ERIC Number: EJ1284484
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2019-Nov
Pages: 24
Abstractor: ERIC
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0018-2745
EISSN: N/A
Dealing with the Devil: The Triumph and Tragedy of IBM's Business with the Third Reich
Murphy, Harry
History Teacher, v53 n1 p171-193 Nov 2019
Innovation and invention drive the world forward and thrive off a free market that rewards individuals and companies that can tap into supply and demand. During tragedy, especially wartime, this can take a dark turn when the triumph of invention and profit is gained from human tragedy. International Business Machines Corporation (IBM) saw warfare as an opportunity to capitalize off of both sides. In January 1933, Adolf Hitler was elected chancellor of Germany. Hitler implemented many racial laws that prohibited Jews from public living. IBM's business with Germany began when the United States entered World War I, and IBM's property was seized by the German government for being owned by an international adversary. The profits made from Germany between 1933 and 1945 lifted IBM out of America's "Great Depression" and surged the company to its best performing decade. IBM's business with the Nazis is a stain on American business and a reflection on how far some are willing to go for a profit. The trades with the Third Reich yielded massive capital, which set IBM to dominate the 20th century tech industry, but ultimately calculated the genocide of millions of people. This article presents the triumph and tragedy of IBM's business with the Third Reich.
Descriptors: Corporations, History Instruction, International Trade, Jews, Death, Authoritarianism, War, Laws, Racial Bias, Economic Climate, Industry, Foreign Countries
Society for History Education. California State University, Long Beach, 1250 Bellflower Boulevard, Long Beach, CA 90840-1601. Tel: 562-985-2573; Fax: 562-985-5431; Web site: http://www.societyforhistoryeducation.org/
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Germany
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A