The Arms of Krupp: The Rise and Fall of the Industrial Dynasty That Armed Germany at War Paperback – March 4, 2003

When I was growing up my mother had this book on the coffee table in the living room. I didn't have any interest in WWII at the time, so it sat, unread by me, at the time. I had no idea how thrilling and threatening this story was.

William Manchester is an astonishing writer, and the story of the Krupp family is equally astonishing and terrifying. There is no question in my mind that the seductive power of weapons led both Kaiser Wilhelm and Adolph Hitler to make war. And the fact that the Krupps placed no limit on their industrial growth contributed in the same way to both world wars.

I read this book with my laptop computer close by, so I could search for images of certain references made by Manchester. For example, no one could do justice to the Krupp family's private cemetery on the grounds of their family estate in Essen. But the book itself is enough to make you wonder "what if?"... what if both leaders, Wilhelm and Hitler hadn't had this powerful family behind them to use to destroy Europe twice.

Few Americans understand that Hitler and the Nazi Party were 99% funded by Germany's 25 richest industrialists and they were motivated solely by profit. Hitler in return for 4 million German Marks agreed to ban all unions in Germany. The industrialists over the succeeding 10 years obtained ownership of captured mines and a slave labor force in the occupied countries as well as massive government contracts for the creation of the German war machine. After the war, Alfried Krupp was convicted of war crimes having caused the deaths of tens of thousands of slave laborers in his factors and imprisoned but later a sympathetic American pardoned Krupp and released all his assets so as of 1956, Krupp was the wealthiest man in all of Europe.

This book provides an excellent review of how the Krupp family got into the armaments industry and how they perfected the arms race by pitting one country against the other with each new generation of canons. The breadth of the Krupp operations has been surpassed by that of the Koch brothers, but the Krupp family paved the way and doubtless inspired many other brigands of industry.

LOOOOOOOONG unabridged William Manchester audio book. Now a little dated (2017). He's certainly advocating a point of view through his work - though it is unparalleled in mapping the fortunes of the Krupp dynasty and business with the rise in German militarism from Bismarck on. (Minus one star for its being a little dated and a bit one sided - esp about the WW2 period.)

This book (like other Manchester books) has a rhythm – without rhyme – but certainly a reason to the words within. The history on the “Arms of Krupp” required an independent eye, an inquisitive mind, and a pen that wouldn’t be scared to ask the hard questions in the early to mid-1960’s time frame. Manchester did this and did this extremely well – in my opinion no author did this better, then-nor-since. The completion of this book was interrupted with his personal attention at the request of Jackie Kennedy and Attorney General Robert Kennedy to write a book on the assassination of President Kennedy. “Death of a President” nearly cost him his sanity – but he survived.

The Author: William Manchester (1 April 1922 – 1 June 2004) was a Marine Veteran of the Second World War in the Pacific. As an Author, Manchester was a rare talent; and, one in which words were his love and writing his passion – combining the two was obvious, but his ability to report facts as though the words were notes of music compiled to symphonies is to place a mild reflection upon a lasting legacy; his writing was to the literary world of History flowed smoother than satin sheets to skin. He may have had a dark side; but, even this he attempted best to overcome with a book he published in 1978 entitled “Goodbye Darkness”. President Kennedy who was a friend to this author even before he himself was a U.S. Senator from Massachusetts – invited Mr. Manchester for a visit in June of 1963 while he (the President) was in Berlin. (USMC Sergeant Manchester was hospital roommates in Balboa Naval Hospital with one US Navy Lieutenant Jack Kennedy.) Mr. Manchester had to decline the offer of a visit as he was at the many site locations and with working documents for this book “Arms of Krupp” at the time. Mr. Manchester states in his 1967 re-published book of the 1962 best seller “Portrait of a President” that President Kennedy had asked to meet with him during the above referenced time frame and that he (Manchester) believed it best he not meet under the current circumstances of the particular topic to which he was researching as it would likely lead to negative press for him (the President). This book, in my opinion, is yet another portrait of different topic; one that is filled with science, business, and research; and yet, one that is very dark, disturbing, and filled with extreme sadness – the message conveyed in this book is the greater link of the company that otherwise would have been lost had Manchester merely focused on the Second World War. Most Americans would become familiar with the name “Krupp” both during and after the Second World War. This book is not just about the Second World War however, this book is about the long standing history of the Krupp, A.G. and later the Fried. Krupp name of historic proportions. True, the Second World War takes a big chunk of this book; however, without knowing of the humble beginnings of the Krupp Works there is no ability to place any part of Krupp to the Second World War that would make any sense. The Alfried Krupp that took over the family firm in November 1943 was in my opinion the most intelligent and yet most dark of all the Krupp’s before him – even his Grandfather Alfried “Fritz” Krupp who was quite dark in his own right held no darkness to the equal of his later grandson. The Great Grandfather to Alfried Krupp was also named “Alfried”.

