Big business
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| - | The '''National Socialist German Workers' Party''' (abbreviated '''NSDAP'''), commonly known in English as the '''Nazi Party''', was a [[political party]] in Germany between 1920 and 1945. Its predecessor, the [[German Workers' Party]] (DAP), existed from 1919 to 1920. The term ''Nazi'' is German and stems from ''Nationalsozialist'', due to the pronunciation of Latin ''-tion-'' as ''-tsion-'' in German (rather than ''-shon-'' as it is in English), with German [[Z]] being pronounced as 'ts'. | + | '''Big business''' is large-scale, corporate-controlled, financial or business activities. As a term, it is typically used to describe activities that run from "huge transactions" to the more general "doing big things." The concept first arose in a symbolic sense after 1880 in connection with the combination movement that began in American business at that time. United States corporations that fall into the category of "big business" include [[ExxonMobil]], [[Wal-Mart]], [[Apple Inc.|Apple]], [[Google]], [[Microsoft]], [[General Electric]], [[General Motors]], [[Citigroup]] and [[Goldman Sachs]]. The largest German corporations include [[Daimler AG]], [[Deutsche Telekom]], [[Siemens]] and [[Deutsche Bank]]. Among the largest companies in the United Kingdom are [[HSBC]], [[Barclays]] and [[BP]]. |
| - | The party was founded out of the [[Far-right politics|far-right]] [[Racism|racist]] ''[[Völkisch movement|völkisch]]'' [[German nationalism|German nationalist]] movement and the violent [[Anti-communism|anti-communist]] ''[[Freikorps]]'' paramilitary culture that fought against the uprisings of [[communist revolution]]aries in post-[[World War I]] Germany. Advocacy of a form of [[socialism]] by right-wing figures and movements in [[Germany]] became common during and after [[World War I]], influencing Nazism. [[Arthur Moeller van den Bruck]] of the [[Conservative Revolutionary movement]] [[Neologism|coined]] the term "[[Third Reich]]", and advocated an ideology combining the nationalism of the right and the socialism of the left. Prominent Conservative Revolutionary member [[Oswald Spengler]]'s conception of a "[[Preussentum und Sozialismus|Prussian Socialism]]" influenced the Nazis. The party was created as a means to draw workers away from communism and into ''völkisch'' nationalism. Initially, Nazi political strategy focused on [[Big business|anti-big business]], [[Bourgeoisie|anti-bourgeois]], and [[Anti-capitalism|anti-capitalist]] rhetoric, although such aspects were later downplayed in order to gain the support of industrial entities, and in 1930s the party's focus shifted to anti-Semitic and anti-Marxist themes. | ||
| - | To maintain the supposed purity and strength of a postulated 'Aryan race', the Nazis sought to [[Genocide|exterminate]] or impose exclusionary segregation upon "[[Degeneration|degenerate]]" and "[[Asociality|asocial]]" groups that included: [[Jews]], homosexuals, [[Romani people|Romani]], [[Black people|blacks]], the [[Physical disability|physically]] and [[Developmental disability|mentally handicapped]], [[Jehovah's Witnesses]] and political opponents. The persecution reached its climax when the party controlled German state organized the systematic murder of approximately six million Jews and five million people from the other targeted groups, in what has become known as [[the Holocaust]]. | + | ==History== |
| - | The party's leader [[Adolf Hitler]] was appointed [[Chancellor of Germany]] by President [[Paul von Hindenburg]] in 1933. Hitler rapidly established a [[totalitarianism|totalitarian]] regime known as the [[Nazi Germany|Third Reich]]. Following the defeat of the Third Reich at the conclusion of [[World War II]] in Europe, the party was "completely and finally abolished and declared to be illegal" by the [[Allies of World War II|Allied]] occupying powers. | + | ===19th century=== |
