German Economy

1870-1940

To the newspaper reader Hitler’s war schedule up to the crushing of France seemed perfectly timed. But Gustav Stolper is one of several experts who dispute the timing theory. ‘It seems to me that it was disbelief in Russian help that drove Hitler to invade Scandinavia, Holland, Belgium and France.’ Mark the word ‘drove.’ Stolper’s view, against the war and diplomatic and economic background, sounds reasonable. At first Hitler had pinned ‘unbounded hopes’ on Russia as an ally who would enable him to outlast the Allies. What disillusioned him? Lack of deliveries, of course; but something that Stolper doesn’t mention — namely, the war with Finland. This dealt a blow at the Soviet Union the dimensions of which are impossible to figure out.

So we are led to the Stolper conclusion that the attack on the west betrayed ‘ economic weakness.’ Weakness! The word sounds ironical in the light of the post-May 10 successes, yet a success based upon a gamble which economics forced upon Hitler does not invalidate the ascription. And this view is fortified by a review of Germany’s economic history since 1870 written by a man who for years was editor of Der Deutsche Volkswirt. The book is essential to any understanding of Hitler’s Reich.