Corporations and Nazi Germany

Corporations and Nazi Germany

Introduction

Nazi Germany or Third Reich is still one of the most researched, discussed and debated phenomenon of the 20th century because of its unprecedented behaviour and bizarre decisions. This paper will make an attempt at exploring and analysing the role of corporations within Nazi Germany, with a special focus on the role of IBM and IBM's German subsidiary, Dehamog.

Discussion

Hawkins (1997) states that when the movement of eugenics or racial improvement began in the Nazi Germany only during the 1930s but American policymakers began to pass laws concerning the same as early as the 1900s. In fact, Nazi Germany pursued a policy of racial improvement because it felt that while the United States, United Britain and others nations had already begun the process of improving their racial makeup, Nazi Germany, in the near future, would face racial dilution of Aryans, which are the “master race”. They blamed their defeat in the First World War and their decline on the world stage on the increasing diversity of Germany and on interracial marriages. Therefore, when most American corporations, during the early days, saw the Third Reich pursuing policies of eugenics and racial purification, they were not alarmed or perplexed, not until the full scale of mass murders and manslaughter became apparent (Friedrichs, 2009).

There is evidence that suggests that many German and even American corporations supported the Nazis, through funding their activities, and helped bring Hitler in power hoping that they would be able influence him into granting them unique privileges. However, they did not receive any notable privileges from Hitler and his administration, but they continued to support Hitler, primarily because his “Aryanisation” programme and systematic dehumanisation, extradition and killings of the “unfit people” within the country benefited them in several ways (Black, 2009). When Jewish businessmen no longer remained German citizens, their colleagues found themselves taking over their positions. Furthermore, many companies with non-Jewish directors were now able to take-over companies previously headed by Jewish founders or bosses. Furthermore, many companies set up their factories and establishments adjacent to the concentration camps so that they could take maximum advantage of the slave labour (Friedrichs, 2009).

Ford Motors generated a significant share of profits during the 1930 through supplying vehicles and other machinery to the German Army. In fact, by the year 1941, Ford Werke had effectively ceased production of all passenger vehicles and the company had shifted all resources for the production of military tanks. Historians and researchers argue that many corporations such as General Motors, Chase Bank, Random House Publishing, BMW, Nestle, Novartis, Coca Cola and others continued their relations with the Nazi Germany even till the early 1940s (Black, 2009).

Furthermore, experts believe that there is still is a wealth of information and secrets hidden regarding the role of several corporations in Nazi Germany and with the passage of time, historians will be able to unearth more skeletons from the closets of several corporations. For example, only recently, it was discovered that a ...