The Rise of the Third Reich

In May 1931, the Nazi Party-Fatherland People's Party cabinet led by Adolf Hitler had achieved considerable achievements. In the past few months, the "Act on the Restriction of Jews" was passed one after another, the German Bolshevik Party was banned through the arson attack on the Reichstag, and the "Banking Law" was amended to take back control of the German Reichsbank and provide additional funds for the issuance of currency. Creating demand clears the way. In the month when the "Banking Act" was revised, the Reichsbank issued a "job creation bill" worth 1 billion marks to support companies to hire more workers.

In late May, Hitler's government began to formulate the "Cartel Regulations." This regulation stipulates that the Reich Ministry of Economic Affairs has the power to establish new cartels, and all cartels have the power to order outside companies to merge. Any outside companies that object to such regulations may be refused recognition by the relevant cartel, thereby depriving them of rights such as access to raw materials and supplies of goods.

At first glance, this reform is not as eye-catching as "anti-Semitism" or "mark-brushing", but its role in a series of "Hitler's New Deal" cannot be underestimated. It can be said that, together with the revision of the Banking Law, it constitutes the core of the national socialist economic line.

"Ludwig, once this 'Cartel Regulation' is passed, important industries in Germany will be able to form 'cartels' with large companies as the core. Through these 'cartels', the Reich Ministry of Economic Affairs will be able to carry out influence on the German economy. Effective control.”

On the train to Geneva, Switzerland, Adolf Hitler was talking eloquently and promoting the "Cartel Regulations" formulated by the Nazi Party-Fatherland People's Party cabinet to Hessmann. Because this "regulation" will transfer the power of the current Industrial Promotion Committee to the Imperial Ministry of Economic Affairs, turning the Imperial Economic Ministry into a strengthened version of the Industrial Promotion Committee. Although the Industrial Promotion Council is an agency under the cabinet, it has always been controlled by the military. Therefore, if you want to move this matter, you must win the support of the military.

“This would turn the Reich Ministry of Economic Affairs into a state planning committee,” Hersmann said. “The cartels would be similar to the Soviet Ministry of Industry.”

The so-called cartel is an organization such as a business alliance or an industry alliance. It is one of the forms of monopoly organizations and is usually composed of companies that produce or sell similar products.

However, the "cartel" in Hitler's New Deal was not entirely a monopoly organization. It was more like the "industry ministries" like the Soviet Union. Through them, the Reich Ministry of Economic Affairs could use administrative orders to manage a certain industry in Germany.

"It's not exactly the same," Hitler shook his head and said, "The Soviet Union was completely managed by government orders, which is inconsistent with Lister's economics. The government cannot and should not replace the market, but the government must manage the market based on the principle of statism. ”

"I know the difference." Herschmann took a sip from the coffee cup that sat on the table between him and Hitler. This table, fixed to the train floor, is covered with papers.

Most of these documents are related to the international disarmament conference to be held in Geneva. Shortly before Hitler's cabinet came to power, Germany brazenly announced the restoration of compulsory military service and partially tore up the Treaty of Versailles, causing an uproar in Europe. Therefore, the convening of this day's disarmament conference has become an opportunity for Germany, Britain and France to repair relations.

Moreover, Hirschmann also hopes to use this high-profile international conference to continue to sell his private goods-although he is not a member of the Nazi Party or the Fatherland People's Party, he has now become a National Socialist theoretician .

Not long ago, the Army Policy Council he controlled proposed "the supremacy of national interests (national interests) + Lister's economic line + good and sustainable social welfare + taking care of the interests of the middle and lower classes + relative centralization (the degree of centralization exceeds the small governments of Britain, France and the United States, but Weaker than the Soviet Union) big government governance = state socialism" formula.

It also imitated the propaganda methods of the Bolsheviks and launched a pamphlet called "ABC of National Socialism". It began to be distributed everywhere in Germany and was also planned to be distributed abroad. This pamphlet is simpler and easier to understand than Hitler's "Mein Kampf". Any educated adult who spends half an hour can probably figure out what National Socialism is all about.

At the same time, Hirschman's "The Great Depression: The Conspiracy of the Jewish Financial Establishments" also began to become a bestseller. In this era when the whole world except the Soviet Union was suffering from the Great Depression, I don’t know how many politicians and economists are exploring the causes and solutions of the Great Depression, and it is not that no one is pointing the finger at the financial oligarchs.

