Figure 1.--NAZI Germany was the largest producer of aluminum when Hitker and Stalin launched World War II (1939) This enabled them to build the world's most powerful airforce. Hitler used it to bomb the cities of countries which defied him. As Brtish Air Chief Marshall Harris explained, "The Germans got the idea that they were going to bomb other countries and no one was going to bomb them." In the end, however, America and Canada massively outproduced the Germans in alunuminium. American and Canadian aluminum not only supplied aircradt factories in the United states and Britain, but also the Soviet Union. And the resulting much larger Allied and Soviet production of aircraft would prove catastrophic to the Germans. As Harris predicted, the Germand would 'reap the Whirlwind'. German cities would be left huge piles of rubble by the end of the War.

Germany led the world in chemistry and had the world's largest and most advamced chemical industry at the turn-of the 20th century. German chemists imroived on the French/American processes that developed the industrial processes to poroduce aluminum from bauxite. Germany did not develop a large aluminum industry before World War I and despite efforts to expand the industry, could not match the Allies. The German Government in the inter-War era attempted to break out of the isolation instituted by the Allies. The Germans when the NAZIs seized power (1933), Hitler begasn preparatuins for another War. The German military was already doing this, but Hitler gave them the resources needed to sigificatly begin prepartions. He also began to prepare Germany econmically. And part of those preparations were to expand the aluminum industry with an eye on building the most modern and powerful air force in the world. NAZI Germany developed the largest aluminum industry in world, exceeding that of the United States. The country, however, had no bauxite resource. Germany had access to Hungarian bauxite mining. Before Hitler launched his massive rearmament program, Germany was getting about half of its bauxite from France. The French cut off that supply (1935). e notice reports of German bauxite ships stranded in Trieste when the War began, but do not yet know where the buxite was coming from--possiblt Dutch Guiana (1939). Of course with the fall of France, the Germans had access to the French bauxite. We do not yet have information to the extent to which they were used. Germany launched the War as the world's leading producer of aluminum (1939). Germany's output of aluminium was 33,000 metric tons out of a world total of 282,000 tons--over 10 percent (1929). ["Germany's ... ] After the NAZI seizure of power, given the imoprtance to aircraft production, a enphasis was palced on aluminum production. Reich-Marshal Göring was invoved in this. German production before the War had risen to 163,600 t out of a world output of 579,900 tons -- nearly 30 percent (1938). The NAZIs saw this as an important advantage and it was. More than 70 per cent of Germany's light alloy manufacturing capacity by the time the War began was Government owned. This is an important point. Too often the NAZIs and Fasicism in general is seen as a form of extreme capitalism. It was not. Steadily during the NAZI era, the Government expanded conntrol and even ownership of industry. The aluninum insustry is just one example. The Government strove to extend the use of light alloys and to manufacture them from domestic raw materials. ["Germany's ... ] A British source describes aluminum mills widely dispersed throughout their country, "... large works at Lauta, to the north-west of Dresden, at Bitterfeld in the Leipzig district and at Rheinfelden in the extreme south-west of Germany. The last is the oldest works, having been started in 1898, while the other two were planned in 1915-17 to meet the needs of the time. Each of the works consist of three main sections ; an electric generating and transforming station, factories housing the groups of electrolytic baths or furnaces and foundries in which the metal is cast into ingots and bars and rolled into sections and sheets." ["Germany's ... ] Göring after Germnany seized Norway launched an effort to utilize that country's hydro-electric power. This was part of a major expansion of aluminum production needed for the War. Göring in 1940 invisioned Aluminum production expanding over 218,000 t, more than 40 percent from existing German capacity. This was to be done primarily in Norway (240,000 t), Italy (100,000 t), and France 95,000 t). [Neukirch, p. 93.] This was to be done outsude the Reich because of the need to utilize available electrical power in these countries. The Germans did not have ebough spare electrrical generating capacity for greatically expnded asluminum production in tyhe Reich. Another iss ue was the over stressed Reichbahn and the need to reduce the strain on the rail system that importing the ore would have involved. The Göring plan failed miserably. As the War continued, Göring raised his goal to 1 million tins of aluminum, using facilities and resources in the Soviet Uniom. The Göring plan in Norway failed miserably. [Frøland and Kobberrød.] And was no more successful than in other countries. Germany needed to expand bauxite imports for its own industry. This increased pressure on the already hard-pressed rail system. As the NAZI Grossraum expanded beyond Hungary, new sources were opened up in Yugoslavia, and Romania. Importing buxite as opposed to alluminum put more strain on the German rail system. The fall of France opened up the now Vichy mines. There was also aluminum to be recycled from Allied aurcraft shot down, but this did not become significant until 1943 by which time the outcome of the War had been largely decided.

