This is a translated timeline. The original is made by user Nanakaka44 on the German althistory Wikia.
POD and context[]
After Germany had lost the Second World War, there were many ideas on how post-war Germany should be dealt with. The country was occupied by the USSR, the United States, France and Great Britain from 1946 to 1949.
The point of divergence is the adoption of a multi-partitioned Germany, while plans for a unified, western-allied Germany were deprecated. The Three-State Solution was created by the Soviet foreign minister Vyacheslav Molotov for the Soviet-occupied zone, British foreign minister Anthony Eden for the British zone and the American minister of finance Henry Morgenthau for the American zone. Originally, a smaller French protectorate was planned in the regions of Baden and the Saarland, but these ambitions were undermined by the USSR, since (according to the USSR) the French hadn't contributed to the fight against the Nazi regime and surrendered instead.
The goal was it to achieve a national consciousness and national pride for every of the newly founded states, because the concept of a unified Germany was seen as a major factor for the outbreak of the World Wars. Other terms dictated to the new states where:
- No national flag is allowed to have the combination black-red-gold or black-white-red.
- Display of said flags is banned
- No state is allowed to have the word "German" or "Germany" in its name
- Widespread de-nazification.
- War reparations of 300,000,000 USD per state to the victors of the war.
- Demilitarization for ten years
- Ban of all guns for ten years
- This includes marksmen clubs
- Ban of all guns for ten years
- A military governor for each state for 20 years
- Decentralization of each state
The new German states: The People's Republic of Prussia (red), the United Bavarian States (blue) and the new Westphalian Kingdom (yellow)
Timeline[]
The 1940s:[]
Political Developments:[]
8th of May 1945: Unconditional surrender of Nazi Germany.
20th of November 1945 - 14th of April 1949: The Nuremberg trials are held. Most of the high-ranked members of the NSDAP are condemned for their crimes against humanity.
30th of November 1945: The plans for the partitioning of the former German Reich are officially agreed upon.
1949: the Peoples Republic of Prussia was officially proclaimed at the 7th of October, the United Bavarian States were proclaimed at the 19th of May 1949, while the Westphalian Kingdom was declared at 1st of July the same year.
Immediately after the plans for the new borders are made, the three occupation zones are set up, one American, one British and one Soviet zone. Since the former German capital city Berlin isn't partitioned as in OTL, the Soviet Union does not blockade the city to force the western Allies out. Due to that, the Berlin Airlift does not occur, where American and British planes supply the city for weeks via air.
Free elections were held in November in Bavaria and in August in Westphalia. While many parties who were active in the Weimar era like the social democratic SPD, the Christian conservative Zentrum or the communist KPD were set up for elections, new parties emerged especially in Westphalia.
In the Westphalian elections, many of the former Zentrum joined together with other conservatism to form the Christian Conservative Union, while the oldest German party, the SPD reforms to become the SPW. The plentiful libertarian and liberal parties for the Free Democratic Party. The first election had the Union gain 31%, the SPW 29%, the FDP has 11% and the KPD gained 6%. Other smaller parties like the remnants of the Zentrum or independent representatives. The first Westphalian chancellor was Konrad Adenauer from the CCU.
In Bavaria, meanwhile, the provisional government led by the prominent Austrian politician Karl Renner of the leftist SPÖ held also elections in December. Other than in Westphalia, where many parties competed against each other, the Bavarian parties formed coalitions around the major parties. The former Austrian conservative parties FPÖ and ÖVP merged with the regional Bayernpartei and the Zentrum to become the "Freiheitliche Volkspartei Baierns (FVB, Free Peoples' Party of Bavaria), while the Bavarian section of the SPD united with the SPÖ and the reformist section of the communist KPÖ, the coalition was named "Demokratische Vereinigung Baierns" (DVB, Democratic Union of Bavaria).
The KPÖ sections that were still Marxist fused with the KPD, both of which were separated to regional cadres, namely the KPD-W for Westfalia and the KPD-B for Bavaria. Until 1951 they were the only major political party that had the goal of reuniting the German lands.
