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Profit and Politics: How Corporate America Collaborated with Hitler and The NAZIs

During the years 1930–1945, several prominent companies, business leaders, and politicians in the United States and elsewhere were either supportive of or engaged in business dealings with Nazi Germany. This often occurred before the U.S. formally entered World War II or before the full extent of Nazi atrocities became widely known.

Here is a breakdown:

Prominent Companies

1. Ford Motor Company
   • Henry Ford, the founder, was openly anti-Jewish and published anti-Jewish writings, including The International Jew.
   • Ford’s subsidiary in Germany, Ford-Werke, was a major producer of vehicles for the German military. The company profited from wartime production, and there is evidence that forced labor was used in Ford’s German plants during the war.
2. General Motors (GM)
   • GM’s German subsidiary, Opel, played a significant role in Nazi Germany’s war effort, producing military vehicles like the Blitz truck.
   • GM executives were accused of knowing their subsidiary was aiding the Nazi military buildup.
3. IBM
   • IBM’s German subsidiary, Dehomag, provided technology to the Nazi regime, including punch card machines used for census-taking and tracking people, including Jews.
   • These systems were instrumental in organizing deportations to concentration camps.
4. Standard Oil (Now ExxonMobil)
   • Standard Oil supplied Nazi Germany with synthetic rubber and tetraethyl lead, a key additive for aviation fuel.
   • This was done through agreements with German chemical giant IG Farben, which was heavily implicated in war crimes.
5. Coca-Cola
   • Coca-Cola’s German subsidiary continued operations during the Nazi era and developed Fanta as a substitute product during wartime shortages.
6. The Chase National Bank (now JPMorgan Chase)
   • Chase Bank collaborated with Nazi Germany by freezing Jewish accounts in occupied France to comply with Nazi laws.
   • The bank also facilitated financial transactions for the regime.
7. ITT (International Telephone and Telegraph)
   • ITT maintained operations in Nazi Germany and profited from providing telecommunications technology.
   • The company’s German subsidiary worked on projects for the German military, including airplane components.
8. Brown Brothers Harriman
   • This investment bank, associated with Prescott Bush (father of George H.W. Bush), had business dealings with German industrialists tied to the Nazis, including operations involving the Union Banking Corporation.

Business Leaders

1. Henry Ford
   • Awarded the Grand Cross of the German Eagle, a Nazi honor, in 1938.
   • Publicly admired by Adolf Hitler, who mentioned Ford in Mein Kampf.
2. Thomas J. Watson (IBM)
   • Watson, IBM’s CEO, accepted the Grand Cross of the German Eagle in 1937 for IBM’s contributions to German industry, though he returned it later under pressure.
3. Prescott Bush
   • Through his ties to Brown Brothers Harriman, Bush was involved in financial operations that indirectly supported Nazi-affiliated businesses, including Fritz Thyssen’s steel empire.
4. Charles Lindbergh
   • Although not a business leader, the aviator admired Nazi Germany’s military and technological achievements.
   • Lindbergh accepted a German medal in 1938 and was a vocal advocate for American isolationism as part of the America First Committee.

Politicians

1. Senator Burton K. Wheeler
   • A leading isolationist, Wheeler opposed U.S. intervention in World War II and expressed skepticism about anti-Nazi propaganda.
2. Joseph P. Kennedy, Sr.
   • As U.S. Ambassador to the UK, Kennedy expressed defeatist and pro-appeasement views, suggesting that Hitler’s rise was a natural outcome of European politics.
3. Charles Coughlin
   • A controversial Catholic priest and political commentator, Coughlin used his radio program to spread anti-Jewish and pro-fascist rhetoric in the 1930s.

Motivations for Support and Collaboration

1. Economic Profit:
   • Many companies were motivated by financial gain, viewing Nazi Germany as a lucrative market and a counterweight to communist influence.
2. Ideological Alignment:
   • Some leaders admired Hitler’s authoritarian control, economic policies, and anti-communist stance.
3. Isolationism:
   • Politicians and business leaders often justified non-intervention or cooperation with claims of protecting American interests or staying out of European conflicts.

Post-War Reckoning

• After the war, some of these companies faced criticism and investigations for their dealings with Nazi Germany.
• Few were held accountable, as Cold War politics often prioritized economic recovery and countering the Soviet Union over pursuing past collaborators.

Conclusion

The involvement of American companies and individuals with Nazi Germany reflects the complex interplay of ideology, profit, and politics in the pre-war and wartime years. While some justified their actions as business decisions, these ties often enabled the Nazi regime to consolidate power and fuel its war machine.

Read The Complete Special Report Here:

• Part 1: When Did Adolf Hitler Become “The Enemy” in the USA?
• Part 2: Profit and Politics: How Corporate America Collaborated with Hitler and The NAZIs
• Part 3: The Return of the Führer: Why Some Americans Are Turning to Hitler’s Ideologies
• Part 4: The Paradox of Hitler: From Economic Savior to Humanitarian Villain
• Part 5: A Summary: From Neutrality to Opposition to Transformation: The Shifting American Perception of Adolf Hitler

Sources

• Nuremberg Laws | National Archies
• Kristallnacht | Britannica
• America First Committee | Britannica
• Fascism and Economic Policy – Rick Steves Classroom Europe
• The Holocaust Explained: Economic Policy​
• History Learning Site – Nazi Economy​
• United States Holocaust Memorial Museum – Third Reich​
• Holocaust Encyclopedia – Adolf Hitler​

Johnny Punish

Johnny Punish founded VT in 2004.  After 20 years at the helm, he “retired” from the daily operations in late 2023 passing the ball over to the new owner, Chief Justin Time.   He now writes for VT as “Writer Emeritus”.  He is also a global citizen eco-activist, visionary, musician, artist, entertainer, businessman, investor, life coach, podcast host, and syndicated columnist.

Punish is an ethnically cleansed Palestinian-American whose maternal family was evicted from their home in Haifa, Palestine in 1948. He is also the founder and owner of  Coach JP Money, an alternative money freedom media to help freedom-seeking people escape from the $$$ control of the banksters and PunishStudios.com where he publishes his music and related media.

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