61340 Vorabseiten_e - Unabhängige Expertenkommission Schweiz

the German economy was to an ever-increasing degree planned by the state and
the Party. Hastily restructured after 1933, it was constantly adapted to the
Nazis’ needs of the moment. At the same time, rivalry between various Nazi
authorities reflecting the system’s polycracy often occasioned paralysis. This
shaky structure had two objectives which were closely linked. The first was to
ensure that Germany was as economically self-sufficient as possible. The Nazi
notion of «expansion of living space» (Lebensraumerweiterung) – territorial
expansion towards the East and the exploitation, in reality the pillaging, of
countries invaded after 1939 – implemented to this programme. Poland and the
Ukraine were to feed the German population at the cost of calculated famine in
the areas stripped of their resources and the enslavement or extermination of the
local population. The second objective was to prepare for and wage war. The
whole of the economy was expected to participate either directly, by producing
the goods needed, or indirectly, by meeting the basic needs of the population so
that it would back the war effort and accept sacrifices. Hitler and his entourage
had reckoned with a short war and a rapid victory; Germany was ill-prepared
for a war of attrition. The first setbacks it suffered (1941/42) forced Germany
to adopt a reorganisation programme aimed at achieving greater efficiency; this
programme was headed by Albert Speer’s ministry, which was accorded
extended powers. In this «total war», production of supplies for the armed
forces prevailed over that of goods for civilian consumption. Swiss subsidiaries
were also urged to modify their production: Schiesser manufactured cartridges
instead of underwear; Sarotti (Nestlé) offered one of its chocolate and biscuits
factories (Hattersheim) along with its entire staff, to an armaments manufacturer
(1942). The other factory, in Berlin, continued its normal operations, but
produced for the armed forces.
These objectives primarily meant privileges granted to sectors of industry
deemed to be crucial for the war: armaments, metallurgy, electrical engineering,
synthetic products (as substitutes for imported crude oil, rubber, and textile
fibres), certain chemicals and pharmaceutical products, as well as foodstuffs
needed by the Wehrmacht or the Germany navy. These sectors were given priority
orders by the state and the armed forces; they were allotted quotas of raw
materials, energy, labour (forced) and, if necessary, locations for factories that
were specially equipped and protected. These resources were distributed by
interprofessional committees and networks («Ringe») under Speer, and supervised
by the state or the Party. The other sectors had to make do as best they
could, either by convincing the authorities of their usefulness in the war effort
thanks to new products (e.g., Nescafé, pain relievers, or vitamin supplements),
or by switching to the production of armaments. Many factories had to close
owing to lack of orders, raw materials, and skilled labour, while others closed
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