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Lucius Dubignon Clay (April 23, 1898 – April 16, 1978) was an United States Army general and military governor best known for his administration of Germany immediately after World War II, replacing Dwight Eisenhower from 1947-49. He retired in 1949. Clay is considered the "father" of the Berlin Airlift (1948–49).
Clay did not see actual combat during the war. After retiring, Clay served in a variety of advisory positions to subsequent U.S. presidents.
Lucius Clay in The Man With the Iron Heart[]
During Lucius Clay's governorship of Germany, the German Freedom Front intensified its attacks against the Allied occupation. Clay was a vocal supporter of continued occupation.[1] Although Clay's tenure saw the death of Reinhard Heydrich and the public celebration of those who brought Heydrich to justice,[2] it was too little too late. Congress refused to continue funding the occupation, and so American forces withdrew.
Clay presided over the withdrawal into 1948.
References[]
- ↑ The Man With the Iron Heart, pg. 369-71.
- ↑ Ibid., pgs. 504-7.
| Military offices (OTL) | ||
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| Preceded by Joseph T. McNarney |
Military Governor of the U.S. Occupation Zone in Germany January 6, 1947 – May 14, 1949 |
Succeeded by Clarence R. Huebner |
| Commanding General of U.S. Army in Europe March 15, 1947 to May 15, 1949 | ||
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