By John Donovan
From time to time we like to highlight events from the long
often-dark history of Royal Dutch Shell.
We have previously published evidence that Shell conspired
directly with Hitler, financed the Nazi Party, was anti-Semitic
and sold out its own Dutch Jewish employees to the Nazis.
This article reveals how Shell collaborated in the Nazi annexation
of Austria and Czechoslovakia in the run up years to World War 2.
Royal Dutch Shell and its long-term leader, Sir Henri Deterding,
who became an ardent Nazi, had a close relationship with
Adolf Hitler and his henchmen. Deterding was the subject of
gushing praise by Hitler.
Rhenania-Ossag was the operating
company for the Royal Dutch Shell Group
in Nazi Germany. Shell was seeking an oil
monopoly in the German market.
As one of the two biggest German oil
companies and the main lube oil
manufacturer, Rhenania-Ossag was an
industry leader in Nazi Germany. Many of
its workers and directors were Nazis.
The Nazi regime did not take control of
Rhenania-Ossag until January 1940.
Following Hitler’s annexation of Austria
on 12 March 1938 and the Nazi occupation of Czechoslovakia
in March 1939, Royal Dutch Shell Group managing directors
sanctioned Rhenania-Ossag taking over the Shell operating
companies in those countries. This meant that a company
dominated by the Nazis gained control over Shell companies
in Austria and Czechoslovakia.
This clearly fell in with the Nazis plans, or otherwise it would
not have been permitted.
This all took place before the outbreak of World War2 and
while Royal Dutch Shell was still in control of all subsidiary
companies, including Rhenania-Ossag.
Most of the above information comes directly from Volume 2
of “A History of Royal Dutch Shell” (page 78) and the remainder
from Wikipedia.
Extract
We have already noted the Nazi government’s appointment of a
Verwalterfor Rhenania-Ossag in January 1940; the Bataafsche
Verwalter subsequently assumed formal control over the
companies in countries under German occupation or in the German
sphere of influence, such as Hungary.
Of the Group’s companies under Nazi control only Astra,
Rhenania-Ossag, and Nafta Italiana continued operating at
their former levels. As we have already seen, Astra was drawn
into the German war effort. As one of the two biggest German oil
companies and the main lube oil manufacturer, Rhenania-Ossag
was an industry leader in the country. Following Hitler’s annexation
of Austria and Czechoslovakia, Group managing directors sanctioned
Rhenania-Ossag taking over the Shell companies in those countries.
142 With the rupture of overseas supplies, Rhenania-Ossag
turnover plummeted, but the company formed part of the official oil
cartel and thus had a share in the processing and distribution of any
oil coming in, which assured a steady, if meagre, flow of revenues.
In December 1940 the Verwalter
activated the hidden financial
reserves built up during the 1930’s
to raise the company’s capital
from 75 million to 120 million Reichsmarks. A year later
Rhenania-Ossag floated a bond loan of RM 60 million to payoff
an old loan from Bataafsche and finance some new installations.
143 Meanwhile, the relationship between parent company and
subsidiary had to some extent been reversed by the appointment
of Rhenania-Ossag’s research director as Verwalter over
Bataafsche’s Amsterdam laboratory, to ensure that it would
contribute to the German war effort.
EXTRACTS END
Astra was the operating company of Royal Dutch Shell in Romania.
Nafta Italiana was the operating company of Royal Dutch Shell in Italy.
Austria was annexed into the German Third Reich on 12 March 1938.
the conquest of Czechoslovakia became Hitler’s next ambition. The
incorporation of the Sudetenland into Nazi Germany left the rest of
Czechoslovakia weak and it became powerless to resist subsequent
occupation. On 16 March 1939, the GermanWehrmacht moved into
the remainder of Czechoslovakia
Staff meeting of the Shell oil factory in Hamburg
Curio-Haus, 8 April 1935.
March of Rhenania-Ossag employees on 1 May 1938
(on the accompanying sign says:
“Operating-cell Rhenania Ossag”)
The TRUTH will set you FREE.
