American Military Communities in West Germany - Life in the Cold War Badlands, 1945-1990

On April 28, 1946, a small group of American wives and children arrived at the port of Bremerhaven, West Germany, the first of thousands of military family members to make the trans-Atlantic journey. They were the basis of a network of military communities--"Little Americas"--that would spread across the postwar German landscape. During a 45-year period which included some of the Cold War's tensest moments, their presence confirmed America's resolve to maintain Western democracy in the face of the Soviet threat.
Drawing on archival sources and personal narratives, this book explores these enclaves of Americanism, from the U.S. government's perspective to the grassroots view of those who made their homes in Cold War Europe. These families faced many challenges in balancing their military missions with their daily lives during a period of dynamic global change. The author describes interaction in American communities that were sometimes separated, sometimes connected with their German neighbors.

List of contents

Table of Contents

Acronyms and Abbreviations delete viii

Preface delete

Introduction delete

One.¿From First Arrivals to Established Network (1946-1967) delete

Two.¿The Footprint of American Culture and Consumerism (1946-1967) delete

Three.¿Religion, Race, Stereotyping and the Media (1946-1967) delete

Four.¿Anti-Communism and Nuclear Concerns (1946-1967) delete

Five.¿Challenge to American Economic Dominance (1946-1967) delete

Six.¿Fast Food, Violence, Crime and Drugs (1967-1990) delete

Seven.¿Race, Feminism and Media Manipulation (1967-1990) delete

Eight.¿Testing ­German-American Bonds (1967-1990) delete

Nine.¿Economic Challenges (1967-1990) delete

Conclusion delete

Chapter Notes delete

Bibliography delete

Index delete

About the author

John W. Lemza, Ph.D., retired after serving more than 20 years in military service including eight years abroad in Europe and Asia. His research interests are Post-1945 American cultural, social and political history. He lives in Midlothian, Virginia.

Product details

• Authors: John W. Lemza, Lemza John W.
• Publisher: Ingram Publishers Services
• Languages: English
• Age Recommendation: from age 18
• Product format: Paperback / Softback
• Released: 13.05.2016
• EAN: 9781476664163
• ISBN: 978-1-4766-6416-3
• No. of pages: 308
• Dimensions: 178 mm x 254 mm x 16 mm
• Weight: 562 g
• Illustrations: Raster,schwarz-weiss
• Subjects: Non-fiction book > History > Miscellaneous; USA, HISTORY / Military / General, POLITICAL SCIENCE / Geopolitics, Military history: post WW2 conflicts, HISTORY / Military / United States, Later 20th century c 1950 to c 1999, United States of America, USA, Modern warfare, Military history: post-WW2 conflicts, The Cold War, West Germany, Military life & institutions, c 1945 to c 2000 (Post-war period), Cold wars and proxy conflicts, Military institutions, HISTORY / Wars & Conflicts / General, soviet military