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About Tom
Expertise
While it is a huge topic, I am well-versed in World War II generally. There is a huge wealth of information available on the internet, HOWEVER, one has to know the trash from the gems. Many sites which are not obviously credible (govt, university, and museum sites, for ex.), provide erroneous information (intentionally or otherwise).
Experience
BA in history, and been reading and studying WW2 as my 'hobby' for 30 years. Regular contributor to several online forums in military history, WW2, and related areas and topics.
Organizations
None relevant to this topic.
Education/Credentials
BA, History (Secondary Education), with minor in Geography
US Army Engineer Officer (Officer Basic and Advanced Courses)
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You are here: Experts > Homework Help > 20th Century History > 20th Century History > ww2
Expert: Tom
Date: 5/25/2006
Subject: ww2
Question
HI,
Did germany pay reparations after world war2 or only after world war 1?
Thank you.
Answer
I have to apologize in advance, as I am leaving town and don't have time for a better answer.
Germany paid reparations as part of the hated Versailles Treaty following WW1 - and they were quite burdensome, as well as despised. But note a distinction: Germany signed a peace treaty to end WW1 (and to stave off complete defeat). But in WW2, the allies were determined to completely defeat Germany, occupy her and find ways to keep her from being aggressive again - so in WW2, Germany was completely defeated and occupied.
So after WW2, Germany didn't pay "reparations" exactly - there was no similar treaty to Versailles, with specific payment requirements. But that doesn't mean that Germany didn't pay in other ways.
After Germany was occupied the Allies had teams that went around looking for talent (such as Werner von Braun, the Rocket scientist (think V-2 rocket)), technology (German chemical know-how, jet engines, rockets, aircraft, etc.), and even German physical infrastructure (meaning factories, tools and such) - and simply took them. The soviets, in particular, took entire factories back to the USSR as a sort of reparations.
Another way Germany paid was in paying to have all the allied troops there that were occupying Germany. Another was German payments over the following decades to war crimes victims, most notably Jews, but others as well. And a final one was through the labor of her men who were made prisoner. Soviets kept many tens of thousands of Germans as prisoners in their Gulag prison system, working in factories and mines, for up to 10 years after the war. France did so for a few years, but the US, Canada, Britain and others were mostly interested in getting the Germans repatriated and "out of the way".
So it was different, but Germany did pay - heavily - after both wars.
tom
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