The Art of Occupation: Crime and Governance in American-Controlled Germany (1944–1949) – eBook

The literature explaining social conditions during the post–World War II Allied occupation of Germany has been divided between seemingly incompatible assertions of prolonged criminal chaos and narratives of strict martial rule that precluded crime. In The Art of Occupation (ePub/PDF), Thomas J. Kehoe takes a different view on this history, addressing this divergence through a broad, interdisciplinary analysis of the interaction between military government and social order.

Emphasizing on the American Zone and using earlier unexplored American and German military reports, case files and court records, Kehoe assesses crime rates and the psychology surrounding criminality. He thereby provides the first comprehensive exploration of criminality, policing, and both American and German fears around the realities of conquest and potential resistance, national futures, social and societal integrity, and a looming threat from communism in an emergent Cold War. The Art of Occupation: Crime and Governance in American-Controlled Germany is the complete study of crime and governance during the five years from the first Allied incursions into Germany from the West in September 1944 through the end of the military occupation in 1949. It is a vital contribution to American and German military, social, and police histories, as well as historical criminology.

 Reviews

“The Art of Occupation is a commendably clear yet sophisticated examination of the tumultuous German-American encounter after 1945. This ebook helps us to look beyond the mythology and better understand the lived experiences of occupied and occupiers.” — Adam R. Seipp, Texas A&M University

“Kehoe convincingly explains the nature of postwar crime and disorder in the U.S. zone and adds nuance to our understanding of the critical early period of American occupation. His argument in favor of the continuity in authoritarian policing between the Third Reich and the occupation was equally original and persuasive.” — Jay Lockenour, author of Soldiers as Citizens: Former Wehrmacht Officers in the Federal Republic of Germany, 1945–1955

“In readable and clear prose, Kehoe sets out to prove that perceptions of widespread social disorder and crime, particularly at the beginning of the U.S. occupation of post–World War II Germany, had no grounding in reality. His exceptional exploitation of archival military government court records supports his juxtaposition of perceptions and rumors about the frequency, nature, and severity of crimes and their reality.” — Bianka J. Adams, author of From Crusade to Hazard: The Denazification of Bremen, Germany

NOTE: The product only includes The Art of Occupation: Crime and Governance in American-Controlled Germany (1944–1949) in ePub format. A converted PDF is available on request. No access codes are included.