Red House meeting
| Date | August 10, 1944 |
|---|---|
| Type | • secret • meeting |
| Interest of | Hermann Abs, Dave Emory, Adam LeBor |
| Description | A meeting of an elite group of German industrialists to plan for Germany's post-war recovery, preparing for the Nazis' return to power and work for a "strong German empire". |
Contents
Official Narrative
This meeting doesn't figure in official histories of World War II.
Red House Report
This secret meeting is known to exist as a result of the "Red House Report", a closely typed 3 page summary of the discussion carried out on August 10, 1944. It was was written by a French spy who was at the meeting and sent to British officials and thence by air pouch to Cordell Hull, the US Secretary of State.
Schedule
Morning Conference
The main conference was held in the morning.
Afternoon Conference
A smaller conference in the afternoon, presided over by Dr. Bosse of the German Armaments Ministry, was attended only by representatives of Hecko, Krupp, and Röchling. Dr. Bosse reiterated Bormann's belief that the war unwinnable, but that it would be sustained until certain goals to insure the later economic resurgence of Germany had been achieved. He reminded German industrialists that they must be prepared to finance the continuation of the Nazi Party, which would be forced to go underground, just as had the Maquis in France.
Policy reversal
Both conferences were reminded that Reichsleiter Martin Bormann had cancelled the 1933 Treason Against the Nation statue, which mandated the death penalty for violation of foreign exchange regulations or concealing of foreign currency, was a dead letter. Instead, the new Nazi policy was to export as much of value as possible, not only money and bonds but also patents, scientists, and administrators.
Related Documents
| Title | Type | Publication date | Author(s) | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Document:Princes of Plunder | article | 1999 | David Guyatt | Why, but for a suppressed act of treachery motivated by the safeguarding of vast wealth, the capture of the Arnhem bridge during the Allies' Operation 'Market Garden' might not have been 'A Bridge Too Far' |
| File:Martin Bormann - Nazi In Exile.pdf | book | 1981 | Paul Manning | A deep history of transnational corporate ownership networks originating from the fascist junction of state and economic power in Germany before and during WWII |
