The war in Europe ended in May 1945. The western two thirds of Germany were now divided into four military occupation zones, with the United States taking on control of most of the southern part of the country. 1945 was also the year in which Leschnitzer authored a memorandum entitled "An Immediate Program for the Reconstruction of the German School System". He was keen that the next generation of Germans should have a closer understanding of the interplay of German history with Jewish history and culture, as a way to bring "the two peoples together".