we're talking about Versailles again, and the Treaty of Rapallo too
Karl Radek lol
According to a Krupp memo written during the war, “Of the guns which were being used in 1939–1941, the most important were already fully developed in 1933, and many were completed much earlier..."
"The basic principles of armament and turret design for tanks had already been worked out in 1926, and the Krupp factory began manufacturing tanks on a limited scale in 1928"
get this - one week before the Reichstag fire, Hitler called Gustav Krupp, of course, but also 4 directors from IG Farben, Albert Vogler of the United Steel Works, and 20 other executives
but why?
because Göring was telling them:
“We are about to hold the last election,” he began, and paused to let the full implications of that sink in. He continued, saying “Private enterprise cannot be maintained in a democracy”.
Hitler said “Regardless of the outcome” at the polls, there would be “no retreat.” If he lost he would stay in office “by other means… with other weapons.”
they were basically telling them the Reichstag fire was coming
then came the terror elections after the Reichstag fire, which, despite all their trickery, only got them a majority, not the 2/3rds majority needed to formally pass their dictatorship
so what'd they do? basically bribed politicians using the money they got from the aforementioned meeting with industrialists to get past the goalpost
you ever hear about the Adolf Hitler Fund of German Trade and Industry ("Adolf-Hitler-Spende der deutschen Wirtschaft")? it was basically a slush fund big business used to pay off the Nazis for liquidating unions
in 1934, Hitler decreed Gustav Krupp to be the country’s Führer of the economy
now, as we all know, it's instructive to take note of who was where when certain deep events took place, right? like who was in Dallas on 11/22/63, and who was, idk, at Camp Peary at the time, right?
well guess who was at Villa Hügel when the Night of the Long Knives was launched?
that's right, it's Hitler
anyway it's a cool episode, check it out. in a little while, I'll drop a second episode today
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how about one last thread for the road? maybe the second to last?
I’m a fan of Cuba and the Cuban people. Politically, I support ending the embargo and the repeal of the Helms-Burton act. I think Fidel Castro and Che Guevara were some of the most interesting figures of the 20th century. There is much to admire in the Cuban project.
I’m always a fan of subterranean histories, especially when they intersect with insurrectionary and/or revolutionary history. What’s the parapolitics take on Cuba? What still remains to be studied with the Cuban Revolution?
a thread: a couple days ago, Daniela Klette, age 65, of the Red Army Faction’s third generation was arrested.
a lot of people are saying Bellingcat and/or podcasters found her. it's not entirely clear which, but it looks like some German podcasters for like a Most Wanted type podcast found her using AI tools, and then either they or a Bellingcat guy sent it to the cops
via the NYT article, the Bellingcat guy said “Somebody like me, who does not speak German, who does not know much beyond the basic background of Daniela Klette — Why was I able to find such a lead in like literally 30 minutes?”
for various reasons I’m obsessed with the baleada. it’s become one of my all-time favorite dishes.
the baleada is in some ways THE national dish of Honduras. what’s known for sure is that the baleada was invented in La Ceiba on the beautiful northern coast of Honduras. some claim that it was originally a Mayan dish (which I'll discuss later)