Hitler, the West and Switzerland

The book 'Hitler, der Westen und die Schweiz' ('Hitler, the West and Switzerland, 1936-1945') contains the independent research of the two historians Walther Hofer and Herbert R. Reginbogin, who are both prominent experts on 20th century history. Professor Hofer is the author of standard works like 'Der Nationalsozialismus. Dokumente 1933 - 1945' ('National Socialism. Documents 1933-1945') and 'Die Entfesselung des Zweiten Weltkrieges' ('Unleashing World War II'), books that ought to be included in every library. Herbert R. Reginbogin, a former lecturer at West Coast University in Los Angeles, works today as a researcher and lecturer for institutions on both sides of the Atlantic. In a preliminary remark, the two authors point out that each of them is solely responsible for the content of his own contribution; however, the two authors share the conviction 'that the conduct of Switzerland in one of the worst periods of its more recent history can only be judged rightly if the historical circumstances of the time are taken into account.' The two authors sometimes harshly -criticise the conduct of those countries and governments that failed to prevent the huge calamity by putting a stop to the NS-regime's aggressive policy. Hofer and Reginbogin's important contributions provide a very necessary corrective to the unscientific and biased studies of the Swiss Bergier Commission. Is this perhaps the reason why the media has kept so quiet about this important study?

ro. In his part, entitled 'Die Schweiz zwischen deutscher Aggression und westlichem Appeasement'('Switzerland between German aggression and western appeasement, 1936-1939'), Professor Walther Hofer clearly points out that the reason why Switzerland got into this plight was no fault of her own, since the political events, upon which Switzerland had no influence at all, were determined alone by the great powers. This is the only way to adequately judge the conduct of Switzerland during the war and to provide a historical and in some degree just appraisal. Hofer does not examine the conduct of Switzerland during the war, but seeks to show how the country got into a situation where it was forced to pursue a policy of survival, which has been so fiercely criticised in recent years. The question is how the catastrophe of another great war could come about in the first place? Hofer explains that the book starts at the point when the conduct of the aggressive powers takes a fateful course, and when at the same time it becomes evident that those nations and governments that sought to preserve peace were lacking in enough courage, resolution and far-sightedness to prevent the impending disaster. He continues that this was the case from the 1930s onwards. Hofer does not content himself with already well-known facts, but supports his statements with inter-national, and above all recent literature, and adds new aspects from documents that had not yet been assessed. This attaches a very important historical dimension to the whole debate, which has so far been systematically neglected. Hofer declares that the question of culpability during the war period cannot be answered conclusively unless the question of guilt and responsibility for the outbreak of the war is settled. This does not mean diminishing Hitler's and his accomplices' guilt, but it becomes apparent that western democracies had plenty of opportunities to resolutely oppose Hitler's terror.

Policy of disregard and dubious compromises

In three lengthy chapters Hofer describes in detail how the Western democracies carried out an unbelievable policy of disregard and dubious compromises with respect to the Rheinland crises in 1936 (chapter 1), during the Austrian demise in 1938 (chapter 2) and when Czechoslovakia was abandoned (chapter 3 ).

During the Rheinland crisis, for example, the leading politicians and military officers in France held on to a disastrous defensive doctrine and completely misjudged the situation. France itself was a deeply divided nation, torn by irreconcilable conflicts in party and social policy. Hitler took advantage of France's weakened position to achieve his goals. Just as England and France accepted Austria's demise without offering the slightest resistance, Czechoslovakia was abandoned. Neville Chamberlain, the British Prime Minister, seems at times to have displayed an almost shocking dilettantism in practically all issues concerning Europe. With respect to the Czechoslovakian crisis, for example, Chamberlain described it as 'a quarrel in a far-away country between people of whom we know nothing.' (This reminds one of current statements issued by various American government and military authorities, i.e. on Afghanistan). In spite of this, Chamberlain sought to use this 'quarrel in a far-away country', one he apparently had no knowledge of, as a touchstone for his policy and settle it in his interest.

Switzerland saw the catastrophe Coming

In the face of such an unsuccessful policy it was not hard for Hitler to unleash the war he had always sought to wage. Hofer illus-trates how the small state of Switzerland also behaved in the context of the difficult time immediately before the beginning of the war, and comes to a very interesting conclusion: 'It becomes impressively clear how in the small neutral state of Switzerland the development of the international situation was more accurately assessed and the evil signs of an approaching catastrophe were recognized much earlier than in the major Western democracies.' Numerous analysed sources confirm the suspicion that if Western coun-tries had been as far-sighted as Switzerland and recognized the signs of the times, the war could have been avoided. Just imagine: The war with its millions of dead and wounded!

The leading European politicians of the day were not familiar with the historically developed structures and problems of the Old World which had been tested by time. They marched with their own interests in mind or with ideological blinkers into the next major war. And how do things look today? Are our current leading European politicians displaying courage and reason in the face of the new campaign for war?

