As I mentioned in my previous blog, the more than 1,100 German POWs trained to become policemen and administrators for the Military Government were put into a barbed-wire holding camp upon arrival in Germany. Plain and simple, the Military Government did not know what to do with them.

While the graduates of the special schooling had great hopes about their future, few of them were utilized like the War Department had intended. In a 1948 follow-up study, it was found that most of the men were ignored by the American military government. The study also showed that the graduates of the program were more willing to  participate in public affairs than the average German.

However, those who were used by the military government went on to become important figures in post-war Germany.

Next time:  Post-War Germany and American Propaganda

Copyright, Geraldine Birch. All rights reserved.