The USA, Britain and France (Western powers) all took the process of denazification very seriously
Once Germany surrendered, the Allies put various measures in place to remove any remaining Nazi regime influence
Leading Nazis were arrested
All Germans over 18 had to complete questionnaires detailing their past political activities and beliefs
Around 50,000 senior public officials were investigated and dismissed
They also investigated teachers, doctors as well as leaders of businesses and industries
September 1945 - they created the German Review Boards, run by Germans appointed by Allied military and answerable to it
By 1948, these boards had investigated 3.5 million cases (5,000 trials; 4,000 guilty; 500 executed)
Western powers introduced a programme to of re-education; this demonstrated all the horrors the Nazis committed
After 1948, Western powers eased the denazification programme and focused on rebuilding Germany