The Prussian development was very different, when the KPD and the SPD there were forced to unite to the Sozialistische Einheitspartei Preußens (SEP, Socialist Unity Party of Prussia). An opposition was de facto allowed, yet in reality it was impossible to other parties to have any power.
Other developments: Beside the political developments, much of the late 1940s in Germany was defined by a lack of supplies in food and coal. The peak of this was reached in the winter of 1946/1947, where the situation was so desperate, that the Cologne cardinal Josef Frings justified the theft of food and other ways to illegally organize food. Another issue was the provision of electricity, since many coal mines were put to a halt. In the urban regions, the situation was as dire as in OTL, with the average German living on a calorie intake of under 1000 kilo calories per day.
The occupying forces in the west, especially in Westphalia, weren't seen as evil oppressors anymore, rather the "Tommies" were regarded as good allies. Similar sympathies were occurring in Bavaria, where the "Ami" was seen as the role model for a shining democracy. The only exception was the region of Austria in Bavaria, which has been stripped of its sovereignty for roughly 20 years now.
The 1950s[]
The 1950s were defined by the rebuilding of the nations, while the economy recovers slowly. By the mid-50s, an economic miracle occurs in the United Bavarian States, fueled by massive support by the US and their Marshall-Plan. This plan for economic recovery was made by the US especially for France and Bavaria, Westfalia and Prussia were excluded.
4th of July 1954: Hungary wins their first Football World Championship. The 1954 World Cup is the first where all three German national teams participate, but due to the lack of skilled players like Max Morlock and trainers such as Sepp Herberger in the Westfalian team, they lose against Hungary in the finals.
The Peoples Republic of Prussia undergoes a huge brain-drain, when many young students and scientists migrate to the west. The internal trouble escalates, when construction workers organize a general strike in Berlin at the 17th of June 1953. The uprising is preceded by measures to combat the difficult economic situation of the nation, which were caused by the brain drain and mass emigration. The mass emigration was known as "Republikflucht" (desertion from the republic). The government tried to combat the crisis with an increase in labour quotas by 10%, while the wages didn't increase. The uprising continued for three more days and spread to others cities like Leipzig, Stettin and Potsdam. The organization was done by various trade unions, remnants of the SPD and other working-class networks. By the 18th of June the uprising was crushed violently by the Red Army and the Volkspolizei, with around 100 deaths and several arrests.
On the 18th of April 1951, the Treaty of Paris was signed between France, Italy, Belgium, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Westphalia and Bavaria. This marked the beginning of what will become the European Union, when the European Steal and Coal Community was formed. The reason for this cooperation is to keep the nations of Europe from secretly preparing for a war of aggression. Especially the Westphalian prime minister Konrad Adenauer (Christian Conservative Union) was engaged in the European peace.
Additionally, Bavaria joins NATO in 1955, Prussia joins the Warsaw Pact in the same year, while Westphalia joins NATO in 1959.
The 1960s[]
By the early 1960s and late 1950s Westphalia and Bavaria are already back on their feet. One of the reasons is the model of the "social-market economy", a concept implemented by Bavarian minister of economics Ludwig Erhard. The model has its roots in the inter-war Freiburg School of economic thought. In a similar manner, the Westphalians adapt the system with a more strict and regulationist approach, whereas the Bavarian interpretation is economically more liberal. With this model that encourages massive production while securing a social security and therefore a large income, the so called economic miracle (German: Wirtschaftswunder) takes place over this decade. This leads (especially in Westphalias case with its vast industrial power) to a trade deficit with nations like Italy and Greece, to a lesser extend with Spain, Yugoslavia and Turkey as well.
Bavaria To combat these deficits, guestworkers are sent to Westphalia and Bavaria to even these deficits out. In Bavaria, these workers were not meant to stay for longer than their contracts lasted, so eventually they were sent back.the number of guestworkers sent to bavaria was limited to begin with, with just over a million, most of them from neighbouring Yugoslavia, Italy and Spain.