After the defeat of fascist aggressors one should settle the problems, which arose in connection with the end of the Second World War. The problems could only be solved on the intergovernmental level. That is why the international conference at high level was a great necessity.

At the Potsdam conference (July 17 - August 2, 1945) the program of the postwar world system was discussed, and, first of all, the issues concerning Germany.

The program contained everything one needed for a coordinated allied policy toward Germany during the period of its occupation.

Decisions of the conference could create conditions for reforming of social sphere of life of German society and the education system.

In May 1945, Germany was standing on the crossroads of the historic ways of its development. The way it walked, took it to a standstill. Allied program of democratic reforms opened new perspective. However, automatically this program could not be realized. Mechanisms for its implementation were necessary.

Shortly after the capitulation of fascist Germany, in June 1945, the four allied powers - the USSR, England, the USA, and France signed the Berlin Declaration on the defeat of Germany and assumed the supreme authority throughout its territory, as well as the agreement on the control mechanism in Germany and zones of occupation. In the Appeal № 1 "To the people of Germany" the allies declared that "on the 5^th of June, 1945, the Supreme authority regarding Germany was taken by the Governments of the United States of America, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, the United Kingdom and the Provisional Government of the French Republic"¹.

The American zone consisted of three lands: Bavaria, Wuerttemberg-Baden and Great Hesse. Only in Bavaria the borders of the former Reich were preserved. Great Hesse was formed from the merger of the former Prussian provinces of Hessen and Hessen-Nassau. Wurttemberg-Baden was created as an administrative unit of the cut parts of the land of Baden and Wurttemberg, which were divided between the American and French zones.

In addition, the United States was responsible for control of the enclave in Bremen and together with other occupying powers participated in the management of Berlin, the former German capital. According to the materials of the Soviet Military Administration of Germany: "the American zone of occupation of Germany covers 110.075 square kilometers, with the population of 16.682.573 people (according to census of 29.Х.46.)."²

The first post-war years were full of hopes for the modernization of Germany. A new stage in the history of Germany began in the most dire and disastrous socio-economic conditions. Twelve-year-old Nazi dictatorship caused detriment of the intellectual potential of the German nation, had a negative effect on the German system of education.

All the means of ideological influence on the masses, since 1933 - the press, radio, cinema, theatre, middle and high schools were placed under the control of the Ministry of propaganda headed by Goebbels, and being used for processing of the population in fascist spirit.

Military-political collapse of German fascism opened the prospect of a democratic renovation of Germany. However, the collapse of fascism could not automatically lead to democratization of the country. Disorganization of social life influenced demoralizing on the broad masses of the population. Many people were in a state of depression and confusion: the collapse of Nazism was often identified with the liquidation of German statehood and nation.

American military administration saw the horrible consequences of the war in Germany. Officers of the US military administration saw small and big towns in which reigned oppressive silence.

Germany was so destroyed that it was very difficult to believe in its restoration. English historian Stephen Ambrose, referring to Eisenhower's letters to his wife Mamie, showed his spiritual state after what Eisenhower had seen in Germany: "the Country ruined" General Eisenhower wrote. "- Entire towns are razed to the ground; and the German population, not to mention people driven to work, is mostly homeless"³. Mass executions, crematoriums of the concentration camps with it personally could get acquainted Dwight Eisenhower. He had been in a concentration camp at Ohrdruf. This picture was more terrible than any of the worst of the fighting. John Eisenhower, who accompanied his father during a visit to a concentration camp, recalled that the farther had a state of deep depression during a few days. Then there were Buchenwald, Limburg and many other concentration camps, where the Americans found their comrades dying from hunger.

Eisenhower's inspection travel over German cities, practical responsibility for what happens gave him the feeling of war, which forced him to swear to himself, "Never again." "Of course, Germany will not want to see the explosions at least a hundred years; I'm pretty sure that some of the city never will be restored"⁴.

Arriving in Germany, the Americans were so busy with hard work, that they did not have any idea about the rapture, which seized the population of America. The life of an officer of the military administration was never monotonous. When keeping the economy of the entire city was assigned on the shoulders of an officer, he had to deal with various problems in human relationships, maintain peace and order at work places. He had to start to restore production activities in the country.

The goal of US allies in Germany in the field of education was recorded in the Potsdam agreement: "German education shall be so controlled as completely to eliminate Nazi and militarist doctrine and to make possible the successful development of democratic ideas"⁵. The US viewed the policy in the field of German education as an integral part of its overall policy of occupation. This policy included activities such as a clearing from Nazism school schedule, and textbooks withdrawal of Nazi literature from libraries, clearing of the pedagogical staff.

The task of the American administration was to refocus the German system of education in accordance with democratic principles. In the report to the American people from the 2^nd November 1946 General Lucius Clay reported the following: "the Military administration and the army are fully aware that the prospects for democratization are laid in the German youth, who should be reassured and encouraged"⁶. In the field of denazification of German system of education the USA formulated the following tasks:

Clear the curriculum, the school schedule, textbooks from the Nazi ideology, to rebuild the school system of the German education, to reduce the number of street children, to help children from families with low level of life, to help children to get out of the environment, dominated by youth crime, to eliminate all Nazi organizations close educational institutions and open them later after a thorough denazification.

German teachers existed in the same conditions as all German population. Children had, as a rule, two lessons per day. And only thanks to German teachers, who spent their time on the fact that children could learn more on the main subjects, children had the opportunity to learn at school subjects better. The very fact that by the time of opening of schools in Great Hesse, the average age of all working teachers was 52 years, gave the key to the thought that the teaching profession has not been popular among the youth. There was a great necessity of involvement of youth because moral and physical energy, unusual freshness of perception and flexibility in mind were required of teachers. But the age of the teachers was not the only one of the drawbacks of that time. Like many Germans, teachers were starving, were very cold, they lacked clothes and educational equipment. German teachers were at a loss. They felt defeated. There were other shortcomings that affected their quality of work, such as overcrowding at schools. In the first post-war months a teacher in the Hessian schools got from 80 to 120 pupils⁷.

In addition, teachers felt intellectual difficulties due to isolation from the rest of the world. Technical information was available until 1938, in other fields the Nazis has closed access to information since 1933. In addition, the Nazis took control of the exchange of books in all branches of knowledge. War, of course, destroyed communication with colleagues from other countries. Because of this the lack of teacher training and the lack of materials that could satisfy the interest of schoolchildren were felt. Movement for renovation and conversion to new methods was necessary in the interests of both Germany and the world. In this regard the USA was responsible for renovation and improvement of the German school system of education.

2. Материал о положении в американской зоне оккупации в Германии. // АВП РФ. Ф. 0457 «а» 1947. Опись 4. Папка 20. Д. 50. Л. 45.

3. Амброз С. Эйзенхауэр солдат и президент. Пер. с англ. / С. Амброз. – М: Изд-во «Книга лтд.», 1993. – С. 185.

4. Там же. – С. 185.

5. Germany 1947–1949. The Story in Documents. Department of State. Publication 3556 European and British Commonwealth Series 9. Washington D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office, 1950. – P. 49.

6. Pollock J. K. and Meisel, J. H. Germany under occupation. Illustrative materials and documents. Ann Arbor: Wahr, 1947. – P. 198-199.

7. Muehlhausen W. Hessen 1945–1950. Zur politischen Geschichte eines Landes in der Besatzungszeit. / Von W. Muehlhausen. Frankfurt am Main: Insel Verlag, 1985. – S. 465.