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World War II devastated the international markets for British American Tobacco (BAT). This article uses new archival documents to show how BAT successfully navigated political and social obstacles in military-occupied Germany (1945–1948) to become the leading non-German tobacco concern in West Germany. It reveals BAT's lobbying strategy used a 'revolving door' with the British and American occupation administrations and a targeted message that aligned with changing military priorities. This coordinated approach allowed BAT to overcome military resistance to big business, oppose high tobacco taxes, and push for greater foreign tobacco imports. It ultimately helped the company lay foundations for expansion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This analysis traces the evolution of the denazification programme in American-occupied Germany from 1945–1948. At the close of the Second World War, high-level American policy-makers proclaimed their determination to drive all Nazis out of power. However, the realities of denazification differed from American officials’ goals; additionally, their objectives in Germany dramatically changed over time. Monitoring German public opinion about the occupation, and keeping public opinion positive, proved of central importance to Military Government officials. They actively promoted denazification in an attempt to bolster German attitudes toward the programme. Using Office of Military Government of the United States documents, this analysis examines the decision to wind down the American denazification programme and shows that the decision came in April 1947 because of negative German public opinion. In place of denazification, American Military Government officials recommended increasing emphasis on reorientation. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]