Ford and Hitler...and GM.....go figure

[240260280z]

Just saw an interesting documentary on the rise of Hitler. It had a great deal of colourized, de-noised, de-scratched and stabilized film from WWI to ~ 1935. An interesting part of the doc. mentioned that Henry Ford was a supporter of the early Nazi party and gave donations to Hitler to help his rise to power. Ford even received the Grand Cross of the German Eagle commendation and a letter of gratitude from Hitler in mid 1938 .

I just did a bit of web digging and found this:

"Ford was also active in Nazi Germany's prewar preparations. In 1938, for instance, it opened a truck assembly plant in Berlin whose "real purpose," according to U.S. Army Intelligence, was producing "troop transport-type" vehicles for the Wehrmacht. That year Ford's chief executive received the Nazi German Eagle (first class)....

The outbreak of war in September 1939 resulted inevitably in the full conversion by GM and Ford of their Axis plants to the production of military aircraft and trucks....On the ground, GM and Ford subsidiaries built nearly 90 percent of the armored "mule" 3- ton half-trucks and more than 70 percent of the Reich's medium and heavy-duty trucks. These vehicles, according to American intelligence reports, served as "the backbone of the German Army transportation system."....

After the cessation of hostilities, GM and Ford demanded reparations from the U.S. Government for wartime damages sustained by their Axis facilities as a result of Allied bombing...Ford received a little less than $1 million, primarily as a result of damages sustained by its military truck complex at Cologne...

"

[psdenno]

And now, an Italian company (Fiat) owns Jeep which was previously owned by a German company (MB) following its ownership by a series of American companies during and after WWII. It's an interesting world.

Dennis

[JLPurcell]

Henry Ford actually produced an anti-Semitic publication in the 1920's.

Due to the fame of its publisher, Henry Ford Sr., The International Jew, a four-volume anti-Semitic work first published in the 1920s, has been a particularly powerful tool for haters trying to validate their hostile beliefs. Though Ford publicly apologized twice for publishing The International Jew, online anti-Semites continue to use his name to promote it.

[Mikes Z car]

I remember reading about a sub base on the U.S. East coast friendly to German subs during WW2. Never have been sure whether that could have been true.

[SteveJ]

Guys, it's useless to follow up Phil's post by virtue of Godwin's Law.

[Zedyone_kenobi]

I would like to pose another law.

When parents of children get together, given enough time, the conversation will always degrade to gross poop stories.

[240260280z]

I remember reading about a sub base on the U.S. East coast friendly to German subs during WW2. Never have been sure whether that could have been true.

I think the republic of Ireland was neutral during WWII.

[bartsscooterservice]

Many people worked with Hitler... the CIA also took high ranking Nazi's to the USA.

[Carl Beck]

As they say in the Mafia - "it's just business - nothing personal".

,

Carl B.

[BenJammin]

Never really thought about it... but because of these things I would reckon no self respecting Jew would ever drive a Ford, GM, or any German, Italian, or Japanese made car, eh ? Probably just mainly Volvos, Saabs, and French and British cars (maybe Chryslers too).

Edited May 13, 2013 by BenJammin