Aftermath of War: Everyone Must go Home

This book deals with the period immediately following the surrender of the German armed forces in World War II. The book begins where military history ends - on 8 May 1945. It leads the reader through the intricate mesh of events in Occupied Europe following the defeat of Nazi Germany. The Allies had some hard decisions to take, for Europe was paralysed by vast numbers of refugees, displaced people and surrendered enemy prisoners. Furthermore, hunger and disease were an ever present menace. In these circumstances, with housing and infrastructure destroyed and the shattered economies totally unable to support such numbers, there remained only one option 'everyone must go home'.We hear of the differing situations in Germany, and in Austria where Tito's occupation was brewing-up into a major crisis necessitating the urgent movement of people, we now know as 'the repatriations'.Mather has made a meticulous study of the documents of this period. His research is aided by his own personal experience and time in Germany, when he was Liaison Officer to Field Marshal Montgomery. We get some fascinating glimpses of his life at both Montgomery's and Alexander's headquarters; of the 'forgotten war' between Cossack and Italian patriot; and with many other perplexities of the period explained.