The whole accounting of the Krupp, A.G. and later Fried. Krupp organization begins with the foundation in 1587. To look at the whole company and reflections of the Second World War alone would do an injustice as to the evolution of the company; any focus merely on the years of 1939-1945 would only make the reader confused. Manchester had to go all the way back to the beginning to understand fully the implications of the time this book was researched, written, and then published a near quarter of a century had passed from the time of the conclusion of WW II to the date of publish of the first edition. This too was perfect timing. Given that research began in 1956 and that the book was then printed in 1968 it was far enough in time away from the end of WW II that Holocaust Survivors, Kruppanier (what workers of Krupp were named), and the Kanonenkönig himself still with a collective memory and existence of life still present at the time from the war years.

Without going into great detail of the book so that others may read, ponder, and interpret for themselves there are interesting points I will share. These take up but small paragraphs overall and shed no intrinsic value at to the whole of the history of Krupp the family and/or Krupp the business. It is here we discover the famous term of “Big Bertha” among many other colloquialisms that future generations will use repeatedly and have no clear understanding of the origin.

The science I found fascinating in this book was such as the discovery of Krupp Austenitic Steel; also simply known as KA-2 Steel. This KA-2 Steel (the very first stainless steel anywhere in the world at the time) that caps the Chrysler building in Manhattan. At the same time or period of time – Kruppanier technicians had developed a method for converting low grade iron ore into high grade steel – the process became known as Renn bloomer. All losses incurred during the First World War were hence recuperated as a result. Krupp manufacturing on the other hand ignored all the International Rules established per terms they signed in 1926 – European nations such as France who had been twice devastated by Germany in a half century to this point in time were left impotent to enforce any of the rules; rules were being broken quietly – persons calling this out at the time and questioning points such as “where is all the steel going?” were simply considered “warmongers.” The science applied simply allowed Krupp post-WW I to survive for another time frame – not far in the future.

Manchester makes a great effort to in the Post WW II period to discuss, reflect, share the history of the many “Sklavenarbeit.” The focus covers many persons, some in particular, and all races accordingly – the Jews who suffered the worst of all next to and alongside the many good Polish (Jew and Gentile alike), there are stories of Belgian, Dutch, French, Slavs, Czech’s, Russians among the many. There is no way to cover all the slave labor population; there were simply too many of them – but in clearly a Manchester style of prose he attempts to cover about a dozen stories in order to attempt to capture the many lost unknown souls – to include the babies at age 2 years and under. Buschmannshoff forced me to lay the book down for two days – Dechenschule opened up a new avenue of discovery for me personally. Thank you Mr. Manchester – the history you wrote has an impact even today among the many still interested. Holocaust "nay sayers" be damned.

This masterpiece covers Krupp 1587 to Krupp 1968 – both named “Arndt”. Discovery, Science, History, Truth, Pain – all covered in this William Manchester book – if you read all three volumes of “Last Lion”, read “American Caesar”, read “Goodbye Darkness”, and/or read “Death of a President” – the vibe and rhythm exist here in this “Arms of Krupp” as it does in all of his other major works. For those familiar with his other works you will appreciate the paragraph to the Marines of “Pas Fini” and the Battle of Belleau Wood he provided in honor of his Father but no clear reference to his Father is provided – this was a different sort of history but it too has its link. William Manchester's Father served in the 3rd Battalion, 5th Marines during the First World War - Mr. Manchester would do the same during WW II - his Father had passed away prior to 7 December 1941.

Semper Fidelis