The US Army lifted a partial ban on marriage of military personnel to ‘enemy aliens.’

On 2 January, 1946 the military administration of the US Zone of Occupied Vienna established a procedure for considering marriage applications between American soldiers and Austrian women. Among other things, the application needed to contain all available information about the political and moral convictions of the prospective brides. The consideration period was up to 90 days.

A ban on friendship and intimate relations with women from the enemy camp was imposed in September, 1944 when the United States began military operations in Germany. This was one of many measures under the directive pertaining to relations between the allied occupying forces and German citizens, issued by Commander-in-Chief of the US Army Dwight D. Eisenhower.

The rules applied to all personnel of the Supreme Command of the Allied Expeditionary Force in Europe, and all servicemen on the ground, in the Navy, and Air Force. The measures were designed to enforce the concept of collective guilt attributed to Germany and its people for perpetuating war crimes during World War II.

The ban on marriage between military personnel and German women was lifted almost a year later, on 11 December, 1946.

Source: The New York Times, 3 January 1946.