The bitter taste of victory : life, love, and art in the ruins of the Reich

When Germany surrendered in May 1945 it was a nation reduced to rubble. Immediately, America, Britain, Soviet Russia, and France set about rebuilding in their zones of occupation. Most urgent were physical needs--food, water, and sanitation--but from the start the Allies were also anxious to indoctrinate the German people in the ideas of peace and civilization. Denazification and reeducation would be key to future peace, and the arts were crucial guides to alternative, less militaristic ways of life. In an extraordinary extension of diplomacy, over the next four years, many writers, artists, actors, and filmmakers were dispatched by Britain and America to help rebuild the country their governments had spent years bombing. Ernest Hemingway, Martha Gellhorn, Marlene Dietrich, George Orwell, Lee Miller, W. H. Auden, Stephen Spender, Billy Wilder, and others undertook the challenge of reconfiguring German society. In the end, many of them became disillusioned by the contrast between the destruction they were witnessing and the cool politics of reconstruction. While they may have had less effect on Germany than Germany had on them, the experiences of these celebrated figures, never before told, offer an entirely fresh view of post-war Europe. __The Bitter Taste of Victory__ is a brilliant and important addition to the literature of World War II. As the Second World War neared its conclusion, Germany was a nation reduced to rubble: 3.6 million German homes had been destroyed leaving 7.5 million people homeless; an apocalyptic landscape of flattened cities and desolate wastelands. In May 1945 Germany surrendered, and Britain, America, Soviet Russia and France set about rebuilding their zones of occupation. Most urgent for the Allies in this divided, defeated country were food, water and sanitation, but from the start they were anxious to provide for the minds as well as the physical needs of the German people. Reconstruction was to be cultural as well as practical: denazification and re-education would be key to future peace and the arts crucial in modelling alternative, less militaristic, ways of life. Germany was to be reborn; its citizens as well as its cities were to be reconstructed; the mindset of the Third Reich was to be obliterated. When, later that year, twenty-two senior Nazis were put in the dock at Nuremberg, writers and artists including Rebecca West, Evelyn Waugh, John Dos Passos and Laura Knight were there to tell the world about a trial intended to ensure that tyrannous dictators could never again enslave the people of Europe. And over the next four years, many of the foremost writers and filmmakers of their generation were dispatched by Britain and America to help rebuild the country their governments had spent years bombing. Among them, Ernest Hemingway, Martha Gellhorn, Marlene Dietrich, George Orwell, Lee Miller, W.H. Auden, Stephen Spender, Billy Wilder and Humphrey Jennings. The Bitter Taste of Victory traces the experiences of these figures and through their individual stories offers an entirely fresh view of post-war Europe. Never before told, this is a brilliant, important and utterly mesmerising history of cultural transformation. Explores What Daily Life Was Like In Post-war Germany, With Insights About The Larger Shifts In German Culture, Art, And Society. Part I: The Battle For Germany, 1944-45 -- 1. Setting Out For A Country That Didn't Really Exist: Crossing The Siegfried Line: November-december 1944 -- 2. Nazi Germany Is Doomed: Advance Into Germany: January-april 1945 -- 3. We Were Blind And Unbelieving And Slow: Victory: April-may 1945 -- Part Ii: Ruin And Reconstruction, May-december 1945 -- 4. Complete Chaos Guaranteed: Occupation: May-august 1945 -- 5. Berlin Is Boiling In Sweltering Summer Heat: Berlin: July-october 1945 -- 6. A Pain That Hurts Too Much: German Winter: September-december 1945 -- Part Iii: Judgement And Hunger, 1945-46 -- 7. You'll Hang Them Anyhow: Nuremberg: November 1945-march 1946 -- 8. Let Germany Live!: Fighting The Peace: March-may 1946 -- 9. Let This Trial Never Finish: Boredom: May-august 1946 -- 10. The Law Tries To Keep Up With Life: Judgement: September-october 1946 -- Part Iv: Tension And Revival, 1946-48 -- 11. Their Suffering, And Often Their Bravery, Make One Love Them: Cold War: October 1946-october 1947 -- 12. I've Been The Devil's General On Earth Too Long: Artistic Enlightenment: November 1947-january 1948 -- 13. In Hell Too There Are These Luxuriant Gardens: Germany In California: January-june 1948 -- Part V: Divided Germany, 1948-49 -- 14. If This Is A War Who Is Our Enemy?: The Berlin Airlift: June 1948-may 1949 -- 15. Perhaps Our Deaths Will Shock You Into Attention: Division: May-october 1949 -- Coda: Closing Time In The Gardens Of The West. Lara Feigel. Includes Bibliographical References (pages 409-420) And Index. As the Second World War neared its conclusion, Germany was a nation reduced to rubble: an apocalyptic landscape of flattened cities and desolate wastelands. In May 1945 Germany surrendered and Britain, America, Soviet Russia and France set about rebuilding in their zones of occupation. Most urgent for the Allies in this divided, defeated country were food, water and sanitation. However from the start they were to anxious also to address German culture and history, which had been appropriated by the Nazis. Reconstruction was to be intellectural as well as practical: denazification and re-education would be central to future peace, so the arts became crucial in modelling an alternative, less militarisitic way of life. Germany was to be reborn; its citizens as well as its cities were to be reconstructed; the worldview of the the Third Reich was to be obliterated. When, later that year, twenty-two senior Nazis were put in the dock at Nuremberg, writers and artists including Rebecca West, Evelyn Waugh, John Dos Passos and Laura Knight were there to tell the world about a trial intended to ensure that tyrannous dictators could never again enslave the people of Europe. And over the next four years, many of the foremost writers and filmmakers of their generation were dispatched by Britain and America to help rebuild the country their governements had spent years bombing. The bitter taste of victory tells the compelling story of how some of the century's most imaginative writers and artists confronted one of its deepest disasters The battle for Germany, 1944-45. "Setting out for a country that didn't really exist" : Crossing the Siegfried Line, November-December 1944 ; "Nazi Germany is doomed" : advance into Germany, January-April 1945 ; "We were blind and unbelieving and slow" : Victory, April-May 1945 Ruin and reconstruction, May-December 1945. "Complete chaos guaranteed" : cccupation, May-August 1945 ; "Berlin is boiling in sweltering summer heat" : Berlin, July-October 1945 ; "A pain that hurts too much" : German winter, September-December 1945 Judgement and hunger, 1945-46. "You'll hang them anyhow" : Nuremberg, November 1945-March 1946 ; "Let Germany live!" : fighting the peace, March-May 1946 ; "Let this trial never finish" : boredom, May-August 1946 ; "The law tries to keep up with life" : judgement, September-October 1946 Tension and revival, 1946-48. "Their suffering, and often their bravery, make one love them" : Cold War, October 1946-October 1947 ; "I've been the Devil's General on earth too long" : artistic enlightenment, November 1947-January 1948 ; "In Hell too there are these luxuriant gardens" : Germany in California, January-June 1948 Divided Germany, 1948-49. "If this is a war who is our enemy?" : The Berlin Airlift, June 1948-May 1949 ; "Perhaps our deaths will shock you into attention" : division, May-October 1949 "Closing time in the gardens of the West."