Published online by Cambridge University Press: 01 May 2007
The reason why a fuller understanding of the significance of the Hitler dictatorship did not emerge in prewar democracies remains a question of enduring historical interest. This article examines the way in which Unilever, one of the earliest multinational corporations, responded to the challenges of political risk posed by the Third Reich, and how aspects of business activity that gave rise to moral issues were weighed against the need to survive commercially. The realisation that Unilever could be seen as an unwitting accomplice in the dictatorship's criminal activities seems to have come late to the company. While corporate culture reflected the values of contemporary society, multinational business was partly responsible for the failure to sound the alarm over the unique dangers inherent in National Socialism.
Pour les historiens, la raison pour laquelle une véritable compréhension de la signification de la dictature d'Hitler n'a pas émergé au sein des démocraties de l'entre-deux-guerres reste durablement une question d'un grand intérêt. Cet article analyse comment Unilever a répondu au défi du risque politique posé par le Troisième Reich. Il examine comment des aspects de son activité économique suscitant des questions morales ont pesé contre la nécessité de survivre commercialement. C'est seulement tardivement qu'on a réalisé qu'Unilever pouvait être vue comme une complice involontaire dans les activités criminelles de la dictature. Tandis que la culture de la firme reflétait les valeurs de la société contemporaine, le commerce multinational était en partie responsable de ne pas avoir donné l'alarme sur les grands dangers inhérents au national socialisme.
Weshalb die Demokratien der Vorkriegszeit kein umfassenderes Verständnis von der Bedeutung der Hitler-Diktatur entwickelten, bleibt eine Frage von historischem Interesse. Dieser Aufsatz analysiert, wie Unilever auf die politischen Risiken infolge des Dritten Reichs reagierte, und wie Aspekte des Geschäftslebens, die zu moralischen Fragen wurden, gegen die Notwendigkeit des kommerziellen Überlebens abgewogen wurden. Die Erkenntnis, dass Unilever möglicherweise als unbewusster Mittäter der kriminellen Handlungen der Diktatur gesehen werden könnte, scheint dem Unternehmen erst spät in den Sinn gekommen zu sein. Während die Unternehmenskultur die Werte der damaligen Gesellschaft widerspiegelte, waren multinationale Unternehmen mit dafür verantwortlich, nicht auf die dem Nationalsozialismus immanenten speziellen Gefahren aufmerksam gemacht zu haben.
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8 Charles Wilson, The History of Unilever: A study in Economic Growth and Social Change, Vols. I and II (London: Cassell, 1954).
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20 UARM, Supporting Documents to Special Committee minutes (hereafter SD), 76, minutes of meeting between Fabian and authorities, 4 March 1932.
21 UARM, SD, 75, ‘Currency Positions in Central Europe – Germany’, J de Blank, 3 March 1932.
22 UARM, minutes of Special Committee with Continental Committee, G30, 19 July 1932, ‘National Socialist Party’.
23 UARM, DMC, 30 March 1933.
24 Straumann and Wildmann, Schweizer Chemieunternehmen, 64; Peter Hayes, Industry and Ideology: IG Farben in the Nazi Era (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1987), 90–1.
25 UARM, DMC, 16 March 1933.
26 UARM, Special Committee with Continental Committee, G34, 25 April and G46, 15 Nov. 1933.
27 For details see Wubs, ‘Unilever between Reich and Empire’, 53.
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39 UARM, DMC, 30 Aug. 1934.
40 UARM, DMC, 12 Sept. and 24 Oct. 1935.
41 UARM, SD 1754, translation copy of company letter to Reichswirtschaftministerium, 4 Nov. 1935, marked for the attention of Wohltat.
42 UARM, DMC, 21 May and 8 Oct. 1936.
43 UARM, DMC, 8 July 1937 and 24 March 1938.
44 UARM, DMC, 18 Aug. 1938.
45 UARM, DMC, 23 March 1939; Albert Van den Bergh was in the chair.
46 Straumann and Wildmann, Schweizer Chemieunternehmen, 357.
47 UARM, DMC, 13 and 20 Feb. 1936.
48 UARM, SD 2061, note by Rykens, 15 June 1936.
49 UARM, minutes of Special Committee with Treasury, J222 and J241, 13 Feb. and 2 July 1936 respectively.
50 UARM, DMC, 24 Oct. 1935.
51 UARM, SD 3574, 8 April 1939. The report refers to the company as ‘Bayerische Motoren’.
52 James, Deutsche Bank, 82.
53 Hayes, Degussa, 75.
54 UARM, DMC, 24 Oct. 1935.
55 UARM, DMC, 23 July 1936. Unilever, like other multinationals, appears to have negotiated with certain Jewish proprietors in order to provide some compensation and help outside Germany. In line, perhaps, with the need to maintain secrecy, contemporary documentary evidence is sparse. For details see Wubs, ‘Unilever between Reich and Empire’, 64–5.
56 Straumann and Wildmann, Schweizer Chemieunternehmen, 71.
57 UARM, SD 3042, C. Santkin (Berlin) to Nairn (London), letter dated 9 May 1938.
58 UARM, SD 3254, Treasury Schedule, 5 Oct. 1938. The specification of transfers includes an item for Rm 0.5 million for Tellmann.
59 UARM, SD 1886, 24 January 1936, and SD 1923, 4 March 1936.
60 UARM, DMC, 31 Oct. 1935.
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