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The Oligarchs Who Came to Regret Supporting Hitler

www.theatlantic.com The Oligarchs Who Came to Regret Supporting Hitler

They helped him in pursuit of profit. Many ended up in concentration camps.

The Oligarchs Who Came to Regret Supporting Hitler

Sounds familiar...

The New York Times expressed astonishment that Hugenberg, an “arch-capitalist” who stood “in strongest discord with economic doctrines of the Nazi movement,” was suddenly in charge of the country’s finances. Hitler’s “socialist mask” had fallen, the Communist daily Red Banner proclaimed, arguing that “Hugenberg is in charge, not Hitler!” The weekly journal Die Weltbühne dubbed the new government “Hitler, Hugenberg & Co.”

As self-proclaimed “economic dictator,” Hugenberg kept pace with Hitler in outraging political opponents and much of the public. He purged ministries. He dismantled workers’ rights. He lowered the wages of his own employees by 10 percent.

Hugenberg didn’t care about bad press. He was accustomed to being one of the most unpopular personalities in the country.

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