declassified KGB archives of Post-World War II figures to reach the conclusion that Eisenhower and the Western Allies maliciously starved 9.3 million German expellees, POWs and civilians simply out of indignation and subsequently initiated an immense cover-up. Bacque claims that the Allies accomplished this enormous act of vengeance through the disruption of agriculture and manufacturing, intentional prevention of food deliveries and the implementation of “unnecessary” squalid conditions in the inmate camps. Bacque, while providing absolutely no concrete evidence of bodies, utilizes subjective oral histories and a perplexing array of figures to selectively extrapolate statistics while accusing the Americans and the British of being inherently “warlike” people and predisposed to violence. Bacque emphasizes the gravity of German POW maltreatment and praises Herbert Hoover for his humanitarian efforts in helping initiate a worldwide food campaign that allegedly helped save 800 million people. Bacque also asserts that this perceived mass murder of Germans is the longest running “big lie” perpetuated by historians and governments alike.

Essay (back to top)

Bibliography and Links (back to top)(links last checked 12/x/08)

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Any student tempted to use this paper for an assignment in another course or school should be aware of the serious consequences for plagiarism. Here is what I write in my syllabi:

Plagiarism—presenting someone else's work as your own, or deliberately failing to credit or attribute the work of others on whom you draw (including materials found on the web)—is a serious academic offense, punishable by dismissal from the university. It hurts the one who commits it most of all, by cheating them out of an education. I report offenses to the Office of the Dean of Students for disciplinary action.

• For more information, see:
  • Screenshot of Integrity Pledge on GOLD that all UCSB students must acknowledge.
  • UCSB Judicial Affairs has an FAQ for Parents and Students; pdf brochure for students
  • UCSB Office of Instructional Consultation: Promoting Academic Integrity
  • UCSB page on academic dishonesty (html version of brochure; see also updated pdf))
  • Princeton plagiarism page with 3 commented examples.