[Applause] of all the symbols of German militarism one stood out crup Industries backbone of the German military industrial complex for [Music] Generations the crup factories headquartered in Essen had been hit by Al bombers beneath the rubble much Machinery was surprisingly still operable or could be [Music] saved crups managers had preserved what they could of their industrial plant and maintained 65% production through [Music] March one of the American soldiers entering Essen was Counter Intelligence Aid Alex rafaeli a european-born Jew he had earned a doctorate in political science at heidleberg he spoke German and Russian like a
native he was known to his colleagues in cic 216 as a superb interrogator as soon as we entered Essen I was directed to Villa hugall the cr's palatial residents and the headquarters of his Enterprises Alfred krup a heart-based man in his late 30s stood surrounded by our military AR policemen at the entrance to a huge Gray Building that looked more like a factory than a private [Music] residence the military policeman turned him over to us and on the spot I decided that he would be treated like any other Nazi [Music] prisoner shortly raphaeli proceeded to
interrogate kup Hitler's way was totalitarian did you approve the methods life is a fight for survival Brad and Power I'm blunt for there is a need to be so in hours of bitter defeat in this tough fight we needed strong and tough leadership Hitler gave us both do you still back him are you a Nazi no I changed our government cheated the people we didn't really know what went on WE crops never cared much for ideologies all we cared for is a system which is efficient and gives us the opportunity to work undisturbed politics is
not our line with considerable industrial plants Still Standing the most obvious corporate offenders like IG farbin had some of their factories blown up many of the old firms crup Seamans diimler Benz and the components of IG farbin were effective monopolies and the ground rock of the Nazi regime's military might they were the target of what the Allies called dismantlement and decaration designed to break their exclusive hold on economic power in June 1947 a year later the United States made a dramatic and major step towards the recovery of post-war Europe the new secretary of state General
George Marshall called for massive and coordinated European economic recover y the American Aid became known as the Marshall Plan the Western zones of occupation in Germany were surprisingly included as major [Music] recipients as capital flowed into Germany many of the same firms that had worked for the Nazis now applied their energies to peacetime product and to providing jobs for German Workers [Music] even as German industry began to revive a second round of Trials known as the nurmberg economic trials began in August 1947 the accused were top industrialists such as Alfred krup Friedrich flick and the
IG farbin managers men who had been the backbone of German industry during the war effort these nberg trials were more controversial than the first many Germans saw them as a kind of Revenge of the victors aimed at satisfying Western public opinion and keeping Germany down prosecutors be the industrial underside of the German war machine providing evidence that Alfred kup had both supervised war production and was an active member of the Nazi party he regularly exchanged intelligence information a crop Factory at the aitz complex produced fuses for the war effort crup had permitted and even encouraged
slave labor signing detailed contracts with the SS thousands had died from hunger and beatings not just at aitz and far away but in company Factories at Essen on July 31st 1948 after 9 months of trial Alfred crup was sentenced along with nine members of the firm's board of directors crup received a 12-year sentence he had expected that and then surprisingly judges announced that both his personal and Company property would be confiscated thus shattering the corrup dynasty Witnesses recall that crup grew [Music] faint political Affairs was the line of John J McLoy the US assistant Secretary
of War who personally accompanied American forces into Germany though from a modest background McLoy was a former Wall Street lawyer and very much of the American foreign policy establishment 50 years old at the time McLoy was a key policymaker who hadn't wanted to bomb the aitz death camps a diversion he thought from the main goal beating the Germans but he was shocked by what he saw of German destruction with military rule due to be replaced by a civilian one a new Allied in American leadership came to Germany for 4 years John J McCloy had been
engaged in an active private life as lawyer president of the World Bank and as consultant to the powers that be considered one of America's wisen in his spare time he advised presidents and Statesmen now in mid 1949 President Harry Truman asked him to take up the post of US military governor and shortly civilian High Commissioner McLoy arrived to a job that as much as any would determine the future of Europe and post-war stability McLoy supported measures to clear Germany's conscience and rehabilitate its name under Adenauer Germany began negotiations with Israel and Jewish groups for reparation
payments to Hitler's victims adnar am mounted pressure on McLoy to Halt densification and modify the nurenberg sentences [Music] a specially appointed board after a Year's review recommended widespread [Music] clemency in January 1951 in an action that many outside Germany found shocking McLoy commuted paroled or reduced sentences on 79 of 89 war criminals he affirmed only five of nine death sentences most Germans reacted positively the most controversial of the decisions had to do with Alfred kup McLoy released him effectively sweeping much of Germany's Nazi past under the [Music] rug McLoy also restor the crop family fortune
overnight making a convicted war criminal one of the world's rich [Music] men Alfred crup came back home welcomed by friends family and crop workers and managers though there were still demands for its dissolution in effect the crup firm was preserved normaly had returned to Germany [Music] [Applause] [Music]
