Hjalmar Horace Greeley Schacht, the son of a salesman, was born in Tinglev, Germany, on 22nd January, 1877. His father had lived in the United States and named his son after the radical journalist, Horace Greeley and a prominent campaigner in America against slavery.
Schacht studied medicine in Kiel, philology in Munich and political science Berlin before taking a degree in economics in 1899.
He joined the Dresdner Bank and during the First World War was financial consultant for the German occupation government in Belgium. In 1916 he became a director of the German National Bank.
In 1923 he became Reich currency commissioner and was praised for bringing Germany's inflation under control. Schacht was rewarded by being appointed president of the Reichsbank. In 1929 he headed the German delegation that negotiated the Young Plan.
Schacht developed right-wing political ideas and in 1930 was converted to fascism after reading Mein Kampf. In January, 1931 Hermann Goering arranged a meeting with Adolf Hitler. Schacht agreed to raise funds for the Nazi Party. Schacht, who had good contacts with Germany's industrialists persuaded Albert Voegler (United Steel Works) Gustav Krupp and Alfried Krupp to join people such as Fritz Thyssen, Emile Kirdorf, Carl Bechstein and Hugo Bruckmann in providing money for the party.
In November, 1932, Schacht organized the letter signed by Germany's leading industrialists that urged Paul von Hindenburg to appoint Adolf Hitler as chancellor. This was successful and on 20th February, 1933, Schacht arranged a meeting of the Association of German Industrialists that raised 3 million marks for the Nazi Party in the forthcoming election.
In March 1933 he was reappointed president of the Reichsbank. In May 1935 he was made Generalbevollmachtigter fur die Kriegswirtschaft (Chief Plenipotentiary for the War Economy). It was Schacht who directed the rehabilitation of the German economy under Hitler and the reestablishment of Germany's military power. He did not, however, join the Nazi party and did not have the full confidence of the Nazi regime's leaders.
After Adolf Hitler passed his Enabling Bill Schacht toured the United States where he made forty speeches, appeared on radio and wrote several articles for American newsletters where he claimed that Hitler would soon return Germany to democracy. He met Franklin D. Roosevelt but made a bad impression on the president who later described him as "extremely arrogant".
In August, 1934, Hitler appointed Schacht as his minister of economics. Deeply influenced by the economic ideas of John Maynard Keynes and Roosevelt's New Deal, Schacht encouraged Hitler to introduce a programme of public works, including the building of the Autobahnen.
Schacht also introduced the New Plan which rigorously controlled everything that was imported into Germany. This involved negotiating a series of bilateral trade agreements including one with the Soviet Union in 1935.
Like other Nazis Schacht was extremely hostile to Germany's Jewish population. In one speech he argued that "the Jews must realize that their influence in Germany has disappeared for all time." In 1934 he arranged with the World Zionist Organization, a deal where German Jews could pay 15,000 reichmarks to emigrate to Palestine. It is estimated that over the next four years over 170,000 reached Palestine under this agreement.
Schacht disagreed with what he called "unlawful activities" against Jews and in August, 1935 made a speech denouncing Julius Streicher and the articles he had been writing in Der Stuermer. He pointed out that Jews had fought bravely in the German Army in the First World War and deserved to be treated fairly.
Schacht also had doubts about the large amounts of money being spent on armaments. He warned Hitler that he was building armed forces far beyond the country's economic capacity. He found it increasingly difficult working under Hermann Goering who fully supported the government's policy on military spending. As Goering told Schacht "If the Fuehrer wishes it then two times two are five."
In November, 1937, Schacht resigned as minister of economics. However, he remained as President of the Reichsbank where he continued to oppose excessive expenditures for armaments. Hitler eventually removed Schacht from power in January, 1939.
During the Second World War he was approached by Hans Dohnanyi and Erwin von Witzleben to become involved in plots against Hitler. Schacht refused but in 1944 he was arrested and charged with being involved in the July Plot. He was sent to Dachau Concentration Camp but was still alive at the end of the war.
Arrested by the Allies he was accused of crimes against humanity at the Nuremberg War Crimes Trial. He was found not guilty but the German government had him re-arrested and charged him with other offences. He was sentenced to eight years imprisonment but he was freed on 2nd September, 1948.
On his release he formed his own bank in Dusseldorf. He also advised several foreign governments including Gamal Nasser in Egypt.
After the war, Schacht wrote two books about his years in office, published in English as Account Settled (1949) and Confessions of the Old Wizard (1955).
Hjalmar Schacht died in Munich on 4th June, 1970.
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. CHRONOLOGY OF SCHACHT'S OFFICIAL POSITIONS.
The chronology of Schacht's official positions is as follows:
(1) Schacht was recalled by Hitler to the Presidency of the Reichsbank on 17 March 1933 (3021-PS).
(2) Schacht was appointed acting Minister of Economics by Hitler in August 1934 (3021-PS).
(3) By secret decree, Schacht was appointed General Plenipotentiary for the War Economy in May 1935 (2261-PS).
(4) Schacht was awarded honorary membership in the Nazi Party and the Golden Swastika on 30 January 1937, "the highest honor the Third Reich has to offer" (EC-500).
(5) Schacht was re-appointed for one year as President of the Reichsbank on 16 March 1937 (3021-PS).
(6) Schacht resigned as Minister of Economics and General Plenipotentiary for the War Economy in November 1937 (3021- PS)
(7) Hitler appointed Schacht Minister Without Portfolio at the same time (3021-PS).
(8) Schacht was re-appointed for a four year term as President of the Reichsbank on 19 March 1938 (3021-PS).
(9) Schacht was dismissed as President of the Reichsbank on 20 January 1939. In connection therewith, Hitler expressed his deep gratitude for Schacht's past services and his gratification that Schacht would remain to serve him as Minister Without Portfolio (EC-397).
(10) Schacht remained as Minister Without Portfolio until January 1943, when he was dismissed by Hitler. During the period from the time of his dismissal as President of the Reichsbank until the end of 1942, he continued to receive the full salary he had been paid as the President of the Reichsbank, and thereafter received a pension from the Reichsbank. As Minister Without Portfolio, he received a large salary from the Nazi Government and other emoluments of the office (3724-PS).
http://www.us-israel.org/jsource/Holocaust/Schacht.html
http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/GERschacht.htm
http://www.dhm.de/lemo/objekte/pict/ph000156/index.html
http://www.dhm.de/lemo/objekte/pict/schacbio/index.html
http://motlc.wiesenthal.com/text/x29/xm2947.html
http://motlc.wiesenthal.com/albums/p...5/a0278p1.html
