Governed or exploited? the British acquisition of German technology, 1945-48

Journal of Contemporary History

Volumn 32, Issue 1, 1997, Pages 23-42

  Farquharson, John ^a  

^a UNIVERSITY OF BRADFORD   (United Kingdom)

Author keywords

[No Author keywords available]

Indexed keywords

EID: 34248104761     PISSN: 00220094     EISSN: None     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1177/002200949703200103     Document Type: Review

References (44)

1. J. Gimbel, Science, Technology and Reparations. Exploitation and Plunder in Postwar Germany (Stanford 1990)
2. See also his 'The American Exploitation of German Technical Know-How after World War II', Political Science Quarterly, 105, no. 2, 295-309
3. Sir A. K. Cairncross, The Price of War: British Policy on German Reparations, 1941-1949 (Oxford 1986)
4. A. Kramer, 'British Dismantling Politics, 1945-9
5. A Reassessment' in I. D. Turner (ed.), Reconstruction in Post-War Germany. British Occupation Policy and the Western Zones 194S-1955 (Oxford 1989), 125-54
6. see also his case-study Die britische Demontagepolitik am Beispiel Hamhurgs 1945-195O (Hamburg 1991)
7. See H-J. Rupieper, Die Wurzeln der westdeutschen Nachkriegsdemokratie. Der amerikanische Beitrag 1945-1952 (Opladen 1993)
8. For its work, Cairncross, op. cit., 24ff
9. see also A. Tyrell, Grossbritannien und die Deutschlandplanung der Alliierten, 1941-1945 (Frankfurt 1987), 175ff
10. Gimbel, Science, Technology and Reparations, op. cit., 3ff., 9; for the background on the UK side, Board of Trade draft, 17 June 1947, PRO BT 211/24
11. Lincoln (FO) to Turner (EIPS), 14 April PRO FO 371/45776; Turner to FO, 13 June 1945, PRO FO 371/45779
12. Minutes of UK/USA/France meeting on reparations, 29 August 1945, PRO FO 1037/2325
13. FO minute, 17 September 1945, op. cit
14. Dakin to Ritchie (COGA), 13 December 1945, PRO FO 1032/2327; this message contains the interesting point that COGA, the Treasury and the FO felt that 'the days of piracy are now over'
15. Minutes, 28 December 1945, at COGA, PRO FO 1032/307
16. Draft CCG (BE) Berlin cable, February 1946, PRO FO 1032/2327
17. For IARA suspicion, Morton (UK Delegate) remarks Notes on a Meeting ...,16 March 1946, PRO FO 1057/38; for the final adoption of the 'narrow' wording, CCG (BE) Berlin to War Office, 23 March 1946, PRO FO 1032/307, and COGA agreement, 23 April 1946, PRO FO 1032/2327
18. see also RDR Berlin, Tech. Instruction No. 6, 5 June 1946, PRO FO 1032/307, for the actual definition
19. For the distinguishing body, Index of important decisions affecting RDR, 8 March 1948, PRO FO 1057/16; for the DSIR team, COGA to Whitham, RDR, 7 August 1946, PRO FO 1062/271
20. Gimbel, 'The American Exploitation', op. cit., 300
21. Bevin statement to CFM, 27 February 1947, PRO FO 371/65012
22. see also Statement by head of UK Delegation on reparations received by UK, 21 March 1947, PRO FO 1030/4
23. BoT brief for FO at Moscow CFM, 26 February 1947, PRO BT 211/24
24. Gimbel, Science, Technology and Reparations, op. cit., 47, 61 and 127
25. BoT memo (Wood to Somervell), 19 October 1946, PRO BT 211/24; BoT draft memo, 17 June 1947, PRO BT 211/24
26. British Rayon Federation to Wood, BoT, 1 September 1947, PRO BT 211/24 for the value to Britain's exports, Wood own minute, 15 September 1947, PRO BT 211/24
27. For the irregularities, BIOS Cttee meeting minutes, 11 December 1946, PRO BT 211/167; for Gimbel's point, Science, Technology and Reparations, op. cit., 107
28. For the statistics on machine tools, Reparations Deliveries Cttee minutes, 29 March 1946, PRO B211/136; for the FBI viewpoint, Notes for Meeting on Reparations Deliveries ..., 9 October 1945, PRO BT 211/125
29. BoT to HMSO, 29 August 1947, PRO BT 211/170
30. BIOS (46) 37, 9 July 1946, PRO BT 211/16; BoT memo, 19 October 1946, PRO BT 211/24; for the 50 reports problem, HMSO to BoT, 13 August 1947, PRO BT 211/170
31. Wood to Embassy Washington, 29 May 1947, PRO BT 211/24; for the press notice, 29 January 1948, BoT Overall Survey, 1947, PRO BT 211/170
32. Unilateral Removals Disposal Progress, undated chart, 1952, PRO BT 211/534; for the documents and microfilms, T Force Documents Unit Statistics, op. cit.; for dissemination in the USA, Gimbel, Science, Technology and Reparations, op. cit., 70
33. For the Min. of Supply lists, undated, PRO BT 211/532
34. Unilateral Removals, Disposal Progress, op. cit
35. Dean FO to Robertson, Mil-Governor, 2 January 1948, citing ACA Directive 47 as the authority; for the ending of T Force removals on 1 August 1948, Knight BoT to FO, 11 March 1949, PRO BT 211/532
36. John Green headed the Office of Technical Services in the US Department of Commerce, responsible through FIAT for 'Operation Paperclip', the gathering of 'hidden reparations' in Germany
37. BoT minute on Green's visit, 12 July 1946, PRO BT 211/24
38. BIOS (46) 40, 25 July 1946, referring to its 15th meeting, 23 July 1946, PRO BT 211/16
39. BIOS meeting minutes, 11 December 1946, PRO BT 211/167
40. Playfair to FO, 16 July 1945 (from Berlin), Documents on British Policy Overseas, op. cit., no. 165, 327 ff
41. For the point on atomic energy, W.S. Churchill, The Second World War, vol. 4, 1951, 340-2
42. for the jet engine, M.M. Postan et al., History of the Second World War. Design and Development of Weapons (London 1964), 207-8
43. See Board of Trade comments on the FO attitude, 11 September 1946, PRO BT 211/497
44. Sir A.K. Cairncross, Years of Recovery. British Economic Policy 1945-1951 (London 1985), 279