In September 1944,

despite over a half a year still remaining in World War II,

the Allies began preparing for an eventual post-war world.

One of the biggest questions being discussed was,

what to do with Germany.

After two world wars with Germany in just a quarter century, no one wanted a third.

One American official developed a plan which would basically destroy Germany as a modern country

to prevent them from ever making war again.

Learn more about the Morgenthaw plan and the attempt to destroy Germany on this episode of

Everything Everywhere Daily. Thank you. Several months after the invasion of Normandy, the writing was on the wall for Nazi Germany.

While the war wasn't yet over and there was still a lot of fighting to be done, it was pretty obvious the direction the war was heading.

The Allies who had been focused on winning the war now began to give a little attention to what the post-war world was going to look like.

Everyone was aware of the mistakes

made after the First World War which led to the Second World War. That wouldn't

happen again because this time there wouldn't be a negotiated surrender. The Allies had always said

unconditional surrender as their objective and they were not going to deviate

from that position. That implied an invasion of the German homeland and

eventually occupation of the country. But then what? What would happen in Germany?

Would it remain a unified country? What would happen to its economy? And most importantly to the

allies, would they be looking at a resurgent Germany again in just a few decades looking to start another war?

These concerns might seem silly in hindsight, but they were not at all silly in the middle of the war. Enter into the story,

one Henry Morgenthaw Jr.

...