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> privatization and killing unions under Hitler. That was not defining for the economic policies under Hitler. See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economy_of_Naz
by _19qg 2y ago
> privatization and killing unions under Hitler.
That was not defining for the economic policies under Hitler. See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economy_of_Nazi_Germany https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economy_of_Nazi_Germany
The Nazi economic policy had one goal in the early years: forcing the German economy to concentrate on wartime preparations. Building up the military power and the military economy. All the companies were forced to work towards that goal. Many Germans were put into forced labor ("Reichsarbeitsdienst", ...) to support the build-up of the military and the military economy.
Large amounts of weapons had to be developed and produced: for Heer, Luftwaffe and Kriegsmarine.
The goal was to be ready for a large-scale war in the East in just 4 years.
With the war started, the economy was mostly a state-directed war economy, private or not. Even though there were large private companies they were all directed to work for the war economy.
The Nazis themselves were also involved in large scale industrial production. The Concentration Camps were also producing for the military. "Vernichtung durch Arbeit" (-> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Extermination_through_labour https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Extermination_through_labour )
That the Nazis were supported by leaders of the German industry did not mean that the Nazis were interested in privatizing, market economies or such. There was one goal: reorganizing the German economy to build-up and run the large scale war in the East. The goal was to colonize and enslave East Europe. Finances were concentrated on the war economy and other economic activities were no longer important or even possible. Companies involved would profit from it financially and expand. Companies involved in private sector activities would have a hard time. For example finances and raw materials was with priority allocated to the military economy.
- cenamus 2y agoAnd what after the war? They sure had plans and policies about the economy after it was all transformed to solely support the war effort?
- _19qg 2y agoThey didn't get very far with anything more realistic. A lot of the plans and policies were caused by the development of the war. Hitler himself was not an economist. His background was art and military. His hobby was city architecture and military strategy... A large scale area in Eastern Europe was dreamed about (-> upto 1933) and in 1939 the war started with the attack on Poland to realize this war for Lebensraum, where the Germans then would be the elite race and the others were slaves (or dead). This east european region would provide food, energy, raw materials, ... There were ideas about what this large "Reich" would be like. But that was not close to be realized, given that Germany was deeper in war with every day, on two sides, 1941 onwards: in the east in the Soviet Union and against a US lead war in the west. Germany was busy fighting the war. 43/44 some German economist were beginning design an economy in more detail for a time after a war. But it then became clear that it was after a lost war (with the Nazis no longer in power) and that this time probably was not far away, with then the war being lost in 1945.