Poor Devils: German Contributions to American Flood Relief and the Early Cold War

In July 1951, the American Midwest experienced one of its worst floods in its history up to that point, resulting in hundreds of millions of dollars in damages and the displacement of hundreds of thousands of people. While ostensibly a national issue, the natural disaster also drew the attention of hundreds of German citizens who donated to the relief effort. In the letters accompanying their donations, these Germans emphasized that they wanted to submit a token of their gratitude to the American people and begin to pay back a fraction of what they felt they owed for American humanitarian assistance in the immediate postwar era. Though the American government did not solicit these donations, it saw value in help publicising the donations and their letters. Locked in a propaganda battle with the Soviet Union, American authorities promoted these donations not only as evidence of German-American friendship, but also as evidence that their humanitarian policy at the dawn of the Cold War had achieved significant cultural, political, and diplomatic goals throughout Germany.

Automated summary

In July 1951, the American Midwest was hit by one of its worst floods in history, causing significant damage and displacing hundreds of thousands of people. German citizens also donated to the relief effort, expressing gratitude to the American people for their postwar humanitarian assistance and wanting to repay a small fraction of what they owed. The American government, in the midst of a propaganda battle with the Soviet Union, saw value in publicizing these donations as evidence of German-American friendship and the success of their humanitarian policy in Germany during the early Cold War.