Relationship of General Motors and Ford with Nazis

During the 1920's 30's, the German automobile market was very lucrative and General Motors as well as Ford wanted a big piece of this market to do business.

As time went by, both these companies established factories in Germany which churned out automobiles for Nazi Germany.

Adolf Hitler was an ardent admirer of the - American Assembly Line - style of production. He once famously remarked - "I regard Henry Ford as my inspiration"

Pic - Henry Ford receiving the 'Grand Cross of German Eagle' - the highest medal which Nazi Germany gave to a foreigner, 1938

James D. Mooney, the president of General Motors (Rest of the World Market) was awarded the 'German Order of Merit of the Eagle'

How Standard Oil (now Exxon) fueled the Nazi war machinery

The Standard Oil Group of Companies, of which Rockefeller family had a significant stake helped the Germans significantly before the war and during (accusations alone) the war.

Until late 1920's, Germany used to import around 85% of its fuel needs. However, Germany had huge deposits of coal. In the late 1920's, Standard Oil gave the patented technology of 'Hydrogenation of Coal' to convert raw coal into gasoline in exchange for patented technology on manufacturing synthetic rubber. This patented technology wasn't shared by the company with the US but Germans had access to the same.

Standard Oil also exchanged technology of converting oil stored in Canaries into aviation fuel. Refineries were built in the Canaries and one was also built in Hamburg which produced 15000 tons of aviation to fuel the German Luftwaffe (The bombing of Hamburg during the war were directed also against these refineries).

After the end of first world war, most of the European countries were against the growth of an industrialized Germany. However, the United States invested huge sums of money into the German industries and one of the most important among them was - wikipedia.orgUnion Banking Corporation.

The Union Banking Corporation was headed by Prescott Bush (grandfather of George W. Bush).

After the attack on Pearl Harbor, "Trading with the enemy" an old law was brought into the picture and thus, Standard Oil was stopped from supplying fuel and other deals with the Nazi Germany.

But it is accused that Standard Oil continued to rake in profits by supplying fuel to the Nazis through neutral countries like Switzerland and Argentina.

It is ironic to note that Standard Oil also got into an agreement with Chemical company IG Farben and Standard IG Farben was found.

After the war, it was found that the gas, Zyklon B (used to gas the Jews in the extermination camps) were produced by the IG Farben.