"You will be aloof, watchful and suspicious"
Instructional film for U.S. soldiers, 1945: "Your Job in Germany", text portion (The instructions in this film also applied to Austria during the first weeks following the end of the war).

This film is restricted.

This film will not be shown to the general public without permission of the War Departement.

That is your job in Germany.

They have been trained to hate and destroy.

They believe they were born to be masters.

That we are inferiors designed to be their slaves.

They may deny it now but they believe it, they will try to prove it again.

Don't argue with them, don't try to change their point of view.

Other allied representatives will concern themselves with that.

Your are not being sent into Germany as educators.

We are soldiers.

You will observe their local laws, respect their customs and religion and you will respect their property rights.

You will not ridicule them.

You will not argue with them.

You will not be friendly.

You will be aloof, watchful and suspicious.

Every German is a potential source of trouble; therefore, there must be no fraternization with any of the German people.

Fraternization means making friends, the German people are not our friends.

You will not associate with German men, women or children.

You will not associate with them on familiar terms either in public or in private.

You will not visit in their homes nor will you ever take them into your confidence.

We are determined that the vicious German cycle of war - war - war - shall once

and for all time come to an end.

That is your job in Germany."

Quoted from "Österreich II", a documentary film series for the Austrian Television Network (ORF) by Hugo Portisch and Sepp Riff, 1985.