GIs in Germany The Social, Economic, Cultural, and Political History of the American Military Presence
Book contents
- GIs in Germany
- Series page
- GIs in Germany
- Copyright page
- Contents
- Contributors
- Acknowledgments
- Introduction
- Part One Strategy and Politics
- Part Two Military Communities
- 5 U.S. Army Military Communities in Germany
- 6 German–American Relations at the Local Level
- 7 American Military Families in West Germany
- Part Three Tensions between Neighbors
- Part Four The German Armed Forces and the American Model
- Part Five The 1970s and 1980s
- Appendix: Population Statistics for U.S. Military in Germany, 1945–2000
- Select Bibliography
- Index
6 - German–American Relations at the Local Level
Heidelberg, 1948–1955
from Part Two - Military Communities
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 05 October 2013
Book contents
- GIs in Germany
- Series page
- GIs in Germany
- Copyright page
- Contents
- Contributors
- Acknowledgments
- Introduction
- Part One Strategy and Politics
- Part Two Military Communities
- 5 U.S. Army Military Communities in Germany
- 6 German–American Relations at the Local Level
- 7 American Military Families in West Germany
- Part Three Tensions between Neighbors
- Part Four The German Armed Forces and the American Model
- Part Five The 1970s and 1980s
- Appendix: Population Statistics for U.S. Military in Germany, 1945–2000
- Select Bibliography
- Index
Summary
This chapter examines the formative years of the development of German-American relations in the garrison cities. In early 1947, U.S. authorities introduced a new policy that encouraged a friendly attitude toward and association with Germans. The European Command (EUCOM), stationed in Heidelberg since 1947, started to develop its own ideas of what German-American relations should look like. For EUCOM, the "morale, health and efficiency" of the occupation troops and their dependents were of paramount importance. EUCOM started a program to improve relations between the U.S. occupation troops and the German population. This effort was triggered by U.S. High Commissioner John J. McCloy's policy for re-orientation of the German population. The German-American Women's Club was particularly active in promoting contact between the groups and fostering friendships. The Little America issue led to the physical separation of self-contained American housing settlements from German residential areas meant for German-American relations.
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- GIs in GermanyThe Social, Economic, Cultural, and Political History of the American Military Presence, pp. 142 - 160Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2013