Hitler's Beneficiaries: Plunder, Racial War, and the Nazi Welfare State (56 page)

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Authors: Götz Aly

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30.
“Einkommensteuer erhöht,” Wirtschaftlicher Pressespiegel, Nov. 23-29, 1942, PA AA R 107904.
31.
“Die niederländische Staatsschuld,” Wirtschaftliche Tageschronik, May 15, 1942, PA AA R 107903. This mimeographed information circular was put out by the press division of the Reich Commission for the Maintenance of German Ethnicity. As of June 21, 1942, it was called the Wirtschaftlicher Pressespiegel.
32.
“Die niederländische Staatsschulden,” Wirtschaftlicher Pressespiegel, Sept. 28-Oct. 3, 1942, Jan. 25-31, 1943, PA AA R 107904, 106869.
33.
RKK administrative council, Jan. 15, 1941, BA R 29/1, pp. 38-46.
34.
Rinkefeil to RFM (Breyhan), May 21, 1942, BA R 2/30666.
35.
Reichsbank economics division (Kretzschmann), Besatzungskosten in den nord- und westeuropäische Ländern [Occupation Costs in Northern and Western European Countries], Aug. 26, 1941, BA R 29/2, pp. 71-77.
36.
RWM, monthly status report on the general and economic situation abroad (March 1944), NA T 71/59, microfilm 785-99.
37.
RWM, monthly status report for the Netherlands (Hoffmann), March 10, 1944, NA T 71/59, microfilm 761-62.
38.
RFM (Litter), Gefährdung der Guldenwährung [Threats to the Guilder], April 6, 1944, BA R 2/56059, p. 205.
39.
“Wirtschaftsprüfstelle,” Tägliche Wirtschaftsbeobachtung, Sept. 19, 1940, PA AA R 107901.
40.
“Steuerdruck auf das Wirtschaftsleben,” Wirtschaftliche Tageschronik, May 6, 1942, PA AA R 107903.
41.
Correspondentie, vol. 1, pp. 816-28.
 
42.
Nieuwe Rotterdamsche Courant, May 8 and 11, 1942.
43.
RFM (Breyhan), meeting with Schwerin von Krosigk, Feb. 6, 1942, BA R 2/14552, pp. 165ff.; RK, Feb. 9, 1942; the Netherlands were to pay the contribution to the war against Bolshevism retroactively from July 1, 1941, ibid., p. 168; Göring to Schwerin von Krosigk, April 20, 1942, ibid., p. 176. The Reichsbank received bars of gold from Holland and transferred 2, 784 reichsmarks for every kilogram of refined gold. On May 16, 1942, the Reichsbank’s board of directors informed the finance minister that “a first shipment of 767 bars of gold has been delivered from the Nederlandschen Bank N.V., Amsterdam, as a contribution of the Dutch government to the eastern campaign.” The shipment weighed 9, 420 kilograms and had a value of more than 26 million reichsmarks (ibid., pp. 178, 182-83). The files also contain records of further transactions.
44.
Herbert, Best, pp. 251-322.
45.
On Michel’s support for the rebate law of 1933, see Aly, Rasse, pp. 61-63. In 1938, together with the Gestapo and the NSDAP, Michel was responsible for appointing military-economic leaders; see RWM (Michel) to local and government presidents, Dec. 7, 1938, NI-12513 (NA RG 238/case XI/microfiche32).
46.
RWM (Funk) to Foreign Office, Berlin, Oct. 10, 1940, AN AJ 40/1019 (the German currency commissioner in France, p. 27).
47.
For Scheffler’s biography, see Gerlach and Aly, Kapitel, pp. 215ff.
48.
RFM (Berger) to Foreign Office, Berlin, Sept. 9, 1940, NA RG 338/case XI/F44, microfilm 884-85.
49.
RKK administrative council, Feb. 27, 1943, BA R 2/13502, p. 110.
 