World War I

Germany led the world in chemistry and had the world's largest and most advanced chemical industry at the turn-of the 20th century. German chemists improved on the French/American processes that developed the industrial processes to produce aluminum from bauxite. Germany did not develop a large aluminum industry before World War I and despite efforts to expand the industry, could not match Allied profuction of aluminum or aircraft. Despite building excellent aircradt, the Germans lost the air war to the greater industrial capacuity of the Allies. They had, however, built up an umpressive avistion industry. And while the Treaty of Versailles prohibited military aircradt, that expertise did not go away. And the Germans would begin buildin a substantial aluminum industry way before Hitler amd the NAZIs came to power.

Inter-War Era

The German Government in the inter-War era attempted to break out of the isolation instituted by the Allies. The Germans when the NAZIs seized power (1933), Hitler began preparations for another War. The German military was already doing this, but Hitler gave them the resources needed to significantly begin preparations. He also began to prepare Germany economically. And part of those preparations were to expand the aluminum industry with an eye on building the most modern and powerful air force in the world. The NAZIs took many lessons from World War I, but not the big one that Germany was not well situated for a long war against major powers. One of the lessons that Hitler took from World War I was that Germany had to prepare not only militarily, but economically. One U.S. Government official wrote after World War II, "There are few Americans today who will question the statement that the ability to wage a modern, large scale war is as dependent upon industrial and economic resources as it is upon military weapons. An airplane factory is more important than the plane. A sufficient stockpile of bauxite for making aluminum is as important as the stockpile of airplane spare parts. The Germans realized this as a result of their experience during World War I. And when they armed militarily for World War II, they also armed economically and industrially." [Fowler] This of course was something that the Allies were not doing. In fact the NAZI planning was not just building up their aluminum industry, but working through cartels in limiting the building stockpiles in the other major industrial nations they planned to attack. [U.S. Senate] NAZI Germany developed the largest aluminum industry in world, exceeding that of the United States. Although not announced at the time, Hitler and Göring began building the Luftwaffe almost immediately after seizing powers. And as a staff was assembled, they made it clear that Germany needed to begin any new War with a substantial aluminum industry. This thus began very early in the NAZI era (1934). The Germans began to increase annual aluminum production capacity from 40,000 t (1933) to nearly 175,000 tons (1938) Actual production was somewhat less. German alumina capacity was increased to 430,000 annually (1938). Germany acquired two additional smelters when as a result of the Anshluss the NAZIs seized Austria, adding another 38,000 t capacity (1938). This meant that when war came the Germans had an annual capacity of over 210,000 tons. This was the largest installed base of any country in the world and explains why the Germans were able to amass such a substantial air force at the start of the War. The country, however, had no bauxite resource. Germany had access to Hungarian bauxite mining. Before Hitler launched his massive rearmament program, Germany was getting about half of its bauxite from France. The French cut off that supply (1935). We notice reports of German bauxite ships stranded in Trieste when the War began, but do not yet know where the bauxite was coming from--possibly Dutch Guiana (1939).

Source of Raw Material

Germany's greatest weakness in World War II was an almost total lack of critical natural resources. The only major natural resource Germany possessed in real quantity was coal. Aluminum was one of the many vital metal needed by the German war industry, especially the aircraft industry. And Germany had to import virtually all of the bauxite ore neded to produce aluminium. Early German victories were achieved by their modern, all metal aircraft like the Me-109. Germany was largely dependent on Hungary and Yugoslavia for bauxite. In tyhis case, they were resources very close to the Reich. (As opposed to Britain and America which had to transport bauxite long dustrances hiugh U-boat infested waters.) Hungary was a NAZI ally and Yugoslaviaas inaded and ocupied by the Germans in a perfectly executed Blitzkrieg campaign (April 1941). Norway was another source of aluminium, more of a potential source given actual output was a fraction of what Germany needed. As in other occupied countries, Noregian industrialists collaborated with the German ocupation forces. And new factories were built for manufacturing aluminium. The country's abundant hydro-electric power made it the perfect place to produce aluminum. One historian repors that " ... Norwegian companies worked for the Germans, as collaborators, without ideologically having a Nazi orientation. The companies simply continued to operate on the basis of commercial, competitive interests. But by doing so they were actively aiding Germany in its efforts to win the war." [Frøland] After failing to defeat Britain and then invading the Soviet Union and declaring war on America, the Germans needed vast quantities of aluminum, much more than the quantity neded to build the relatively small force used to achieve their early victories. Göring develped a plan to increase Norwegian aluminium production sevenfold. I t was to be a cooperative effort between Norwegian Aluminium Company (NACO) and Norwegian Hydro. The problem was bauxite, the ore used to produce aluminumm. Norway had abundant hydropower, but did not have bauxite and as the war began to go against Germany, getting the needed bauxite to Norway proved impossible.

