Der Ursprung der geräuschlosen Kriegsfinanzierung im „Dritten Reich“ 1935–1939

Abstract In addition to the well-known mefo bills and other types of state debts, National Socialist tax policy was also of great importance for the financing of armament before the war began. Nevertheless, the leaders of the Nazi regime could not agree on the general course of tax policy due to the already high tax burden since spring 1935. As the Reich Ministry of Finance was only able to push through a few small tax increases despite a stricter tax collection practice, the tax coverage of Reich expenditures sank further and further and the short-term national debt increased. This development led to a severe liquidity crisis of the Reich’s finances in 1938 due to the ever accelerating armament, which was overcome for the time being mainly by issuing short-term treasury bonds. This ad hoc solution became entrenched during the war due to those groups in the Nazi regime that continued to block tax policy and formed the basis for the silent financing of the war.