50.
Göring conference at Berchtesgaden, April 28, 1943, NA RG 238/case XI/microfiche 28 (NG-3392). Michel was among the participants.
51.
French note on German-French relations [April 1941], PA AA (BA) 61136; German embassy, Paris (Gerstner), to Foreign Office trade division, July 3, 1941, AN AJ 40/1021, pp. 49-50.
52.
Schachtschnabel, “Finanzwirtschaft; Der französische Staatshaushalt,” Bank-Archiv (1943), p. 76; RWM, monthly status report for France, Feb. 10, 1944, NA T 71/59, pp. 750-52. In 1942, according to German reports, 157.5 billion francs were siphoned off from the French budget for occupation costs and clearing advances. This amount was more than the total “expenditures for French purposes” (153.9 billion francs). In 1943, these expenditures fell to 143.4 billion, while occupation costs and clearing advances rose to 281.6 billion francs—that is, 200 percent of French state expenditures. Progress report (Schaefer), April 5, 1944, PA AA R 106959, pp. 2-3; aide-mémoire (Hartlieb and Hemmen), Französiche Finanzlage und Vorschläge zur Deckung der Ausgaben [The French Economy and Suggestions for Covering Expenditures], May 7, 1943, Archive de la Banque de France 1397199501/12.
53.
Archive de la Banque de France 1397199501/12, p. 1; progress report (Hartlieb), Feb. 1945, HAdDB B 330/4600, pp. 7, 15.
54.
Französiche Finanzlage [The French Financial Situation] (Germany embassy, Madrid), Jan. 21, 1945, PA AA R 106959.
55.
Progress report (Hartlieb), Feb. 1945, HAdDB B 330/4600, pp. 65, 76ff.
56.
Ibid., p. 5; Évolution de la trésorerie et des dépenses publiques 1938-1945, SAEF B 0060911/1.
57.
Arnoult, “Finances,” p. 39.
58.
Foreign office trade division (Reinel), Nov. 7, 1942, BA R 2/14552, p. 68; OKW (Kersten) to Foreign Office, Berlin, Nov. 6, 1942, PS-1741.
59.
RFM (Berger) to Four-Year Plan (Gramsch), Jan. 15, 1941, BA R 29/1, pp. 25-26. On the actual uses of the money, see RKK main administration to RFM, Feb. 21, 1941, ibid., p. 89; Umbuchungen [transfers] 1941, BA R 29/2, pp. 82, 163ff.; RFM (Bayrhoffer) to RVM, Dec. 10, 1940, AN AJ 40/1124 (Besatzungskosten A IV [Occupation Costs Account A IV]); Feindvermö-gen [Enemy Assets], AN AJ 40/589, p. 42.
60.
RFM (Mayer), Result of Calculations 1941, Aug. 6, 1942, R 2/24250.
61.
Account A VI of the RKK, Paris, 1941, AN AJ 40/1124; WaKo, May 24, 1941, NG-3630.
62.
RFM, Oct. 14, 1942, Reich secret, BA R 2/14552, p. 15; MBiF, intendant director to OKW, Jan. 18, 1943, pp. 114ff.
63.
Progress report (Hartlieb), Feb. 1945, HAdDB B 330/4600, pp. 6, 11.
64.
RFM, Primetex, Nov. 30, 1942, BA R 2/14553, pp. 35-36.
65.
Papiers Monange, Postwar Investigations, SAEF B 57045.
66.
Aufbau, Aufgaben und bisherige Tätigkeit der Roges [Expansion, Mandate, and Current Activity of Roges] [Feb. 1942], BA R 2/30536, pp. 3-4.
67.
RFM (Bussmann) to RHK, Oct. 24, 1940, AN AJ 40/1124. (There are hundreds of examples of these practices in this unpaginated file.) Heinz Schmid-Lossberg, Rüstungskontor GmbH, etc., June 8, 1945, SAEF B 57045, p. 12.
68.
DSK, France to all bank auditors, Ankauf von ausländischen Wertpapieren durch Deutsche Interessengruppen [Purchase of Foreign Securities by German Groups], Oct. 18, 1941, AN AJ 40/1027 (DSK 2.5); RWM (Schlotterer) to Bank der deutschen Arbeit and other banks, Oct. 24, 1940, ibid, (chief customs inspector Kambartel).
69.
DSK, France, shares of the Compagnie Française des Mines de Bor, Feb. 21, 1941, AN AJ 40/1027 (chief customs inspector Kambartel).
70. DSK, France (Hartmann), to the Banque de Paris et des Pays Bas, Dec. 1, 1941, AN AJ 40/1027 (DSK 2.5)
71.
RFM to RHK, Dec. 6 and 9, 1940, AN AJ 40/1124.
72.
Besatzungskosten-Kto. Frankreich A I [Occupation Costs Account France A I], Finance ministry announcements (Oct. 15, 1940-April 5, 1943), AN AJ 40/1124. (Numerous other examples can be found here.)
73.
RFM to RHK, Oct. 17, 1940, NA AJ 40/1124.
74.
Umbreit, “Kontinentalherrschafr,” p. 239.
75.
Progress report (Hartlieb), Feb. 1945, HAdDB B 330/4600, p. 17.
76.
Foreign Office, Berlin (Rahn) Vorschläge zum deutschen-italienischen Clearingverkehr [Suggestions on German-Italian Clearing Transactions], Nov. 1, 1943, BA R 2/30601.
77.
For the broader context, see Klinkhammer, Bündnis;“Das neofaschistische Sozialisierungsprogramm,” Neue Zürcher Zeitung, Oct. 31, 1944, BA R 8119F/10883.
78.
Agent general of the Wehrmacht in Italy, Jan. 27, 1944, BA R 2/30597, p. 104.
79.
RFM, BA R 2/30597, pp. 143-44.
80.
RFM, Wirtschaftsbeziehungen zu Italien [Economic Relations with Italy], Nov. 20, 1943, BA R 2/30601.
81.
Bernhuber and Orgera, ASBI, Azzolini archive, Ufficio speziale di coordina-mento, 00520010155ff.; Banca d’Italia Conto No. 5019 intestato al minis-tero Dr. Rodolfo Rahn, Nov. 2. 1943-April 4, 1946, ASBI, Banca d’Italia segreteria particolare 493/5, pp. 17ff.
82.
German embassy, Italy, finance division (Schmidt) to RFM (Berger), June 29, 1944; Agent general of the Wehrmacht in Italy, status report (July 16-August 15, 1944), BA R 2/30598, pp. 94ff., 135ff.
Chapter 6: Room for Expansion: Eastern Europe
 
