The Most Valuable Asset of the Reich: A History of the German National Railway, Volume 1, 1920-1932

by Alfred C. Mierzejewski

Overview

The largest enterprise in the capitalist world between 1920 and 1932, the Deutsche Reichsbahn (German National Railway) was at the center of events in a period of great turmoil in Germany. In the first detailed history of this important organization, Alfred Mierzejewski presents a sophisticated analysis of the Reichsbahn's operations, finances, and political and social roles. In addition, he uses the story of the Reichsbahn to gain new perspectives on modern German economic and political history.

Mierzejewski describes and analyzes the beginnings of the national railway in Germany and the problems that it faced. He examines the Reichsbahn's noncapitalistic, "commonweal" approach to economic management and shows how the railway was used to hold Germany together, especially in the face of Bavarian particularism. Mierzejewski's account also provides unparalleled insight into Germany's reparations policies, demonstrating that Germany was fully capable of paying the Dawes annuities and that the government's claims that reparations paid by the Reichsbahn hurt both the railway and Germany were groundless. A second volume will cover the period from 1933 to 1945.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781469620206
Publisher:	The University of North Carolina Press
Publication date:	03/30/2014
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	506
File size:	4 MB

About the Author

Alfred C. Mierzejewski is professor of history at the University of North Texas. He is author of The Collapse of the German War Economy, 1944-1945: Allied Air Power and the German National Railway.

Table of Contents

Preface
Acknowledgments
Abbreviations
Part I. The Deutsche Reichsbahn as a State Enterprise, 1920-1924
Chapter 1. The Creation of the Deutsche Reichsbahn, 1918-1920
Chapter 2. The Deutsche Reichsbahn, April 1920-August 1923
Chapter 3. The Deutsche Reichsbahn Enterprise, August 1923-October 1924
Part II. The Deutsche Reichsbahn-Gesellschaft as a Semipublic Enterprise, 1924-1932
Chapter 4. The Deutsche Reichsbahn-Gesellschaft and the Dawes Plan
Chapter 5. The Deutsche Reichsbahn-Gesellschaft in the Period of Stabilization and Prosperity, October 1924-1929
A. Relationship to the Reich
B. Organization
C. Operations and Traffic
D. Personnel
E. Capital: Rolling Stock
F. Capital: Fixed Plant
G. Financial Reform
H. Financial Affairs
Chapter 6. The Deutsche Reichsbahn-Gesellschaft and the Depression, 1930-1932
A. The DRG, the Young Plan, and the End of Reparations
B. The DRG's Operations
C. The DRG and the Government's Struggle against Unemployment
D. The DRG's Reaction to Modal Competition
Conclusions
Appendix
Notes
Bibliography
Index

Tables

2.1. Summary of DR Passenger Operations, 1920-1924
2.2. Summary of DR Freight Operations and Traffic, 1920-1924
2.3. Reichsbahn Operating Results, 1920-1923
2.4. Reichsbahn Debt, 1 April 1923
5.1. Summary of DRG Freight Operations and Traffic, 1925-1929
5.2. Operating Ratio by Traffic, 1928-1938
5.3. Business Ratio by Traffic, 1928-1938
5.4. Summary of DRG Passenger Operations and Traffic, 1925-1929
5.5. DRG Labor Productivity
5.6. Deutsche Reichsbahn-Gesellschaft Employee Productivity
5.7. Profile of Reichsbahn Personnel Expenses, 1913, 1925-1929
5.8. DRG Vehicle Acquisition Expenditures, 1925-1929
5.9. The Steam Locomotive Fleet of the DRG, 1925-1929
5.10. The Freight Car Fleet of the DRG, 1925-1929
5.11. The Passenger Car Fleet of the DRG, 1925-1929
5.12. Reichsbahn Track Renewal, 1925-1929
5.13. Capital Budget of the DRG, 1925-1929
5.14. DRG Renewal Expenditures, 1925-1929
5.15. New Construction and Additions Funded through the Capital Account, 1925-1929
5.16. DRG Spending for Expansion of Capital Assets, 1925-1929
5.17. Summary of the DRG Operating Account, 1924-1929
5.18. DRG Cash Flow, 1924-1929
5.19. Participations of the DRG as of 31 December 1929
6.1. Summary of DRG Passenger Operations and Traffic, 1930-1932
6.2. Summary of DRG Freight Operations and Traffic, 1930-1932
6.3. DRG Track Renewal, 1930-1932
6.4. DRG Operating Results, 1930-1932
6.5. Capital Budget of the DRG, 1930-1932
6.6. DRG Renewal Expenditures, 1930-1932
6.7. DRG Spending for Expansion of Capital Assets, 1930-1932
A.1. Basic Characteristics of the Deutsche Reichsbahn
A.2. Basic Operating Statistics of the Deutsche Reichsbahn
A.3. Basic Financial Information Concerning the Deutsche Reichsbahn
A.4. Operating Accidents of the Deutsche Reichsbahn
A.5. Organization of the Deutsche Reichsbahn, January 1921
A.6. Organization of the Deutsche Reichsbahn-Gesellschaft, September 1925

