I still don’t really understand how Germany got off so easy after WW2.
operation "lapdog" ... the US needed powerful allies post WWII.
allies which were guaranteed to follow their lead.
including the important work of providing a bullwark against russian influence spreading westward in europe.
of the three lead great powers of europe (uk, france, germany along with russia) germany was best placed to play that role, especially in ensuring the barriers against russia held.
During the months May 1936–March 1938 the Third Reich enjoyed its greatest overall prestige and popularity, both in Germany and abroad. On the domestic front the Nazis presented Germany as a country marching in lockstep behind its Führer and his party....
link.springer.com
that's also a reason as to why the allies (USA) didn't fully liberalise / de-nazify germany and instead left many consevative infuences in place.
they re-wrote the schoolbooks, law, constitution etc but left enough prussian, hessian, saxon and bavarian closed mindedness in to ensure the country did not stray too far from western democratic and capitalist ideals.