It was a priority to debilitate Germany's ability to be a threat to security. Decisions made by the ACC were to be unanimously agreed upon by the Counsel. "This design for the occupation of Germany, which presupposed trust and harmony on the part of the allies, was doomed to failure from the very beginning." The demise of the ACC, resulting in a divided Germany, was the product of many factors.
In the aftermath of World War II Soviet-Allied relations hinged on the subject of Germany. Outside of the common interest in Germany's immediate future, Soviet relations with the West were inevitably tainted by an unquestionable clash in political ideological thought. In the years immediately following World War II Germany was viewed as a plague. Gradually, Germany was seen from both the Soviet and American perspectives as an opportunity to tip the ideological scale. .
"Germany occupied the center of Europe. Her geostrategic location and formidable industrial potential made her a crucial factor in the European and global balance of power. Whichever side controlled this vital center could dominate the whole of Europe and tilt the global balance of power against its rival. Lenin's watchword, "Whoever has Germany has Europe," had lost nothing of its truth or relevance." .
The uniform concentration of the world powers coming out of World War II was no doubt focused on Germany. From the Soviet perspective, Germany was key for several reasons. Pragmatically, the weak Western border of the USSR relied on Germany for national security. Ideologically, Germany was an opportunity to increase the communist sphere. From the United States" perspective, supported by Britain and France, Germany was an integral aspect of the "containment" effort. The United States, during 1945-46 began taking measures to secure Germany's deteriorated post-war economy. .
"Soviet opposition to rehabilitation measures designed to make Germany economically self-supporting was taken as evidence of Moscow's intention to move the whole of Germany into the Soviet sphere of influence.
