Forgotten German Genocide: Revenge Cleansing in Eastern Europe, 1945-50

The Potsdam Conference was held in 1945 to discuss the post-war fate of Germany, including the demilitarization, denazification, decentralization, and administration of the country. The conference resulted in the transfer of German populations in Poland, Czechoslovakia, and Hungary to Germany, but the expulsions were carried out in a ruthless and often brutal manner. Up to 11.5 million German people were removed from Eastern Europe, with up to three million deaths. The exact number of ethnic Germans killed during the cleansing period is still a matter of debate, with estimates ranging from 500,000 to 1.6 million.

\n Format: Hardback
\n Length: 224 pages
\n Publication date: 30 June 2021
\n Publisher: Pen & Sword Books Ltd
\n

The Potsdam Conference, officially known as the Berlin Conference, took place from July 17 to August 2, 1945, at Cecilienhof Palace, the residence of Crown Prince Wilhelm, in Brandenburg. This historic gathering brought together the leaders of the United Kingdom, the Soviet Union, and the United States to deliberate on the post-war fate of Germany, which had unconditionally surrendered on May 8 (VE Day).

The conference aimed to demilitarize, denazify, decentralize, and administer the country, which had played a significant role in World War II. The participants decided that the remaining German populations in Poland, Czechoslovakia, and Hungary, including both the ethnic Sudeten and the more recent arrivals as part of the long-term plan for the domination of Eastern Europe, should be transferred to Germany.

Despite their commitment to an orderly and humane process, the expulsions were carried out in a ruthless and often brutal manner. Farms and houses were seized, and the occupants were placed into camps before being mass expelled from the country. Many of these camps were already occupied by Jews who had survived the concentration camps, making them equally unwelcome.

Furthermore, additional cleansing operations were conducted in Romania and Yugoslavia, resulting in the removal of an estimated 11.5 million German people from Eastern Europe by 1950. It is estimated that up to three million individuals lost their lives during this period. While the number of ethnic Germans killed during the cleansing is suggested to be around 500,000, a 1958 report by the Statistisches Bundesamt (the Federal Statistical Office of Germany) provided a figure of 1.6 million related to expulsion-related population losses in Poland alone.

Further investigation is ongoing to provide a more accurate figure and avoid sensationalism. The Potsdam Conference marked a significant moment in the post-war history, as it laid the groundwork for the division and reconstruction of Europe, ultimately shaping the geopolitical landscape of the world for decades to come.

\n Weight: 540g\n
Dimension: 164 x 241 x 27 (mm)\n
ISBN-13: 9781526773746\n \n