Pragmatismo frente a castigo El enfrentamiento de partisanos, gobiernos de unidad nacional y aliados por el papel de l a industria automovilística tras la Segunda Guerra Mundial

The processes of economic purge in fascist or collaborator countries after World War II differed
among them depending on the powers established at the head of the State . The study of its
articulation in Italy, Germany and France proves that the presence of local and national par tisan
or resistance groups came to mean a greater emphasis on the defense of punitive justice and in
favor of imposing a punishment to those who had acted with the enemy, and like the enemy On
the other hand, national unity governments or the military occ upation governments that the
allies articulated in Germa ny were softer in terms of tho se procedures and supported pragmatic
approaches , looking to affect as less as possible the economic elites and to foster the recovery of
Europe.

The cross reading of hi storiography on transitional justice and on post war European
reconstruction, which generally appear separately, allows us to observe how the ruling classes
were not willing to damage an industry promoted by fascism when it was useful in the process of
rec onstruction. The pragmatic and s t rategic thinking was imposed before any effort of
systematic punishment, review or de industrialization. Agressive protectionism was introduced
afterwards to favour the producers an take advantage of their developement.