Chapter 7: Who Named The Nazis? -Hitler Or IG Farben?

National Socialism brings: Peace, prosperity, jobs, and food.

Aside from calling for a "Fuhrer" and gassing millions, I.G. would set other examples for the Nazis to follow. In 1916, the IG chemist and plant manager Werner Daitz was to write;

"A new type of state socialism is appearing, totally different from that which any of us have dreamed or thought of. Private economic initiative and the private capitalist economy will not be crippled, but will be regimented from the points of view of state socialism in that capital will be concentrated in the national economy and will be directed outwards with uniform impetus. It breaks this up into national socialism whose election promise will be: work rather than phrases." (27)

Keep in mind, this is at least three years before Hitler added "National Socialist" to the "German Worker's Party" - where the term "Nazi" comes from. Both Hitler and I.G. were probably tripping off the same Austrian right-wing political vibe, but it seems like I.G. tripped first, doing much to import National Socialism into Germany.

To add further clarity, Italian fascist dictator Benito Mussolini would later explain: "Fascism should more appropriately be called corporatism because it is a merger of state and corporate power." (28)

Corporatism

Notes

(27) Sasuly, Richard, "IG Farben," 1947, Boni & Gaer, p. 53

(28) Benito Mussolini, "What is fascism?" - Encyclopedia Intaliana, 1932, Giovanni Gentile