If the Modern German State was born out of the Kingdom of Prussia, why did the Potsdam Conference decide to move the Eastern border of Germany to the Oder-Neisse Line rather than removing non traditional Prussian lands like Bavaria or Baden?

by zoob32

I've never really understood the specifics of the decision. What made the Allied parties decide to remove that part of Germany versus other areas?

Brickie78

Two reasons:

Firstly, the move of the border to the Oder-Neisse line was a way of compensating Poland for the eastern Polish territory that Stalin had claimed for the USSR. The western allies argued hard for this adjustment, not least in recognition that it was about the best deal they were going to get for Poland.

  • Source: 1946: Making the Post-War World by Victor Sebestyen.

Secondly, the allies decided to abolish Prussia entirely - although the state had not really been a driving force in Nazi Germany in the same way it was in Imperial Germany, it was still held to be a repository of German militarism and conservatism. Konrad Adenauer in particular argued for the abolition of the name of Prussia and the reorientation of Germany towards the west along the Rhine.

  • Source: The End of Prussia by Gordon A Craig