Questions about Flight and expulsion of Germans (1944–1950)

Short answers, pulled from the story.

How many Germans were expelled or fled from Central and Eastern Europe between 1944 and 1950?

Between 1944 and 1950, approximately 12 million Germans fled or were expelled from Central and Eastern Europe, with some estimates reaching as high as 14.6 million when including later migrations and children born to expellees.

What was the death toll of the Wilhelm Gustloff disaster during the Flight and expulsion of Germans?

The Wilhelm Gustloff disaster, where a Soviet submarine sank a German evacuation ship, killed about 9,000 civilians and military personnel escaping East Prussia, making it the largest loss of life in a single ship sinking in history.

When did the Czechoslovak government issue the decree expelling Germans and Hungarians?

Czechoslovak President Edvard Beneš issued a decree on the 19th of May 1945 that termed ethnic Hungarians and Germans unreliable for the state, clearing a way for confiscations and expulsions.

Which countries were the primary destinations for Germans expelled from Eastern Europe?

The largest numbers of expelled Germans came from former eastern territories of Germany ceded to the Polish People's Republic and Soviet Union, with about seven million people expelled, and from Czechoslovakia, with about three million.

Who proposed the idea to expel Germans from Eastern Europe before the Potsdam Conference?

The idea to expel Germans from Eastern Europe had been proposed by Winston Churchill in conjunction with the Polish and Czechoslovak governments-in-exile in London since at least 1942.

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