Figures

5.1. Comparison of Cost of Shipping 1 Ton of Coal 100 Kilometers, 1929
5.2. Comparison of DRG Tariffs and Prices
5.3. Comparison of Third-Class Passenger Fares, 1929
5.4. Comparison of Reichsbahn Pay with Pay in Comparable Industries
5.5. Comparison of DRG Real Wages and NNP
5.6. DRG Rail Weight

Maps

1. The Reichsbahn Divisions, 1927
2. Main Routes of the Deutsche Reichsbahn-Gesellschaft, 1929

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

In the confines of this review it is not possible to discuss critically every new argument raised in Mierzejewski's essential work. Researchers cannot ignore the arguments of either volume. For the public the hope for a carefully edited German edition is as important as it is urgent.—Historische Zeitschrift

Mierzejewski has carved a niche for himself in this field. His reputation will be further enhanced by the publication of this first volume of a projected two-volume history of the German National Railway.—International History Review

This impressive study combines market-oriented economic concepts with the historiographical recognition . . . 'that distinct business and economic cultures' do in fact 'exist and they can and do transcend rational economic behavior.'—German Studies Review

Mierzejewski's impressive command of quantitative evidence and his precise analytical narrative of the Reichbahn's history in the Weimar era makes this an indispensable contribution to a number of discussions on interwar economy and business history.—Business History Review

Mierzejewski's two volumes on the Reichsbahn will serve as solid references and points of departure for future research on railway politics and the identities of large-scale state enterprises during the twentieth century, as well as for more extensive histories of railway technology.—Technology and Culture

Mierzejewski is without a doubt one of the most talented German historians living today. His first book, The Collapse of the German War Economy, is one of the ten most important books about the Second World War. Now Mierzejewski takes insights gleaned from his study of German railroads and their impact on German society and moves our understanding of 20th-century German history a step further.—Virginia Quarterly Review

Based on prodigious archival research, Mierzejewski's study is a solid contribution to German business history.—Choice

An outstanding study of a major but completely neglected institution of Weimar Germany—the Reichsbahn—which stood at the intersection of its foreign (reparations) policy and its domestic (employment) policy. Mierzejewski opens a new front in the historian's efforts to comprehend the vital business and economic dynamics of this turbulent period.—Theo Balderston, University of Manchester

This is a remarkable, as well as remarkably detailed, account of the history of the German state railroad system from its creation in 1920 until the military defeat of 1945. It is based on a stunning mastery of the German, as well as foreign, archival sources.—Harold James, Princeton University

Editorial Reviews

For the public the hope for a carefully edited German edition is as important as it is urgent.

Historische Zeitschrift

Mierzejewski has carved a niche for himself in this field. His reputation will be further enhanced by this publication.

International History Review

This impressive study combines market-oriented economic concepts with the historiographical recognition.

German Studies Review

This [is] an indispensable contribution to a number of discussions on interwar economy and business history.

Business History Review

Mierzejewski's two volumes on the Reichsbahn will serve as solid references and points of departure for future research.

Technology and Culture

From the Publisher