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Zero hour (1945)
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Zero hour (1945)
Zero hour (German: Stunde Null, pronounced [ˈʃtʊndə nʊl]) is a term referring to the capitulation of Germany at midnight on 8 May 1945 and the immediately following weeks in Germany. It marked the end of World War II in Europe and the end of the Nazi regime, and was partly an attempt by Germany to dissociate itself from the Nazis. According to some historians, the term implies "an absolute break with the past and a radical new beginning" or a "sweeping away of old traditions and customs".
'Zero hour' was first used in World War I in reference to "a time at which some great military action has to take place". The term appears in various sources throughout post-World War I history, mostly in a militaristic concept. Richard Freund, a German-born British journalist, used the term as a call for the UK to fight fascism in the late 1930s. Referring to Hitler's occupation of the Rhineland and the Spanish Civil War, Freund declared "The next flash may be the signal. It is Zero Hour". In some contexts, the term suggests a call to action. In 1940, Erika Mann, calling the American people to action against Nazi Germany, wrote "And one man should be forbidden to entreat you: 'Act! This is your hour, it's the final hour – the Zero Hour!" It was not until the post-war period that the term was used to refer to the "new beginning" for Germany. The German people at the time were living in a devastated country – roughly 80 percent of its infrastructure was in need of repair or reconstruction – which encouraged the idea that Germany was entering a new phase of history.
During the post-war period Germany was partitioned into four zones controlled by the Soviet Union, the United States, France, and the United Kingdom. A primary objective of the Allied occupation was the denazification process implemented by each occupying power. This was accomplished through 're-education'. The Allies' objective was to ensure that another Nazi regime would not arise in Germany; however, there was concern that the German people would reject these ideas if they felt they were being reeducated. The Allies' reconstruction of Germany proceeded incrementally. Those with no connection with the Nazi regime were entrusted with political, educational, and other positions, and political parties were allowed to form for local elections. Newspaper editors and publishers were screened. The Allies created information centers to educate Germans about democratic political processes. Exchange programs were created to allow Germans to visit the United States. German prisoners of war were 're-educated', and former Nazi officials were tried for crimes they committed during the regime. Finally, Gewerbefreiheit allowed Germans freedom to practice a trade and organize trade unions.
Also at the time of Stunde Null, Germany lay in ruins after the destruction wrought by World War II. A period of massive reconstruction began after the end of the war. With roughly eighty percent of the country's infrastructure in need of repair, the German people saw an opportunity to reconstruct an old infrastructure into something more modern. Crowded cities were rebuilt with newer, more expansive residential spaces and roads. However, this project of reconstruction was and is still so great that the process of implementing it is not yet complete.
The initial cleanup of Berlin fell to the Soviets, with the Western Allies arriving on July 4, 1945. All women aged between 15 and 65 were conscripted as Trümmerfrauen (rubble women). As many as 60,000 women worked to clear debris and rubble from the city.
The most significant problem the Berliners faced was the threat of starvation. German war-time ration cards were no longer valid. Any remaining rations were either used to feed Russian troops or stolen by hungry Germans. On May 15, the Russians introduced a new five-tier ration-card system: The highest tier was reserved for intellectuals and artists; rubble women and Schwerarbeiter (manual workers) received the second-tier card, which was more valuable to them than the 12 Reichsmark they received for cleaning up a thousand bricks; the lowest card, nicknamed the Friedhofskarte (cemetery ticket) was issued to housewives and the elderly.
Due to the meagre rations, the black market thrived. Payment was either in cigarettes or by bartering. The word fringsen entered the German vocabulary during 1945, meaning to steal to survive. This word is etymologically based on the surname of Cardinal Josef Frings, a senior figure in the Catholic Church of Cologne, who in accordance with long-standing Catholic tradition famously gave his blessing to those who had to steal in order to feed their family.
The winter of 1945–46 was one of the coldest winters in Berlin, with temperatures as low as −30 °C (−22 °F). There was little protection from the severe cold in the bombed-out houses. About 40,000 people suffered from hypothermia and 1,000 died as a result.[citation needed] The Berlin Magistrat (municipal authority) created official Wärmeräume (warm rooms) for people to warm themselves in.