Creation of the Luftwaffe (1935)

The new Chancellor, Adolf Hitler, soon after taking office appointed one of his cloest associates, Herman Göring, as National Commissar for Aviation and former Lufthansa employee, Erhard Milch, to be his deputy. This enabeled Göring and Milch not only to coordinate the programs alread secretly in place by the German military, but to use the vast new sums approved by Hitler for aew German airforce. Soon afterwards, Hitler created the Reichsluftfahrtministerium (RLM - Reich Air Ministry) (March 1933). The RLM was created to developm and produce new aircraft. Its cover was that it was working on civilian aviation. A test site was opened at Rechlin. Hitler looked on Göring with his World War I experience for expertise in aviation. As a result, Göring had absolute control over all aspects of aviation in the Reich. The NAZIs next seized control of the Deutschen Luftsportverband (DVLA--German Air Sport Association) March 23, 1933). It proceeded to absorb all private and national organizations, while retaining its 'sports' title. The RLM scretly took control of all military aviation organizations (May 15, 1933). While not announced at the time, this was n fact the creatioin of the Luftwaffe. At this time members of the Nationalsozialistisches Fliegerkorps (NSFK--National Socialist Flyers Corps) transferred to the Luftwaffe. As these men were NAZI Party members, this gave the Luftwaff from its very creation, a NAZI core. While the there was considerable support for the NAZIs in the Heer, the other services did not have a NAZI core. Luftwaffe a strong Nazi ideological base in contrast to the other branches of the German military. Göring despite his leadership post, left the development of the new service to Milch and other suborfinates with actual expertise. Führer Adolf Hiter ordered Reichmarshal Herman Göring to formally establish the Luftwaffe (February 26, 1935).

Fall of France (1940)

France had a very substatial bauxite resource, located in the siouth allong the Mediterranean coast. Of course with the fall of France (1940), the Germans had access to the French bauxite. We do not yet have information to the extent to which the French aluminum indutrsy was used. Germany launched the War as the world's leading producer of aluminum (1939).

State Ownership

It is not just the Soviet Union that fought the War with state-owned factories. Contrary to popular belief, a substantuial part of Germny' wa economy was statre oned. The largestrc single operation was not Krup Steel. but Göring industrial conglomerate -- the Reichswerke. More than 70 percent of Germany's light alloy manufacturing capacity by the time the War began was Government owned. This is an important point. Too often the NAZIs and Fasicism in general is seen as a form of extreme capitalism. It was not. Steadily during the NAZI era, the Government expanded conntrol and even ownership of industry. The aluninum insustry is just one example. The Government strove to extend the use of light alloys and to manufacture them from domestic raw materials. ["Germany's ... ] A British source describes aluminum mills widely dispersed throughout their country, "... large works at Lauta, to the north-west of Dresden, at Bitterfeld in the Leipzig district and at Rheinfelden in the extreme south-west of Germany. The last is the oldest works, having been started in 1898, while the other two were planned in 1915-17 to meet the needs of the time. Each of the works consist of three main sections ; an electric generating and transforming station, factories housing the groups of electrolytic baths or furnaces and foundries in which the metal is cast into ingots and bars and rolled into sections and sheets." ["Germany's ... ]

The Göring Plan

The NAZIs had grandiose plans to restructure the European economy to Germany's advantage--creating the NAZI Grossraum. Göring who Hitler put in charge of the economy throughthe Four Year Plan was involved in the project and as head of the Luftwaffe, took a special interest in aluminum. The overall alluminum plan was to move production to occupied Eastern and Cntral Europe where both bauxite and hydro-power existed and to Norway where abuundant hydro-power was availalable, but bauxite had to be imported. This was necessary because Germany did not have the electrical power base to fund a major expansion of aluminum production within the Reich. (Or for that matter anything like the American Manhattan Projct that created the atomic bomb.) wGöring after Germnany seized Norway launched an effort to utilize that country's hydro-electric power. This was part of a major expansion of aluminum production needed for the War. Göring in 1940 invisioned Aluminum production expanding over 218,000 t, more than 40 percent from existing German capacity. This was to be done primarily in Norway (240,000 t), Italy (100,000 t), and France 95,000 t). [Neukirch, p. 93.] This was to be done outside the Reich because of the need to utilize available electrical power in these countries. The Germans did not have ebough spare electrrical generating capacity for greatically expnded asluminum production in the Reich. Another issue was the over-stressed Reichbahn and the need to reduce the strain on the rail system that importing the ore would have involved. The Göring plan failed miserably. It is not as ifv they did not try. Plabts were built and slave workers were employed (4,000 Russian, Ukrainian and French workers). As the War continued, Göring raised his goal to 1 million tins of aluminum, using facilities and resources in the Soviet Uniom. The Göring plan in Norway failed miserably. [Frøland and Kobberrød.] And was no more successful than in other countries. Germany needed to expand bauxite imports for its own industry. This increased pressure on the already hard-pressed rail system. Importing buxite as opposed to alluminum put more strain on the German rail system. The fall of France opened up the now Vichy mines. There was also aluminum to be recycled from Allied aircraft shot down, but this did not become significant until 1943 by which time the outcome of the War had been largely decided. Göring did not give up, however, until the Soviets in the Eeast and Western Allies reached thec Reich birders (October 1944).