1.
Monthly report of the commissioner of the National Bank of Belgium, March 9, 1943, appendix, p. BA-MA RW 36/363.
2.
Lemkin, Axis, p. 62; MBiF to OKH general quartermaster, Dec. 7, 1940, BA R 2/14601, pp. 5ff.; RFM (Breyhan), Lohntransfer der in Deutschland beschäftigten ausländischen Arbeiter [Transfer of Wages for Foreign Workers Employed in Germany], May 1944, BA R 2/30909.
3.
Tätigkeitsbericht des Delegierten der Reichsregierung für Wirtschafts- und Finanzfragen bei der Franzäsischen Regierung [Activities Report of the Delegate of the Reich Govnment for Economic and Financial Questions to the French Government] (Hartlieb), Feb. 1945, HAdDB B 330/4600, p. 9.
 
4.
RFM (Breyhan), Lohntransfer ausländischer Arbeiter [Transfer of Wages for Foreign Workers], May 1944, BA R 2/30909.
5.
Foreign Office, Berlin (Rahn), Vorschläge zum deutschen-italienischen Clearingverkehr [Suggestion on German-Italian Clearing Transactions], Nov. 1, 1943; RWM (Süsskind-Schwendi), position paper, Nov. 10, 1943, BA R 2/30601.
6.
AOK 16, quartermaster general to local commission, Jan. 21, 1942, BA R 29/111.
7.
BA R 2/31097.
8.
VO zur Sozialausgleichsabgabe [Ordinance of Social Equity Levy], RGBl. 1/1940, p. 1077.
9.
See Reichstarifordnung für polnische Landwirt. Arbeiter [Decree for Polish Agricultural Workers], Jan. 8, 1940, in Oertel, “Kriegsfinanzierung,” p. 702, and (though inadequate) Herbert, Fremdarbeiter, p. 107. The commensu-rately low tax revenues for the Reich amounted to a state subsidy for both small farmers and large agricultural firms, a policy that, in turn, kept German food prices low.
10.
Discussion of decree, Geheimes Preussisches Staatsarchiv, Berlin, Rep. 77/307/4, 141, pp. 148-53.
11.
Gesetze zur Änderung des Einkommensteuergesetzes [Laws to Alter the Income Tax Law], RGBl. 1/1938, p. 99, RGBl. 1/1939, pp. 283ff.
12.
Aly, Tunnel, pp. 64-65; Kaemmel and Bacciocco, Einkommensteuergesetz, p. 498.
13.
Frank’s diary (Präg and Jacobmeyer), pp. 293, 297; Finance Division of the GG (von Streit), Discussion with the General Governor, Oct. 4, 1940, AAN Reg. GG/796, pp. 292ff.
14.
PK der NSDAP to Reinhardt, May 26, 1942, BA R 2/56926.
15.
RFM, Einkommensteuerliche Sonderbehandlung der Juden, Polen und Zigeuner [Special Income Tax Treatment of Jews, Poles, and Gypsies], June 11, 1943, contribution to the discussion by Hunsche (Reichssicherheits-hauptamt [Reich Central Security Office]), BA R 2/56926.
16.
According to the ordinance on the taxation and labor-law situation of eastern workers (RGBl. 1/1942, pp. 42, 86, 419-20; RStBl. 1942, pp. 265, 705), maximum weekly net wages were set at 17 reichsmarks. But hardly any eastern workers earned the gross weekly wage of 70 reichsmarks needed to reach that sum. See Abzügetabelle für Ostarbeiter [Deduction Table for Eastern Workers] (Reich Labor Ministry), June 1942, NG-1952.
17.
VO über die Einsatzbedingungen der ter [Ordinance on the Conditions for the Use of Eastern Workers], June 30, 1942, sections 8, 13.
18.
“Das Sparsystem für Ostarbeiter,” Bank-Archiv (1942), pp. 339-40; RKK main administration, Ostarbeiter-Sparen [Eastern Workers’ Savings], June 2, 1942, BA R 29/112; Oertel, “Kriegsfinanzierung,” pp. 702-03.
19.
Oertel, “Kriegsfinanzierung,” pp. 702-03; Eichholtz, Geschichte, vol. 2, pp.217ff.
20.

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