March 11, 1938, the Wehrmacht crossed the Austrian border, and a few days later IG Farben managers followed suit. His goal was to present a memorandum entitled "A new order for a large chemical industry in Austria." This new order was, in essence, taking control by IG Farben of the Skoda Werke Wetzler, the largest chemical company in the country. The reasons given by IG in their paper were that the absorption facilitate the implementation of four-year plan approved by Hitler, and, incidentally, would eliminate the Jewish influence in the sector because, as IG is responsible for identifying, SWW was controlled by Rothschild. In fact, since before the Anschluss the Rothschilds were aware of the threat posed by IG Farben, and, through its CEO Isador Pollak had tried to avert it by merging with another large company in the sector. Immediately after the occupation of Austria, a government decree ordered the dismissal of all Jewish workers of SWW, and IG is mandated to provide personnel to fill the gaps Aryan. But besides this de facto occupation, and to provide a legal appearance to ownership, IG Farben executives began negotiations with the Rothschilds through their personal representative Josef Joham. The fact is that Joham was also Jewish, thus reducing their bargaining power to zero, as the agents of IG were commissioned, so ominous, to highlight during their talks. Finally, in autumn IG Farben was in possession of documents proving ownership of WWF. Joham then Austria had already fled, but not Isador Pollak, who was literally kicked to death by SS personnel.
The next dish Hitler was the feast of Czechoslovakia, and the September 29, 1938 Chamberlain and Daladier in Munich gave the nod to the intake. IG's attention was focused on two floors of Aussig Verein, the largest Czech Chemical, located in the Sudetenland. The company, to be 25% of Jewish leaders, was considered Jewish according to the parameters of the Nuremberg laws, which enables the authorities to expropriate .. The day after the entry of the German army, Hermann Schmitz sent a congratulatory telegram to Hitler: "Deeply impressed with the return of the Sudetenland to the Reich you, my Fuehrer, has been achieved. IG Farbenindustrie AG offers half million marks for the purposes of this territory. " IG then began negotiations with AV to buy your plants, and the manager was Baron Georg von Schnitzler , one of the most important non-technical managers of IG. A lack of a better weapon of negotiation, representatives of AV were dragging their feet and delay the process until Schnitzler threatened to complain to Hitler's lack of cooperation. This disruption of social peace, he continued, might well serve as a reason for the occupation of the rest of Czechoslovakia. Posts to speak AV representatives with members of the Czech Government, had confirmed that the threats were not unfounded Schnitzler, while they should fix their affairs as they could since they had their own problems. So, in a couple of days the sale was signed AV IG.
In September 1939 Hitler invaded Poland. IG coveted three companies in the sector of the dyes: Boruta, the largest, Wola, a small company controlled by Jews, and Winnica, controlled by French Kuhlmann and the Swiss branch of IG. Schnitzler, she went to the Ministry of Finance to declare that IG was unable to operate the three plants, but the answer he found was more cold. What happened was this. Heinrich Himmler, the SS chief, began to emerge over Göring, the traditional ally of IG. Himmler, who had his own plans for the properties confiscated in the conquered countries, had given orders to his representative in Poland to veto any movement to occur without your consent, so that Schnitzler was now closed. So, seeing the realignment of the stars Nazis, IG began a gradual approach to the orbit of Himmler.
Parallel to the strengthening of the relationship between IG and the Nazis, Carl Bosch was being stripped of all its responsibilities GI. Bosch, who believed that their contributions in the field of manufacturing of synthetic rubber fuel and had been instrumental in the war, was plunged into recurring depressions and took refuge in alcohol, until he decided to leave Germany. In February 1940 he went to Sicily accompanied by a colony of ants that had donated the Kaiser Wilhelm Institute. No wonder that his depression will increase, so soon returned to Germany and died in Heidelberg. Shortly before predicted the imminent fall of France, which, in the medium term, would inexorably Germany itself and IG Farben.
In May 1940 von Manstein tanks crossed the Ardennes, a few weeks later France had surrendered, while England rescued troops from Dunkirk. With each new invasion, IG Farben was responsible for drafting the relevant time the memorandum on the new order of the chemical industry. The written after the fall of France not only detailed the fate of chemical companies from France, Belgium, Holland, Luxembourg, Norway and Denmark but also from Russia, until then an ally of Germany, England, not yet conquered, and even Switzerland. Over time, was also included in their industry in the United States. According to IG, the key to controlling the European market was, in fact, France, and within it the most important company was Kuhlmann. In August, the IG plan was submitted to the Ministry of Economy. According to him, all French companies colors should be merged into one, to be called Francolor , the IG would have a 51% stake, dividing the remaining 49% among French companies. But when the plan was communicated to them so strongly rejected the French, sought to negotiate with IG as equal. After all, Hitler and Pétain in October had signed a pact Montoire which established the basis of collaboration Franco-German " Axis and France have achieved the same interest in seeing the defeat of England in the shortest possible time. Consequently, the French government support, within the limits of their forces, the Axis measures can be taken in this regard . "
* In the spirit of cooperation born Montoire, the French chemical industry representatives arranged a meeting with members German government and IG in Wiesbaden in November 1940. Attended by German Hans Hemmen, economic chief of the German delegation sent to negotiate the armistice, and the inevitable Schnitzler. In Wiesbaden the French began to express their views on equal footing as partners until Hemmen slammed his fist on the table that blew all the papers and left slamming the door. Schnitzler, more educated, translated his words could not forget that France had declared war on Germany and was lost and, therefore, were not in a negotiation between equals, but between winners and losers. The French delegation informed the meeting's results to the French Government, which was alarmed. Not only is the dye industry was considered essential for defense needs, but feared that this would mark the first negotiation guidelines that would occur in other sectors. Meanwhile IG made a new approach using the stick (the threat of confiscating Kuhlmann under the laws of Nuremberg) and carrot (the French make a 1% stake in IG). Finally in November 1941 an agreement was reached.
In summer 1942, Hitler was waging his dreaded two-front war, and mass demonstrations had left depopulated German industries. Are thought to use French labor, but the required total of 350,000 workers, only 30,000 attended. Then he turned to Francolor, which undertook to transfer to Germany to a portion of their workers without consulting them. From then the Germans would relate to the French managers Francolor as "slave traders." ______________________
* However, continuing the agreement, France will be recognized the place "deserved." Fortunately for France after the war was not recognized the place it deserved, but was considered the winner of the war power, entitled to a permanent seat on the Security Council of the UN.
Images, top to bottom:
1. IG Farben Business magazine: "From work to work"
2. Hitler announces Anschluss in the Reichstag.
3. Exterior IG Farben building in Frankfurt.
4. Map: "The achievements of IG in the world"
5. IG Farben Building
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