American Companies: Hitler's Helpers

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Money and power was much more appealing to some American companies during the Holocaust rather than boycotting the Nazi regime. Companies such as IBM and Ford Motor Company helped fuel Hitler’s reign of terror when they could have done something to stop it. How much could Hitler have done without the help of these companies? Why did these companies choose to continue to aid the Nazis in the tragedies of the holocaust? The prospect of big business opportunities within the Nazi regime led large American companies to pursue the possibility of expanding, looking past how they really affected the outcome of an entire race of people.
Background
American companies like IBM and Ford had a good relationship with Germany in the early 1930’s. These companies are both accused of helping the Nazis throughout the Holocaust. IBM made a machine called the Hollerith machine. This machine was used by the Germans to track and identify Jews during the Holocaust. This technology was only made by IBM at this time and Hitler knew that he could use their help with his master plan. Most European countries used this machine to take their censuses (Eisenstadt). The Hollerith machines were manufactured by DEHOMAG or German Hollerith Machine Company. This company was a subsidiary of the American company IBM since 1922 (Eisenstadt). Henry Ford had a part in the American companies who helped egg on the Holocaust as well (Eisenstadt). Ford motor company also had a German subsidiary. The company manufactured military vehicles and weapons of war for the Nazis leading up to the war. Was fattening the CEO’s pockets the reason why an American company would be making war materials for an enemy company? The greed factors in greatly and shows how much these American c...

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...he spirits of those murdered will live on forever.

Works Cited

Black, Edwin. IBM and the Holocaust: The Strategic Alliance between Nazi Germany and America's Most Powerful Corporation. New York: Crown, 2001. Print.
Eisenstadt, Merry M. "Stock Maven® - Business and the Holocaust - Articles | Excerpts."
Stock Maven® - Business and the Holocaust - Articles | Excerpts. Washington
Jewish Week, 17 Sept. 1998. Web. 06 Feb. 2014 http://www.stockmaven.com/ibmstory.htm Eisenstadt, Merry M. "Stock Maven® - Business and the Holocaust - Series Part Two:
Counted for Persecution; IBM's Role in the Holocaust by Merry Madway Eisenstadt." Stock Maven® - Business and the Holocaust - Series Part Two: Counted for Persecution; IBM's Role in the Holocaust by Merry Madway Eisenstadt. Washington Jewish Week, 17 Sept. 1998. Web. 06 Feb. 2014.
http://www.stockmaven.com/ibmstory2.htm

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