| + | The [[Industrial Revolution]] of the late 18th and 19th centuries led to the formation of many manufacturing businesses, some of which eventually grew to a size that might be termed as "big business." The first business sectors that reached this size class (i.e. large concentrations of assets and earnings within individual corporations) were [[rail transport|railroads]] and [[History of the steel industry (1850-1970)|steel]], along with several large [[merchant bank]]s that financed the rapid growth (e.g. [[J.P. Morgan & Co.]]). The latter half of the 19th century saw more technological advances and corporate growth in additional sectors, such as [[Petroleum industry|petroleum]], [[Machinery industry|machinery]], [[Chemical manufacturing|chemicals]], and [[Electrification|electrical equipment]]. (''See'' [[Second Industrial Revolution]].) | ||
| + | ===Early 20th century=== | ||
| + | The [[automotive industry]] began modestly in the 19th century, but grew rapidly following the development of large-scale [[gasoline]] production in the early 20th century. | ||
| + | |||
| + | ===Post-World War II=== | ||
| + | The relatively stable period of rebuilding after [[World War II]] led to new technologies (some of which were spin-offs from the war years) and new businesses. | ||
| + | |||
| + | ====Computers==== | ||
| + | The new technology of [[computer]]s spread worldwide in the post war years.{{Citation needed|date=April 2010}} Businesses built around computer technology include: [[IBM]], [[Microsoft]], [[Apple Inc.]] and [[Intel]]. | ||
| + | |||
| + | ====Electronics==== | ||
| + | Miniaturization and [[integrated circuit]]s, together with an expansion of [[radio]] and [[television]] technologies, provided fertile ground for business development. Electronics businesses include [[JVC]], [[Sony]] ([[Masaru Ibuka]] and [[Akio Morita]]), and [[Texas Instruments]] ([[Cecil H. Green]], [[J. Erik Jonsson]], [[Eugene McDermott]], and [[Patrick E. Haggerty]]). | ||
| + | |||
| + | ====Energy==== | ||
| + | [[Nuclear power]] was added to [[fossil fuel]] as the main sources of energy. | ||
| + | |||
| + | ==Criticism of big business== | ||
| + | The social consequences of the concentration of economic power in the hands of those persons controlling "big business" has been a constant concern both of [[economist]]s and of [[politician]]s since the end of the 19th century. Various attempts have been made to investigate the effects of "bigness" upon labor, consumers and investors, as well as upon prices and [[competition]]. "Big business" has been accused of a wide variety of misdeeds that range from the [[exploitation]] of the [[working class]] to the [[Political corruption|corruption]] of politicians and the fomenting of [[war]]. | ||
| + | |||
| + | ===Influence over government=== | ||
| + | Corporate concentration can lead to influence over government in areas such as tax policy, trade policy, environmental policy, foreign policy, and labor policy through [[lobbying]]. In 2005 the majority of Americans believed that big business has "too much power in Washington". | ||
| + | |||
| + | ===Human rights and working conditions=== | ||
| + | German industry collaborated with their [[Nazism|Nazi]] government during the [[Nazi Germany|Third Reich]], thus exploiting the [[working class]] in the interest of productivity and efficiency. | ||
| + | |||
| + | <blockquote> | ||
| + | Hitler's order offered German capitalists, badly hit by the great recession, the prospects of huge profits. German workers did, admittedly, enjoy full employment, but, as William Schirer has said, this was at the cost of being reduced to serfdom and poverty wages. It was not long before these conditions became the lot of the whole of occupied Europe. | ||
| + | </blockquote> | ||
| ==See also== | ==See also== | ||
| - | * [[Anschluss]] | + | *[[Big labor]] |
| - | * [[Ex-Nazi Party members]] | + | *[[Big Chocolate]] |
| - | * [[Glossary of Nazi Germany]] | + | *[[Big government]] |
| - | * [[List of Gauleiters]] | + | *[[Big Oil]] |
| - | * [[List of Nazi organisations]] | + | *[[Big science]] |
| - | * [[List of Nazi Party leaders and officials]] | + | *[[Big Tobacco]] |
| - | * [[List of SS personnel]] (also lists NSDAP numbers) | + | *[[Big Media]] |
| - | * [[Mass suicides in 1945 Nazi Germany]] | + | *[[Corporate republic]] |
| - | * [[National Socialist Program]] | + | *[[Evil corporation]] |
| - | * [[Nazi Germany]] | + | *[[Megacorporation]] |
| - | * [[Nazism]] | + | *[[Small business]] |
| - | * [[Neo-Nazism]] | + | *[[Zaibatsu]] |
| - | * [[NSDAP/AO]] | + | |