Actual Production

World aluminum production declined somwewhat after World War I. And then increased again during the Roaring Twenties. Germany's output of aluminium was 33,000 metric tons out of a world total of 282,000 tons--over 10 percent (1929). ["Germany's ... ] It began to declinev again with the onset of the Depressiion (1930s). The trajectory of thge industry was transformed by the NAZIs and the growth of civil aviation in America, even during the Depression. World aluminum production had reached an all-time high (1937). Germany alone accounted for a third of world production as a result of finacial aid from the NAZI Government. After the NAZI seizure of power, given the imoprtance to aircraft production, a enphasis was palced on aluminum production. Reich-Marshal Göring was invoved in this. German production before the War had risen to 163,600 t out of a world output of 579,900 tons -- nearly 30 percent (1938). The NAZIs saw this as an important advantage and it was. Following the German occupation of Austria, two more smelters were added, further inceasing capacity. Germany surpassed the United States as the largest producer of aluminum in the world (1938-40). Germany produced 211,300 tons of aluminum in 1940, compared to 187,100 tons for the United States. This helped Germany to create the world's most modern and powerful air force which played a huge role in the stunning NAZI military victories (1939-41). German aluminum smelting capacity reached about 341,000 tons per year in 1943 while production reached 282,000 tons. A shortage of electrical power was likely the reason why production did not match capacity.While German aluminum productuin increased by 1943, it was nowhere close to what occurred in America or the highly integrated American-Canadian industry.

U.S. Assessment

The U.S. Senate report on the NAZI effort reached this conclusuin, "The record of the Germans on the whole ofers no convincing proof of their purported organizational genius. They have been able to loot properties, to take over existing facilities and to construct new ones, and to impress labor to work under their direction. But except where they have found collaborators in the financial and industrial leadership of national companies and in puppet governments, they have been unable to achieve any marked success. One reason for their failure may be their inability to mobilize the working people of Europe willingly to fulfill German orders." There is some truth in this, butv they came uncomfortably close to success. But his has to be noted that in the wider war effort that the defeat of the NAZIsequired the particuoation of the Soviet Union--another titalitarian power. Our assessment is that the dynamics of market campitaism in America and Britain created an economic and technological behomouth that NAZI toitalitarianusm and penchabt for warfare could not oovercome. Perhaps the major issue of the 21st century is if by introducing a limited degree of market economics, totalitarian Communist China can achieve what Hitler and his henchmen failed to achieve in the 20th century.

Sources

Fowler, Henry H. Fowler was director of the Enemy Branch of the Foreign Economic Administration. He destified before the Senate Subcommitte of the Committee on Military Afairs. The Subcommittee issued its report on "The Elimination of German Resources for War" (June 22, 1945).

Frøland, Hans Otto and Jan Thomas Kobberrød. "Norwegian Contribution to Göring's Megalomania. Norway's Aluminium Industry during World War II," Dans Cahiers d'histoire de l'aluminium (2009) Vol. 1-2. (N° 42-43), pp. 130-47.

Neukirch, Eberhard. "Die Entwicklung des Leichtmetalausbaues im Vierjahresplan mit besonderer Berücksichtigung der Zeit des grossdeutschen Freiheitskampfes ab 1939," (unpublished manuscript: 1943). Bundesarchiv, Berlin, under Reichsamt für Wirtschaftsausbau R112-150.

U.S. Senate. Subcommitte of the Committee on Military Afairs. "The Elimination of German Resources for War" (GPO: June 22, 1945).

"Germany's aluminium industry," Nature Vol. 46, (November 30, 1940), p. 713.

Created: 11:44 PM 12/14/2022
Last updated: 12:25 PM 12/17/2022