But a politician who analyzed it as simply and thoroughly as Hersman, and who also implemented policies to attack Jewish financial elites after "taking" power - Hersman's fame is now growing, and he is no longer an unknown figure. A German general, but a small influential political figure - rare in the world. Therefore, after the Nazi Party-Fatherland People's Party cabinet began to implement the ideas "proposed by Hirschmann", many people bought "The Great Depression - The Conspiracy of the Jewish Financial Establishments" and "National Socialist ABC" to find out.

Hersman also hopes to use Germany's successful victory over the Great Depression as a successful example of the national socialist model. This is conducive to promoting national socialism outside Germany, and spreading the ideas of national socialism will undoubtedly increase Germany's allies.

Unlike Hitler's historical overemphasis on racial warfare, Herschman's ideal World War II should be a war of doctrines. It is the struggle between state socialism and capitalism and Soviet socialism!

The victory of state socialism must and can only be based on the superiority of this system. In Hirschman's view, the system of state socialism is actually a correction to the barbaric growth of liberal capitalism. It does not mean to eliminate the free economy and implement a planned economy, nor does it want to eliminate competition...but the Nazi Party clearly has this tendency.

So Hirschmann did not want to give the Nazis total control over Germany's economic policy.

Having made up his mind, Hersman smiled and nodded, "Mr. Prime Minister, of course I agree with rational regulation of the economy. This is the difference between us and capitalism."

State socialism is not capitalism, it is socialism! Although the Soviet Union has not expressed its position so far, this does not prevent Germany from claiming to be a socialist country - the Soviet Union does not have the final right to interpret socialism!

"But the state's regulation should be limited, which is what Listerism emphasizes." Hessman considered, "Things that the market can solve should be left to the market more, and things that the market cannot solve should be left to the market." In my opinion, there are not many areas that require state regulation at present, including finance, steel, chemical industry, mining, aviation, shipbuilding, railways, urban construction, public utilities, people's housing and foreign trade. And some areas. Of course, if Germany is about to face war in the future, the departments that require state control will be greatly increased.”

"In other words, you think that the Cartel Regulations do not apply to all industries in peacetime?" Hitler asked calmly.

He seems to have accepted the situation of Nazi-Juncker co-governance. After all, the Juncker group is now very powerful and cannot be shaken by the Nazi party.

"Yes," Hessman emphasized, "except in wartime." He paused, "And we are bound to go to war. Only through war can we use national socialism to save Europe!"

"Of course, we must go to war!" Hitler said with certainty.

"Therefore, current economic regulation must take into account the needs of future wars!" Hersman looked at Hitler's gray-blue eyes. "In the past ten years, the Wehrmacht has been quietly intervening in the German economy to support future wars. A vital industry... From now on, our intervention is successful. I think we must continue to intervene until the war is won!"

Hitler frowned and said nothing, just looked at Hersmann quietly.

"So I think we should reorganize the Industrial Promotion Council and turn it into the General Council of German Economics, with the imperial government and the Wehrmacht jointly appointing the committee members." Hessmann paused and glanced at Hitler, who still did not show any anger. expression. "Of course, Mr. Chancellor, you must be the chairman of the German Economic Council."

It became a little silent inside the carriage, and the only sound that could be heard was the clang, clang of wheels hitting the rails.

I don’t know how long it took before I heard Hitler ask in a faint voice: "Ludwig, you know, I have always wanted to fight, so I will not ignore investment in heavy industry and military industry under any circumstances! I will build a whole world The most powerful war machine in the world!"

Hessmann smiled. He knew what Hitler said was true. However, the German economy controlled by the Nazi Party was similar to the Soviet Union in history. There was a certain degree of imbalance. There was not enough investment in agriculture and light industry and too much control. As a result, Germany's grain production has been stagnant at the level of the early 1930s, and it must import around 4 million tons of grain every year.

"Adolf, I know you really want to win a world war," Hessmann said with a smile. "Our goals are the same. Our Wehrmacht has done more research on this issue. In fact, we started formulating it around 1920. planned. So we know what to produce and how much to produce, so we have to participate in the German Economic Council, which is a necessary condition for winning a world war.

Moreover, have you, the Nazi Party, ever studied how to integrate the economies of European countries with Germany in the future? "