ABSTRACT
The disjointed and inconsistent approaches to music displayed by the Allies in the immediate aftermath of German surrender reflect the different planning processes undertaken in London, Washington, Moscow, and Paris. The idea of ‘re-educating’ Germany was discussed first in Britain. As early as 1940, in a series of radio programmes, Sir Robert Vansittart put forward the idea that Germany would have to undergo some kind of ‘spiritual regeneration’ if it was not again to become a threat to European security. Two factors helped to conceal the differences between the Soviets and the Western Allies. Firstly, there was during the war years a significant liberalisation of Soviet musical culture, which became far more open to contemporary international developments. Secondly, and this was entirely coincidental, the ‘Ulbricht group’ contained no musicians, and no one who had a particular interest in or knowledge of music.
