740.00119 European War 1939/2109
The Secretary of State to
the Ambassador in the United Kingdom (Winant)
No. 3784
Washington, February 26,
1944.
There are enclosed herewith copies of a document entitled “Germany:
Occupation Period: Proposed Control Machinery for the Administration of
Military Government in Germany” (WS–15C) dated January 27, 1944.
This document has been cleared by the Department of State and the Joint
Chiefs of Staff for presentation to the European Advisory Commission. In
their letter informing the Department of State of their approval, the
Joint Chiefs of Staff make the following recommendation:
“In view of the military importance of this document, however, it
is recommended that the United States representative on the
European Advisory Commission be requested to obtain, through his
Military Adviser, the concurrence of the Supreme Commander,
Allied Expeditionary Force, prior to submission of the document
to the Commission for consideration.”13
Memorandum by the Working Security Committee
WS 15–c
[Washington,] January 27,
1944.
Germany: Occupation Period: Proposed Control
Machinery for the Administration of Military Government in
Germany
I. Necessity for a Period of
Military Government
It seems reasonable to anticipate that upon the conclusion of
hostilities with Germany, whether capitulation occurs before or
after the actual invasion, conditions in Germany will be such as to
require an initial period of military government established by the
occupation forces of the U.S., U.K., and U.S.S.R. This study is
intended to present a plan under which the organs of military
government of the three powers may be established at the outset in a
manner which will provide the framework for such other occupation
agencies and supervisory bodies as may subsequently be established
once the necessity
[Page 186]
for a
strict military government has ceased. It is of course impossible to
forecast at this time with exactitude the length of time during
which it will be necessary to impose a strict form of military
government. It is quite conceivable, however, that the necessity for
this form of government might continue for a considerable period of
time.
II. Necessity for a Coordinated
Administration of Military Government
- 1.
- The successful establishment of any form of military
government in Germany is dependent upon an agreement, prior to
actual occupation, among the Governments of the United Kingdom,
the United States and the Soviet Union as to the extent and form
of such military government and the major policies to be pursued
by it. A combined military government along the AMG15 pattern
used in Italy does not appear feasible. The necessity of a
combined or coordinated form of military government of some
character, however, is apparent.
- 2.
- In order to provide an effective means not only of maintaining
uniform security controls but of administering the highly
integrated political and economic structure of Germany, it will
be necessary that the plans agreed upon by the three Governments
provide for the control of central governmental functions as
well as for the coordination of the policies and procedures to
be followed by the occupation forces of the three powers. Were
all controls and services of the central government of the Reich
suddenly broken at the time of military capitulation, there
would arise a grave possibility of an economic and social
collapse which would be deleterious to the prospects of European
recuperation. Coordinated military government, if carefully
planned in advance, would serve to prevent the last mentioned
contingency and would circumscribe the possibility of discord
among the forces of the three Governments during the occupation
period.
- 3.
- The European Advisory Commission will, it is anticipated,
recommend the general program of occupation procedures in
advance of German surrender. Coordinated military government
would operate upon the basis of the recommendations of the
Commission as accepted by the three Governments. Instructions
from the three Governments would presumably give the occupation
authorities sufficient latitude of discretion to meet emergency
situations but would reserve to the three Governments the
authority to introduce fundamental changes of policy.
III. The Proposed Plan
- 1.
- A zonal system of administration appears perhaps to be the
most practical solution. This proposal would divide Germany into
American,
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British and
Soviet zones of administration. Each zone would be administered
separately but arrangements would be made for representation of
each Government in each zone for the purpose of liaison. The
only exception to this separation would be in the Berlin area
where direct local administration would be in the hands of a
combined administrative authority.
- 2.
- The combined administrative authority or Control Council,
would, in addition to exercising direct local administration
over the Berlin area, supervise those governmental and economic
activities which the occupation authorities may determine should
continue to function on a national basis in the interest of
stable and orderly life in Germany. The Control Council would
most appropriately be composed of the ranking commanding
generals of the three occupying powers and their designated
representatives in equal numbers from each Government. The
detailed planning necessary to implement broad directives
received from the three Governments would be coordinated in this
body. Sub-agencies dealing with major political, military and
economic problems, such as, for example, commerce and industry,
relief, money and banking, public safety, displaced persons,
communications, transportation, disarmament, demobilization,
public welfare, etc., would probably be desirable. Each
sub-agency would in turn be headed by representatives of each of
the three Governments. Neither members of the armed forces nor
civilians accompanying such forces would be subject to
disciplinary action by other than military commanders of their
own forces.
- 3.
- Under this proposal the separate British, American and Soviet
civil affairs administrations would retain their identity and
operate separately in their respective zones. The policies
pursued in the separate zones would be coordinated in the
Control Council in Berlin, and recommendations as to major
policy changes would be formulated in the Council and
transmitted to the three Governments for consideration. The
essential problems of such a plan would be (1) the determination
of the activities to be assigned to the Control Council and of
the area to be controlled by it, and (2) the allocation of zones
to the separate administrations. The situation as here indicated
would leave to the separate civil affairs administrations
exclusive jurisdiction over essentially local functions. In so
far as national policies previously agreed upon by the three
Governments were concerned, the separate zonal administrations
would be primarily enforcement agencies.
- 4.
- In order to effectively operate the proposed plan, it would be
essential that all instructions emanate from the Chiefs of Staff
of the respective Governments (or from the Combined Chiefs of
Staff and
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the Soviet
Chief of Staff) to their respective Commanding Generals in the
theater, and that the channel of instructions to the chief civil
affairs officers of each of the three administrative zones be
from their respective theater commanders. The Control Council in
Berlin would have no command functions outside of the Berlin
area. Any important change of policy with respect to civil
affairs in Germany would be contained in instructions from the
three Governments.
- 5.
- Annexed hereto is a chart16 suggestive of the form which military
government in Germany would take under the plan herein
proposed.
