The term implies "an absolute break with the past and a radical new beginning" or a "sweeping away of old traditions and customs".[1] People at the time were living in a devastated country – roughly 80 percent of its infrastructure was in need of repair or reconstruction[3] – which helped the idea that Germany was entering a new phase of history. Scholars[who?] say controversy erupted when families affected by World War II and the Holocaust began to accuse Germany of trying to avoid punishment or guilt after the war.