International Business and War Interests. Unilever between Reich and Empire, 1939-45

Notes:

Scholarly account by a business historian of Unilever in the Netherlands and UK during the Second World War dealing with, viz: the effect of the war on the firm and the industries in which it operated, notably edible oils and fats, margarine, detergents, etc; the firm's preparations for war enabling its split into two autonomous parts; its innovative tradition which facilitated its adaption to post war conditions. Its sections include: 1] 'Unilever in the 1930s'; 2] 'Unilever and Nazi Germany'; 3] 'War preparations' including legal issues, stockbuilding, etc; 4] 'Business as usual, 1939-41' - organisational change, British Trading with the Enemy Act, government intervention in the market, innovation in frozen foods; 5] 'A Reichs Commissioner for the Unilever Group, 1941-45' - 'Unilever a German syndicate', 'arganisation', 'German competitor attacks', NV's new organisation', 'raw material crisis'; 6] 'London calling, 1941-45' - 'managed economy', 'relations with the Dutch government in exile', 'relations with British government', 'rationalisation of soap production', 'frozen foods in Britain', 'synthetic detergents'; 7] 'The aftermath, 1945-50' - 'wartime performance', 'purges of NV's board', 'nationalisation in Eastern Europe', 'public relations policy', 'anti-trust'