Back in Time Today
During World War II, while American soldiers fought against Hitler’s forces, some U.S. companies maintained business relationships with Nazi Germany.
These corporations prioritized profits over ethical considerations, often continuing operations in Germany even as the Holocaust unfolded.
Their actions raise troubling questions about corporate responsibility during one of history’s darkest chapters.
1. IBM’s Punch Card Systems Tracked Holocaust Victims
IBM’s German subsidiary, Dehomag, provided crucial technology that powered the Nazi death machine. Their custom-designed punch card systems helped identify, track, and process millions of Jews and other victims. Each prisoner received a specific IBM Hollerith number tattooed on their arm.
The technology enabled Nazi officials to efficiently manage transportation schedules, camp populations, and even track causes of death. While American soldiers fought against fascism abroad, IBM’s machines were helping orchestrate genocide.
Company leadership knew about these applications but continued business relationships throughout much of the war, placing corporate interests above human lives.
2. Ford’s German Operations Powered Nazi Military
Henry Ford, a notorious antisemite, maintained deep connections with Nazi Germany through Ford-Werke, the company’s German division. Even after Pearl Harbor, Ford’s factories in occupied countries assembled thousands of military vehicles for Hitler’s Wehrmacht.
Ford’s personal admiration for Nazi ideology earned him Germany’s highest honor for foreigners – the Grand Cross of the German Eagle – presented in 1938. Hitler kept a photo of Ford in his office and praised him in Mein Kampf.
After the war ended, Ford successfully lobbied the U.S. government for compensation for bomb damage to its German facilities despite their wartime production for the enemy.
3. General Motors Built Nazi War Machines
General Motors owned Opel, Germany’s largest vehicle manufacturer, which became instrumental in Hitler’s war effort. Opel produced the iconic ‘Blitz’ trucks that transported German troops during the invasions of Poland, France, and the Soviet Union.
GM executives maintained control of Opel until 1942, approving military production while receiving handsome profits. The company even modified designs specifically for German military applications.
After Allied bombing damaged their German facilities, GM pursued compensation from the U.S. government, effectively asking American taxpayers to reimburse them for property losses incurred while manufacturing vehicles for the Nazi military.
4. Coca-Cola Created Fanta Specifically for Nazi Market
When war made importing Coca-Cola syrup into Germany impossible, the company’s German branch refused to shut down. Instead, they invented an entirely new beverage in 1941 – Fanta – to keep profits flowing under the Third Reich.
The orange-flavored soda became hugely popular throughout Nazi Germany and occupied territories. Max Keith, who ran Coca-Cola Deutschland during this period, was a member of the Nazi party and kept operations running smoothly.
While American soldiers faced German bullets, Coca-Cola’s German operation continued paying dividends into special accounts, waiting to reap financial rewards after the conflict ended.
5. Chase Bank Froze Jewish Assets While Aiding Nazis
Chase Bank’s Paris branch collaborated enthusiastically with Nazi occupiers after France fell in 1940. While other American banks closed their French operations, Chase remained open, freezing Jewish customers’ accounts on Nazi orders and seizing assets from those attempting to flee persecution.
The bank’s managers in occupied France marked Jewish-owned accounts with a special code – “J” – to facilitate their identification and eventual confiscation. These actions went beyond mere compliance with occupation rules.
Chase’s parent company in New York maintained communication with its Paris branch throughout much of the war, prioritizing financial interests over humanitarian concerns even as reports of concentration camps emerged.
6. Standard Oil Fueled the Nazi War Machine
Standard Oil (now ExxonMobil) formed cartel arrangements with German chemical giant IG Farben – the same company that manufactured Zyklon B gas for death camps. Their partnership provided Nazi Germany with patented processes for synthetic rubber and high-octane aviation fuel, critical for the Luftwaffe’s bombing campaigns.
Despite growing evidence of atrocities, Standard Oil fought U.S. government attempts to restrict these technological transfers. The company continued shipping fuel components to Nazi-friendly countries that redirected them to Germany.
When public outrage erupted after Pearl Harbor, executives defended their actions as merely protecting valuable business interests, showing callous indifference to how their products were being used.
7. Kodak’s European Branches Served Hitler’s Regime
Kodak’s German branch dismissed Jewish employees immediately after Hitler’s rise and converted its production to military supplies. The company’s factories in Nazi-occupied countries manufactured triggers, detonators, and optical equipment for German weapons.
Unlike some corporations that lost control of European operations, Kodak maintained communication with these branches throughout much of the war. The company even processed film brought back by German soldiers from Poland showing atrocities.
After the war, Kodak suppressed this history while seeking compensation for property damage to its German facilities – facilities that had directly contributed to the Nazi war effort.
8. Alcoa’s Aluminum Deals Delayed Allied Aircraft Production
America’s aluminum giant Alcoa maintained patent agreements with German companies that severely limited aluminum production in the United States. These agreements created artificial shortages that hampered American aircraft manufacturing just as the war began.
U.S. government investigations revealed that Alcoa’s international cartel arrangements with I.G. Farben and German metal companies effectively gave Nazi Germany an advantage in early aircraft production. Some historians believe these delays cost thousands of Allied lives.
When Congress threatened to break up the company’s monopoly, Alcoa finally increased production capacity – but precious years had been lost while German bombers devastated European cities.
9. ITT Profited from Both Sides of the Conflict
International Telephone and Telegraph (ITT) owned significant stakes in German armaments manufacturer Focke-Wulf, which produced some of the deadliest fighter planes used against American forces. Their German subsidiaries built essential components for V-1 “buzz bombs” that terrorized London.
The company’s founder, Sosthenes Behn, met personally with Hitler to arrange these profitable partnerships. Even more shocking, ITT’s American factories simultaneously produced equipment for U.S. military use.
After the war, instead of facing penalties for aiding the enemy, ITT successfully claimed $27 million in war damages from the U.S. government for Allied bombing of their German factories – factories that had been building weapons to kill Allied soldiers.
10. DuPont’s Pre-War German Partnerships Aided Nazi Rearmament
Chemical giant DuPont formed extensive patent agreements with German companies that helped build Hitler’s war machine. Their technology transfers before the war enabled Nazi Germany to develop synthetic rubber, plastics, and explosives essential for military expansion.
The company maintained these relationships despite growing evidence of Nazi persecution. DuPont executives expressed admiration for German industrial efficiency and authoritarian labor policies in internal communications.
When America finally entered the war, DuPont seamlessly pivoted to become a major Allied supplier – profiting enormously from both relationships. This two-faced approach exemplified how corporations hedged their bets while people suffered under fascism.