The Arms of Krupp: 1587-1968

Originally published in 1964, “The Arms of Krupp” has earned the title of a non-fiction classic. Highly readable, the tale William Manchester tells is fascinating and all the more enjoyable for his mordant wit. At over 800 pages in length, however, it is a daunting read and at times can feel overwhelming.The Krupp steel company shuffled along on the brink of insolvency in the Ruhr Valley town of Essen for several generations before Alfred Krupp (1812-1887) took over the company at the preposterously early age of 14. His father had left him a small foundry with less than ten employees on the verge of bankruptcy. Half a century later Alfred would leave his son, Fritz (1854-1902), the largest industrial enterprise in the resurgent Second Reich with over 20,000 workers and a reputation for excellence known the world over.It wasn’t easy for Alfred Krupp, the man who would become known as the “Cannon King.” In many ways, as is often the case in business, luck had something to do with it. Through grit and sagacious management, Alfred had grown the Krupp steel works slowly but competently over several decades. Arms had never been their primary product. Rather, Alfred had perfected his process for smelting steel just in time for the surge in demand from the explosive growth of railroads in the 1850s. His patented process for forging seamless railroad wheels would bankroll his entry into the global arms market.A major theme of “The Arms of Krupp,” somewhat surprisingly, is the stodgy, often blinkered view of the Prussian officer corps when it came to Krupp innovations in artillery. Far from being a truculent partnership in the cooperative development of new machines of death, the military often resisted Krupp’s latest inventions, Manchester argues. For instance, in the 1860s Krupp was promoting steel cannon over brass, which had been the standard since Napoleon’s defeat at Waterloo. “[Steel] represented change,” Manchester writes, “and the ossified brass regarded all progress with slit eyes.”Amazingly, in this reviewer’s opinion, Krupp’s most steadfast opponent was the famed military innovator Albrecht von Roon. It was only after Prussia’s stunning defeat over the French in 1870 – a victory according to many owed largely to the superiority of Krupp steel artillery over the brass cannon of the French manufacturer Schneider – that the Krupp reputation as a world class arms dealer was made. But industrial political relations with Berlin remained strained as Krupp insisted on the right to sell arms broadly on the international market but expected an exclusive relationship with the Prussian military. Indeed, for much of the nineteenth century the Essen-Berlin alliance remained strained.Fritz Krupp inherited an industrial behemoth and then expanded the enterprise beyond anyone’s dreams. He was, Manchester writes, “the most successful, baffling, charming, repulsive and most enigmatic of all the Krupps.” He was also a notorious homosexual with a preference for young Italian boys. The ensuing scandal would lead to his suicide. But before his untimely death in 1902 he had galvanized the relationship between the House of Krupp and the House of the Hohenzollern. He got on fabulously with the new Kaiser, Wilhem II, who Manchester characterizes as an “irresponsible, pompous, impulsive popinjay.” The Essen-Berlin alliance was firmly established. Indeed, Manchester claims that the Hohenzollern without Krupp behind them was “a house of cards.”The next in line was Kustav Krupp von Bohlen und Holbach, the husband of Fritz’s eldest daughter Bertha. They were married in 1908 and, contrary to tradition, he took her name. A cheerless martinet and former diplomat, Manchester claims, “It is in fact doubtful that he entertained a single original thought in his entire life.” If unimaginative, he was certainly not uncommitted. Even more than his predecessor, Gustav ensured that the Krupp works were welded to the German military. At the height of World War I, Krupp was employing over 150,000 men and was churning out 9 million shells and 3,000 cannon each MONTH. The massive Krupp 420 howitzers decimated the supposedly impregnable defenses of Liege. The Kaiser was more than satisfied with his arms maker in Essen.Even more consequential to the overall story, Gustav was committed to rearmament after the war and collaborated with the General Hans von Seekt in circumventing the restrictions of Versailles. The Krupp family came late to the National Socialist party, but when they came they did so with gusto. The alliance between Hitler and Krupp was tight and consequential. Hitler bestowed special privileges upon the Krupp works and the Krupp works bestowed upon Hitler the war machines necessary to fulfill his destiny. The story of that relationship, first with Gustav and then, after his retirement in 1943, with his son, Alfried, takes up half of the book, a total of 400 pages. Indeed, the narrative becomes overwhelming. The great surprise is that the backward, “inferior” Slavs of the Soviet Union would outpace Krupp in terms of both quantity and quality during the war. Soviet weapons designed and manufacture was something of a miracle, according to Manchester.The last quarter of the book deals with the fate of Alfried Krupp, convicted of war crimes and stripped of his property at Nuremberg, only to be pardoned by American proconsul in Germany, John J. McCloy. Manchester sees the clemency as a miscarriage of justice. “If you were to say that Krupp was not guilty, it would be as true to say that there had been no Auschwitz fuse factory, no company concentration camps, no Rothschild gassed, no basement torture cage, no infant corpses, no slain, no crime, no war.” Yet, Alfried emerged from the Landsberg prison in 1951 a free and very rich man – and a national hero.In closing, “The Arms of Krupp” isn’t for everyone. While readable and at times brilliant, it is, in the end, excessive and stilted. Manchester is no fan of the Germans in general and, most of all, is appalled at the clemency shown to Alfried after the Second World War. The general reader should probably avoid this tome, but for those with a deep interest in German history and particularly the Nazi military-industrial complex it is not to be missed.

