Leiden University Student Repository

Knoppers, Joep Alexander (2016)

"Imagination is more important than knowledge" Post-war Austria through American eyes, 1945-1948

Master thesis | North American Studies (MA)

The American occupation between 1945 and 1948 is analysed through the eyes and minds of American political officials working in Austria. The interaction between Austrian government officials and State Department officials, working at POLAD (USFA) and the US legation in Vienna, form the basis of this thesis. In search of America's post-war objectives in Austria this thesis discovered more than just that. The analysis indicates that the American assessment of the situation was increasingly influenced by dubious intelligence and, conflicting interpretations of domestic and international events. Uncertainty over Austria's future (imagination) became more important than actual facts and figures (knowledge) in determining policies. Both the American political officials and Austrian government contributed to the questionable notion that the country faced a considerable communist-Soviet threat, creating a potentially dangerous precedent for the future.

Post-war

Cold war

International relations

Occupation policies

United States

Austria

Anti-communism

Author

Knoppers, Joep Alexander

Faculty

Faculty of Humanities

Specialisation

MA North American Studies

Supervisors

Scott-Smith, Giles

ECTS Credits

20

Language

en