The November 1948 West German General Strike
Nine million workers in the American and British-occupied sectors staged a one-day work suspension to protest skyrocketing inflation and frozen wages
I don’t usually do German history posts back to back, but while I was researching my November 9 article, I found several links in German-language media about the November 12 Generalstreik in the West German Bizone (the sectors of west Germany occupied by British and American forces after the end of World War II).
It was the largest general strike ever in the former West Germany and I had never read anything about it.
I can’t find any mention of it in English-language sources, likely because American and British news outlets were focused on the Berlin Blockade and subsequent Berlin Airlift that were happening at the same time.
(Note: All excerpts and quotations below have been translated from German into English.)
Inflation, currency reform and low wages
On November 12, 1948 - 77 years ago this past Wednesday - around 9 million workers in the American and British sectors (this is out of a total workforce of 11 million) staged a 24-hour work stoppage to protest unaffordable food prices coupl…
