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The Morgenthau plan, authored by Morgenthau's assistant [[Harry Dexter White]], called for ending the future war potential of Germany by shutting down its heavy industry in the Ruhr. The Ruhr, ­ "should be not only stripped of all existing industries but should be so weakened and controlled that it cannot in the foreseeable future become an industrial area ... All industrial plants and equipment not destroyed by military action shall either be completely dismantled or removed from the area or completely destroyed; all equipment shall be removed from the mines and the mines wrecked." The proposal looked forward to "converting Germany into a country principally agricultural and pastoral in character." In short, turning Germany into "a potato field", castrating males, and deporting the excess population that agricultures could not support to [[Libya]].

The Morgenthau plan, authored by Morgenthau's assistant [[Harry Dexter White]], called for ending the future war potential of Germany by shutting down its heavy industry in the Ruhr. The Ruhr, ­ "should be not only stripped of all existing industries but should be so weakened and controlled that it cannot in the foreseeable future become an industrial area ... All industrial plants and equipment not destroyed by military action shall either be completely dismantled or removed from the area or completely destroyed; all equipment shall be removed from the mines and the mines wrecked." The proposal looked forward to "converting Germany into a country principally agricultural and pastoral in character." In short, turning Germany into "a potato field", castrating males, and deporting the excess population that agricultures could not support to [[Libya]].

The Plan reflected wartime hatred of Nazi Germany, which had started and nearly won two great wars using its industrial base.  The alternative was to reform the German people, and that idea won out. The Plan was strongly opposed by Secretary of State [[Cordell Hull]], by Secretary of War [[Henry Stimson]] and by the British and French because it would make Germans a perpetual enemy.  Hull said: "This was a plan of blind vengeance ... It failed to see that in striking at Germany it was striking at all Europe."  

The Plan reflected wartime hatred of Nazi Germany, which had started and nearly won two great wars using its industrial base.  The alternative was to reform the German people, and that idea won out. The Plan was strongly opposed by Secretary of State [[Cordell Hull]], by Secretary of War [[Henry Stimson]] and by the British and French because it would make Germans a perpetual enemy.  Hull said: "This was a plan of blind [[vengeance]] ... It failed to see that in striking at Germany it was striking at all Europe."  

The plan was [[leak]]ed to press and German Minister of Propaganda [[Joseph Goebbels]] reprinted it, telling the German people what the Allies had in store if Germany lost the war, increasing resistance after the [[Normandy Invasion]], including the use of the [[Hitler Youth]] and [[Volksturm]].  Gen. [[Dwight Eisenhower]] begged President Roosevelt to publicly renounce the plan because the fanatical resistance knowledge of the plan unleashed was getting more allied troops killed.  Roosevelt and Churchill seemed to agree with Morgenthau at the Quebec Conference in Sept. 1944, but in October Roosevelt vetoed the Morgenthau Plan and it didn't go into effect.  A modified version of the plan did however go into effect after the surrender, which caused mass starvation among the German population, primarily women, children and the elderly at that point due to high losses among men of fighting age, for the next two years.

The plan was [[leak]]ed to press and German Minister of Propaganda [[Joseph Goebbels]] reprinted it, telling the German people what the Allies had in store if Germany lost the war, increasing resistance after the [[Normandy Invasion]], including the use of the [[Hitler Youth]] and [[Volksturm]].  Gen. [[Dwight Eisenhower]] begged President Roosevelt to publicly renounce the plan because the fanatical resistance knowledge of the plan unleashed was getting more allied troops killed.  Roosevelt and Churchill seemed to agree with Morgenthau at the Quebec Conference in Sept. 1944, but in October Roosevelt vetoed the Morgenthau Plan and it didn't go into effect.  A modified version of the plan did however go into effect after the surrender, which caused mass starvation among the German population, primarily women, children and the elderly at that point due to high losses among men of fighting age, for the next two years.