Very good history of the German "industrial/Nazi Complex" and how it contributed to evil. Superbly researched but went on a little too long. A little difficult to keep track of the Krupp family genealogy. Discussion of metallurgy and weaponry was educational. Good insight into the German psyche. Best part for me was the coverage of Krupp's appearance at the Nuremberg trials and how the Cold War gave the West (US, etc) an incentive to ally with, rather than further punish Krupp. If you enjoy lengthy detailed histories, you will love this book.

After watching Luchino Visconti's movie The Damned, which is about a fictional corporate conglomerate that plays a vital role in arming the Third Reich, I was inspired to read The Arms of Krupp by William Manchester. And an informative read it was.What I really enjoyed about this book is the parallel between the birth and decline of the Krupp Corporation, a sole proprietorship owned by a single member of the Krupp family over the decades and the history of Germany. The Krupp Company was the major supplier of armory for all three major wars Germany was involved in, the Franco-Prussian War, World War I and World War II. In some cases, the weapons it supplied were decisive. Krupp designed and manufactured cannons were key in the Prussian victory over the French.The conglomerate produced all sorts of manufactured goods, both heavy and light industry as well as ships used by the German military in both World Wars. In its prime, the company was one of the largest and most productive in the world. The present city of Essen, their headquarters, in the Ruhr valley was largely a company town for their management and employees.Nevertheless, the Krupp family and company had their negative sides. Fritz Krupp, the owner and CEO during the early 20th century, was a notorious pedophile. He frequently visited Capri, Italy and rented out hotel space and hired local youths for sexual acts. As chief supplier for the German military at that time, he was protected by Kaiser Wilhelm II and, hence, shielded from legal punishment. His grandson Alfried, the CEO from approximately the 1940s to the 1960s, was heavily involved with the Nazi party. At that time the Krupp Company was supplying the German Wehrmacht and was using slave labor from both the concentration camps as well as occupied territories. Both Kaiser Wilhelm II and Adolf Hitler visited and spent nights at the Krupp home.It was a little troubling to read how Germany, particularly West Germany, largely escaped punishment after the second World War. This was for two reasons. Firstly, German industrial output was needed to assist the United States in the Cold War, especially the Korean War, which the US was initially losing. Secondly, Europe was in dire straights and needed German industry to keep them afloat. So, West Germany was allowed to freely prosper. That the country committed the world's deadliest war and most murderous genocide just a few years prior did not matter at the end. If you are strong, the world will treat you well regardless.After World War II, the Krupp Company largely also survived by doing business with developing countries in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. In many instances, Alfried Krupp, who only served a relatively short prison sentence for his role in the Third Reich, and other Krupp leadership met personally with leaders from around the world including Nehru of India and Haile Selassie of Ethiopia.

This is a very informative book if one wants to see the power behind the power.The arms industry can and does arm people to increase profits and to promote wars on peaceful unsuspecting people all over the world.Not only that but Alfried Krupp a known pedophile withe title Canon fuhrer, who tortured people in freezing cold weather by putting them in steel boxes and having cold water thrown on them was put in prison for only a short time.General John McCloy from the USA had him sprung to fight the cold war.That war was fought to keep America and the whole world in a state of terror so they would not only be willing to give up freedoms for piece, but also so the arms industry could continue to make it's I'll gotten gains off of we the people.

I looked forward to getting and reading this book, the book spanned Krupps history from train wheel manufacture to supplier of arms to two major wars WW1 WW2 and numerous other conflicts around the world. It is a written history of a dynasty of the Krupp family and their ( steel ) determination to be the only and best gun maker in the WORLD , by learning of better and more efficient ways of producing steel to make gun barrels , but the books is more that that , its relationships with its customers / governments / Germany as a whole as being the biggest employer in the country, a provider of social amenities / housing / shops schools / pensions and with Hitler , including their involvement with slave labour and concentration camps

I read this book a long time ago, and recently bought a new copy so I could read it again. It's a long book, but very well written, by one of my favorite authors. If you like history, and like to read, it will give you many satisfying hours. I would have bought a Kindle version if there were one; the book is very heavy, and since it's paperback, it doesn't lie flat.

Bought as gift. A great collectible for a book reader.

A lengthy, epic tale. Told in a tongue-in-cheek style up to the Franco-Prussian war, then told in a more sober manner.But the second half of the book should have been edited. Here the content is so diffuse and random the book stalls.Still a good read, but only once.

One of my favourite books! The story of the Krupp family dynasty steel barons from their humble beginnings. Most interesting was the part on the eccentric Alfred Krupp. The stories made me laugh out loud! There are many photos dispersed throughout the book too. William Manchester is a gifted storyteller who uses many primary sources such as personal letters to tell this tale. It is a must read.