Clay And The Formulation And Implementation Of U.S.Policy Toward Germany (1945-1948)

After the World War Ⅱ, the U.S. policy of Germany experiences a transition from severe to moderate, and then to reconstruct and foster Germany. The root of this change is the U.S. national interest and the changing international situation. But the shift in the occurrence of the American decision-making and the shift in the influence to the post-war Germany are inseparable from Clay’s promoting, who is the military governor of the American zone in Germany. Because Clay is in charge of the military government issues in American Zone, he is familiar with the actual situation of the occupied area and the argument in the Allied Control Council, and thus to be the agent of the U.S. decision-making persons. He wins Byrnes and Marshall’s trust on providing information even suggestions and modifications for their German policy-making. From JCS1067to Stuttgart Speech, and from JCS1779to the implement of the currency reform and Marshall Plan, Clay plays a positive role in such policies and decisions’making.Due to the initial differences of opinion among the U.S. decision-makers and the ever-changing situation of American Zone, the U.S. government has always been lack of a stable and lasting Germany policy in the early postwar period. On one hand, it leads to the uncertainty of U.S. Policy toward Germany, and on the other hand it leaves a large autonomy to the military governor on the occupation affairs. It means that Clay can interpret and implement certain policies by his own will without violating the established regulations of occupation. It is Clay who controls the government of Germany. Actually neither the severe JCS1067nor the Potsdam Proclamation which can hardly reach a general consensus of four occupying powers can restrict Clay. Clay rebuilds the democratic politics of Germany while he is restoring the production and trade of Germany. He transfers more power to the Germany’s hands, asking them to build a responsible government. In order to achieve Germany’s self-supporting in economic as soon as possible, Clay revised the plan of industry level and suspend the demolition plan, joined the British and American Occupation Zones, promoted the monetary reform on this basis, paving the way for implementation of the Marshall Plan. During the Berlin crisis, Clay advocates to support Berlin by airlift. He wins the diplomatic advantage for American by successfully organizing an airlift which maintained the daily supply of2.5million Berlin people.As a whole, Clay play an indispensible role both in policy-making and in implementation of American’s after war policy toward Germany.