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Zero hour (1945)
Zero hour (German: Stunde Null, pronounced [ˈʃtʊndə nʊl]) is a term referring to the capitulation of Germany at midnight on 8 May 1945 and the immediately following weeks in Germany. It marked the end of World War II in Europe and the end of the Nazi regime, and was partly an attempt by Germany to dissociate itself from the Nazis. According to some historians, the term implies "an absolute break with the past and a radical new beginning" or a "sweeping away of old traditions and customs".
'Zero hour' was first used in World War I in reference to "a time at which some great military action has to take place". The term appears in various sources throughout post-World War I history, mostly in a militaristic concept. Richard Freund, a German-born British journalist, used the term as a call for the UK to fight fascism in the late 1930s. Referring to Hitler's occupation of the Rhineland and the Spanish Civil War, Freund declared "The next flash may be the signal. It is Zero Hour". In some contexts, the term suggests a call to action. In 1940, Erika Mann, calling the American people to action against Nazi Germany, wrote "And one man should be forbidden to entreat you: 'Act! This is your hour, it's the final hour – the Zero Hour!" It was not until the post-war period that the term was used to refer to the "new beginning" for Germany. The German people at the time were living in a devastated country – roughly 80 percent of its infrastructure was in need of repair or reconstruction – which encouraged the idea that Germany was entering a new phase of history.
During the post-war period Germany was partitioned into four zones controlled by the Soviet Union, the United States, France, and the United Kingdom. A primary objective of the Allied occupation was the denazification process implemented by each occupying power. This was accomplished through 're-education'. The Allies' objective was to ensure that another Nazi regime would not arise in Germany; however, there was concern that the German people would reject these ideas if they felt they were being reeducated. The Allies' reconstruction of Germany proceeded incrementally. Those with no connection with the Nazi regime were entrusted with political, educational, and other positions, and political parties were allowed to form for local elections. Newspaper editors and publishers were screened. The Allies created information centers to educate Germans about democratic political processes. Exchange programs were created to allow Germans to visit the United States. German prisoners of war were 're-educated', and former Nazi officials were tried for crimes they committed during the regime. Finally, Gewerbefreiheit allowed Germans freedom to practice a trade and organize trade unions.
Also at the time of Stunde Null, Germany lay in ruins after the destruction wrought by World War II. A period of massive reconstruction began after the end of the war. With roughly eighty percent of the country's infrastructure in need of repair, the German people saw an opportunity to reconstruct an old infrastructure into something more modern. Crowded cities were rebuilt with newer, more expansive residential spaces and roads. However, this project of reconstruction was and is still so great that the process of implementing it is not yet complete.
The initial cleanup of Berlin fell to the Soviets, with the Western Allies arriving on July 4, 1945. All women aged between 15 and 65 were conscripted as Trümmerfrauen (rubble women). As many as 60,000 women worked to clear debris and rubble from the city.
The most significant problem the Berliners faced was the threat of starvation. German war-time ration cards were no longer valid. Any remaining rations were either used to feed Russian troops or stolen by hungry Germans. On May 15, the Russians introduced a new five-tier ration-card system: The highest tier was reserved for intellectuals and artists; rubble women and Schwerarbeiter (manual workers) received the second-tier card, which was more valuable to them than the 12 Reichsmark they received for cleaning up a thousand bricks; the lowest card, nicknamed the Friedhofskarte (cemetery ticket) was issued to housewives and the elderly.
Due to the meagre rations, the black market thrived. Payment was either in cigarettes or by bartering. The word fringsen entered the German vocabulary during 1945, meaning to steal to survive. This word is etymologically based on the surname of Cardinal Josef Frings, a senior figure in the Catholic Church of Cologne, who in accordance with long-standing Catholic tradition famously gave his blessing to those who had to steal in order to feed their family.
The winter of 1945–46 was one of the coldest winters in Berlin, with temperatures as low as −30 °C (−22 °F). There was little protection from the severe cold in the bombed-out houses. About 40,000 people suffered from hypothermia and 1,000 died as a result.[citation needed] The Berlin Magistrat (municipal authority) created official Wärmeräume (warm rooms) for people to warm themselves in.
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