Antifascist Reeducation and Germans as Propaganda Agents

This chapter provides an overview of the antifascist reeducation, particularly Germans as propaganda agents. Although the focus on labor productivity primarily dictated prisoners of war (POW) life and conditions, political education also played an important role in camp life and repatriation. The aim primarily revolved around developing a group of antifascist pro-Soviet Germans to produce propaganda materials that urged German surrender. After the war ended, antifascist reeducation in the Soviet Union became increasingly important as the four Allied Powers deliberated over the nature of a postwar Germany. The chapter looks into the efforts of denazification conducted by US authorities and Soviet leaders, the establishment of the German Democratic Republic, and counteracting the ideological tensions of the Cold War.