| - | * [[Sino-German cooperation (1911–1941)]] | + | |
| - | * [[Socialist Reich Party]] | + | |
| - | * [[Swastika]] | + | |
| - | * [[Volkssturm]] | + | |
| {{GFDL}} | {{GFDL}} | ||
Revision as of 21:56, 26 March 2013
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Big business is large-scale, corporate-controlled, financial or business activities. As a term, it is typically used to describe activities that run from "huge transactions" to the more general "doing big things." The concept first arose in a symbolic sense after 1880 in connection with the combination movement that began in American business at that time. United States corporations that fall into the category of "big business" include ExxonMobil, Wal-Mart, Apple, Google, Microsoft, General Electric, General Motors, Citigroup and Goldman Sachs. The largest German corporations include Daimler AG, Deutsche Telekom, Siemens and Deutsche Bank. Among the largest companies in the United Kingdom are HSBC, Barclays and BP.
Contents |
History
19th century
The Industrial Revolution of the late 18th and 19th centuries led to the formation of many manufacturing businesses, some of which eventually grew to a size that might be termed as "big business." The first business sectors that reached this size class (i.e. large concentrations of assets and earnings within individual corporations) were railroads and steel, along with several large merchant banks that financed the rapid growth (e.g. J.P. Morgan & Co.). The latter half of the 19th century saw more technological advances and corporate growth in additional sectors, such as petroleum, machinery, chemicals, and electrical equipment. (See Second Industrial Revolution.)
Early 20th century
The automotive industry began modestly in the 19th century, but grew rapidly following the development of large-scale gasoline production in the early 20th century.
Post-World War II
The relatively stable period of rebuilding after World War II led to new technologies (some of which were spin-offs from the war years) and new businesses.
Computers
The new technology of computers spread worldwide in the post war years.Template:Citation needed Businesses built around computer technology include: IBM, Microsoft, Apple Inc. and Intel.
Electronics
Miniaturization and integrated circuits, together with an expansion of radio and television technologies, provided fertile ground for business development. Electronics businesses include JVC, Sony (Masaru Ibuka and Akio Morita), and Texas Instruments (Cecil H. Green, J. Erik Jonsson, Eugene McDermott, and Patrick E. Haggerty).
Energy
Nuclear power was added to fossil fuel as the main sources of energy.
Criticism of big business
The social consequences of the concentration of economic power in the hands of those persons controlling "big business" has been a constant concern both of economists and of politicians since the end of the 19th century. Various attempts have been made to investigate the effects of "bigness" upon labor, consumers and investors, as well as upon prices and competition. "Big business" has been accused of a wide variety of misdeeds that range from the exploitation of the working class to the corruption of politicians and the fomenting of war.
Influence over government
Corporate concentration can lead to influence over government in areas such as tax policy, trade policy, environmental policy, foreign policy, and labor policy through lobbying. In 2005 the majority of Americans believed that big business has "too much power in Washington".
Human rights and working conditions
German industry collaborated with their Nazi government during the Third Reich, thus exploiting the working class in the interest of productivity and efficiency.
Hitler's order offered German capitalists, badly hit by the great recession, the prospects of huge profits. German workers did, admittedly, enjoy full employment, but, as William Schirer has said, this was at the cost of being reduced to serfdom and poverty wages. It was not long before these conditions became the lot of the whole of occupied Europe.
See also
- Big labor
- Big Chocolate
- Big government
- Big Oil
- Big science
- Big Tobacco
- Big Media
- Corporate republic
- Evil corporation
- Megacorporation
- Small business
- Zaibatsu
