Marc Perrenoud

Switzerland, Hitler's Bankers

How did the Third Reich manage to finance its war machine, in action as soon as Hitler came to power? When his armies invaded Poland, the coffers were empty. A vast raid began in the conquered countries. The Nazis plundered gold, works of art and central bank funds. But how to change these colossal assets? Switzerland was to act as the Third Reich's bureau de change, guaranteeing it the foreign currency it needed to acquire raw materials for its armaments factories. How did this story come about?