USA and Great Britain Prolonged Second World War

ts. Herbert R. Reginbogin entitled his study 'Enemies and Friends. Eine Analyse der finanzwirtschaftlichen Verflechtungen zwischen den kriegführenden und neut-ralen Ländern 1938 – 1945.' ('Enemies and Friends. An analysis of the financial connections between the warring countries and the neutral countries from 1938 to 1945.') In his preliminary remarks, the American author declares that he wants to reach a better understanding of the scale of the events and the reasons for the Second World War (cf. p. 439). Thus he deliberately takes an opposing point of view to the findings of the Eizenstat report (May 1997).

Let's recall that Stuart Eizenstat, Under Secretary of State in the Clinton administration, in his notorious report accused Switzerland of prolonging the Second World War. Thanks to Reginbogin's well researched investigations, it becomes only too clear to the reader that these allegations against Switzerland are absolutely excessive. The historian says that this allegation of prolonging the war certainly applies to the USA and Great Britain. (p. 439) It is deeply shocking what the reader learns about the economical and financial connections between the countries at war and the neutral countries-Great Britain, Germany, USA, Sweden and Switzerland-from 1938 to 1945.

Business as usual-also with Nazi Germany

Reginbogin comes to the conclusion that the economic and financial links between the British, American and German key-industries and banks before and after the Second World War had as its highest principle 'Business as Usual'. He continues that this policy was pursued unwaveringly, regardless of political developments, the only aim being the maintenance or even growth of the economic influence before and during the war and also in the post-war period. (p. 623)

Concerning the untenable position of the Eizenstat report, Reginbogin explains that if today American politicians, journalists or so-called 'historians' make the European neutral countries and their greed for profit responsible for prolonging the Second World War, one should also be allowed to hold this against the actions of American leading figures in commerce and industry and their banks and key industries. He continues that the transactions between American industrialists and financiers and Hitler's Germany helped to raise the latter's arms potential and to gain strategic advantages before and during the war. (p.623)

The sinister role of the Rockefellers, DuPonts and Fords

Any examples? Reginbogin lists them in abundance:

First he mentions the technical aid provided to the German air force by General Motors and Standard Oil of New Jersey and their know-how transfer for the production of synthetic petrol and the supply of special petrol (lead tetraethyl).

Secondly, he points out the investments and a capital increase for the Ford factories and the GM-plants in Germany until the out-break of the Pacific War at the end of 1941, which to a great extent contributed to the motorization and armouring of the German Wehrmacht.

Thirdly, the author explains that ITT helped to modernise the official communica-tion systems of the Gestapo, the army, the air force and the navy in Hitler's Germany. (p.623 f.) These examples only cover a small amount of all the investments made by the Rockefellers, the DuPonts and the Fords, says Reginbogin (p.623 f.).

In particular Reginbogin also mentions the Chase National Bank; this bank, he says, which was controlled by the Rockefeller family, gave assistance, together with the Henry Schroder Bank, to the German armament and the financing of the German intelligence services in North and South America. He further explains that the Chase Bank in Paris transacted business with the German occupying forces and the Gestapo throughout the war, and although the American bank directors were legally prosecuted after the war, they were never found guilty. (p.607) The Swiss banks, however, were made responsible and wholesale slander of all Swiss people took place. As a result one now eagerly awaits the reopening of the proceed-ings against these US bankers and the above-mentioned concerns ... .

Reginbogin carried out his investigations in the 'National Archives' in Washington and in the 'Special Archive' in Moscow.

General Motors provided Hitler with fuel...

In the three chapters written by Reginbogin, he explains to the reader what is meant by 'Economic Appeasement' and the dubious role of the Bank for International Settlement (BIZ); with surprise the reader learns about the existence of Anglo-German cartels, after which one tries to comprehend the inconsistencies of American policy with all its global involvements and learns that America's neutrality encouraged the expansion of the aggressor states and that in 1977 Albert Speer declared that Hitler would never have been able to carry out the attack on Poland without the fuel technology provided by General Motors. Hitler's 'vice Führer' continues that General Motors played a far more important role than Switzerland when it came to the activation of the Nazi war machinery (p.589).

Society with its own Moral

Finally, Reginbogin points out that is is unfortunately a fact that certain American companies and banks worked for both sides and simply pursued their own interests. According to the author, these people lived in a society with its own morals, it was 'a class of its own'. In addition, at the Nuremberg Trials only the German Nazi industrials were condemned for their crimes against humanity, whereas the collaborators from the Ford, DuPont and Rockefeller families and various others were not brought to account. (p.624) Naturally one is now eager to see this dark chapter reappraised and to have an open discussion about this 'class of its own'. Does it still exist? And what sinister wheelings and dealings are they now involved in? Perhaps in the oil business? Or are they fanning the flames of global wars? Or trying to use the UN for their own purposes? Or ... ?

It is surprising to see how little response this study has evoked among the Swiss left. Is this because of the current dirty deals between high finance and the Trotskyist International? For sure that it is not due to their reading incompetence!

Corrigendum

In our last edition (Current Concerns No 11/12 2001) several passages from the book 'Hitler, der Westen und die Schweiz 1936-1945' by Walther Hofer and Herbert Reginbogin were quoted in the article 'Pro Memoria: The Reichstag Fire'. These quotations, which were mistakenly credited to Walther Hofer, were actually taken from Herbert R. Reginbogin's part of the book.