Liberation, Re-Education, Democratisation: The Politics of Gratitude in German-American Relations after 1945

Gerund K (2024)


Publication Language: English

Publication Type: Journal article, Original article

Publication year: 2024

Journal

URI: https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/contemporary-european-history/article/liberation-reeducation-democratisation-the-politics-of-gratitude-in-germanamerican-relations-after-1945/F3AB1B8361C0B938A78E42D88DA78150

DOI: 10.1017/S0960777324000055

Open Access Link: https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/contemporary-european-history/article/liberation-reeducation-democratisation-the-politics-of-gratitude-in-germanamerican-relations-after-1945/F3AB1B8361C0B938A78E42D88DA78150

Abstract

The US-American presence in postwar Germany and its role in West Germany's re-education and democratisation have fuelled a discourse of gratitude that has lastingly shaped the transatlantic alliance. German politicians and other policy actors continue to rely on proclamations of ‘thankfulness’ as a means of what Todd Hall has termed ‘emotional diplomacy’. In the process, they affirm a collective memory of the postwar years that emphasises friendship and contains social conflicts, political tensions, and ambivalent affects. They draw on iconic tropes and powerful narratives – ranging from the GI handing out chewing gum to CARE packages and the ‘gift’ of democracy – which have cast German-American relations in terms of generosity, gift-giving, and gratitude. This article traces the roots of this discourse to (the popular memory of) the postwar moment and situates it vis-à-vis the multifaceted affective landscape of early postwar Germany with a specific focus on its gender logics and with an eye to its benefits and the risks it entails.

Authors with CRIS profile

How to cite

APA:

Gerund, K. (2024). Liberation, Re-Education, Democratisation: The Politics of Gratitude in German-American Relations after 1945. Contemporary European History. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0960777324000055

MLA:

Gerund, Katharina. "Liberation, Re-Education, Democratisation: The Politics of Gratitude in German-American Relations after 1945." Contemporary European History (2024).

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