A very serious situation is rapidly developing which bodes no good for the world."
~ George C. Marshall
Thirty-nine million Europeans perished during World War II. Thousands of families were separated for a long time. Children grew up witnessing horrific violence. Factories and buildings were destroyed, which caused unemployment. Civilian life was plagued by shortages of food, fuel and medicine. “Ersatz” or artificial substitutes were devised. Europe was physically and economically ruined. Its citizens lost hope for a better future.
Germany: A Savage Country of Destruction and Devastation
In the burning and devastated cities, we daily experienced the direct impact of the war..." ~ Albert Speer (Chief of German War Economy, speaking after the war)
Germany was largely affected by WWII. Around 8 million Germans perished, mostly men. In the postwar era, many Germans were plagued with food shortages and unemployment. About 4.7 million jobs were removed from the German economy due to wartime destruction.
The Winter of 1947
The 1947 European winter was extremely harsh, particularly in Britain. Thousands of English citizens had their homes and few belongings destroyed. The snow fall was as high as 22 feet. Severe flooding occurred in the spring due to melting of snow, which destroyed several towns.
River levels continued to rise. The banks of the Trent burst at Nottingham on 18 March and hundreds of homes were flooded, many to first floor level...The Wharfe, Derwent, Aire and Ouse all burst their banks and flooded a huge area of southern Yorkshire. The town of Selby was almost completely under water. Only the ancient abbey and a few streets around the market escaped inundation. Seventy per cent of all houses in the town were flooded. The flooding issues continued into the spring, bringing a nasty end to the cold and snowy winter" ~ United Kingdom's Met Office (on the winter of 1947)
"If man does find a solution for world peace, it will be the most revolutionary reversal of his record we have ever known." ~ George C. Marshall
Slideshow credits: George C. Marshall Foundation