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Sir Henri Deterding

Continuing controversy over Shell leaders financial relationship with Hitler

May 25th, 2024
by John Donovan.
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English translation of an article published by the German newspaper WELT on 17 May 2024

(Die Welt (“The World”) is a German national daily newspaper, published as a broadsheet)
Article by Von Sven Felix Kellerhoff

Leitender Redakteur Geschichte

How brown was the “Napoleon of the oil business” really?

Some considered Henri Deterding to be the “most powerful man in the world” in the 1920s. As a convinced anti-Bolshevik, he became involved with Hitler and paid with the permanent loss of his reputation. Historian Jochen Thies traces the life of the long-time Shell boss. read more

This website and sisters royaldutchshellgroup.com, shellnazihistory.com, royaldutchshell.website, johndonovan.website, and shellnews.net, are owned by John Donovan. There is also a Wikipedia segment.

Clariant Rejects Shell’s Billion-Dollar Ethylene Damages Claim But Is Facing A Ruthless Adversary

Oct 19th, 2023
by John Donovan.
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By John Donovan: 19 October 2023

In yet another thrilling episode of corporate battles, Clariant has boldly rejected Shell’s claim for damages.

Clariant, the Swiss chemicals company, has made it perfectly clear that they reject Shell’s claim. Shell had the nerve to bring a claim against Clariant and three other companies in the district court of Amsterdam, alleging damages of up to a billion euros.

Clariant, however, swiftly fired back with an impeccable argument: “Shell was not a supplier of ethylene to Clariant, and Clariant has substantiated economic evidence that the conduct of the parties did not produce any effect on the market.” Bravo, Clariant, for showing such outstanding resolve in the face of these allegations! read more

This website and sisters royaldutchshellgroup.com, shellnazihistory.com, royaldutchshell.website, johndonovan.website, and shellnews.net, are owned by John Donovan. There is also a Wikipedia segment.

Shell’s Petrochemical Plant Fire: Another Hazardous Incident Exposes Shell’s Recklessness

May 12th, 2023
by John Donovan.
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Posted by John Donovan: 12 May 2023

Shell’s Deceptive Claims: Downplaying the Consequences of the Deer Park Fire

The recent inferno at Shell’s petrochemical plant in Deer Park unleashed a thick, black cloud of smoke that engulfed the Houston area, leaving experts to question the true extent of the damage caused.

Astonishingly, despite mounting evidence, the oil giant continues to deny any danger to the neighbouring community, conveniently sidestepping their responsibility. But this time, residents, advocates, and experts refuse to be fooled by their reassurances. read more

This website and sisters royaldutchshellgroup.com, shellnazihistory.com, royaldutchshell.website, johndonovan.website, and shellnews.net, are owned by John Donovan. There is also a Wikipedia segment.

The book Sir Henri Deterding and the Nazi History of Royal Dutch Shell removed from sale in Germany

Sep 1st, 2022
by John Donovan.
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The book Sir Henri Deterding and the Nazi History of Royal Dutch Shell removed from sale in Germany

Amazon will no longer be offering the book “Sir Henri Deterding and the Nazi History of Royal Dutch Shell” for sale in German.

The book authored by John Donovan was first published by Amazon in 2016.

Its cover image is said to contain content that is in violation of Amazon content guidelines for Germany and may infringe German law.

The book remains on sale via other Amazon websites around the world including the UK read more

This website and sisters royaldutchshellgroup.com, shellnazihistory.com, royaldutchshell.website, johndonovan.website, and shellnews.net, are owned by John Donovan. There is also a Wikipedia segment.

Evidence confirms that Shell fuelled the Nazi war machine

May 31st, 2021
by John Donovan.
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Another hammer blow for Shell. Evidence confirms that Shell fuelled the Nazi war machine

By John Donovan: 31 May 2021 (updated JULY 2021)

A new book by James Marriott and Terry Macalister reveals the extent to which the oil company Royal Dutch Shell played a key role in Hitler’s war effort.

James Marriott is a writer and activist with three decades of knowledge of the oil sector. Terry Macalister is a freelance journalist and former energy editor of the Guardian. 

As the author of the Kindle book published in 2016 –  Sir Henri Deterding and the Nazi History of Royal Dutch Shell – I welcome the fact that other parties have reached the same basic conclusions as I did after studying much of the same evidence.

Based on that evidence I lunched a petition several years ago demanding that Royal Dutch Shell should apologise for antisemitic conduct and Nazi support

Shell will find it more difficult to dismiss the independent findings in the new book, including from an award-winning journalist.

The following extracts are from a related article by opendemocracy.net headlined: Calls for Shell to apologise for ‘fuelling Nazi war machine’ EXTRACTS FROM THE RELATED ARTICLE BY Adam Ramsay

According to ‘Crude Britannia’, by James Marriott and Terry Macalister, at the outbreak of World War Two the Anglo-Dutch company “effectively divided into an Allied corporation and an Axis corporation”. The Nazi-supporting branch of Shell, called Rhenania-Ossag, “swung in behind the [German] government as the Nazi state began to invade other countries”.

Or as Shell’s official history states ‘Following Hilter’s annexation of Austria and Czechoslovakia, (Shell) Group managing directors sanctioned Rhenania-Ossag taking over Shell companies in those countries.’ The same process took place in Hungary, Yugoslavia and Greece after Germany took control of those states.

Shell’s German subsidiary, Rhenania-Ossag, fired all the Jewish members on its board in May and June 1933. The appointments to replace them included a member of the Nazi party. The official history states, “the far reaching changes to the Rhenania-Ossag board could not have taken place without the full consent of [Shell Central Offices… No questions of principle or moral judgements about the Hitler regime appear to have arisen.” Shell’s historians were not able to establish what happened next to these Jewish staff members.

Seven years later, after Germany invaded Holland, the Swastika flew outside Shell’s HQ in The Hague.

EXTRACTS END

I was originally tipped off about Shell’s concern over its past toxic history by Shell internal communications never meant for my eyes.

Shell had advance sight of my book and my website ShellNaziHistory.com. Despite aggressive threats, bluster and a global spying operation, Shell took no legal action. No multinational giant would want to draw attention to its past association with Hitler and the Nazis.

NEW BOOK: Crude Britannia: How Oil Shaped a Nation

Product details

  • ASIN: B095CND46T

  • Publisher: Pluto Press; 1st edition (20 May 2021)

Some of the information about Shell’s collaboration with the Nazis covered on pages 19, 20, 21, 22 of the main book, and pages 352, 353 and 354 from the Notes section of the book: read more

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THE BEST HISTORIANS SHELL COULD BUY

Sep 21st, 2019
by John Donovan.
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By John Donovan

Shell commissioned a group of eminent “independent” historians (above) mostly Dutch, to author a history of Royal Dutch Shell to mark the Group’s centenary in 2007.  The introduction in Volume 1 pledged independent research and “a proper and even-handed assessment of Deterding.” Something went amiss because the “history,” as published in regard to his dealings with Hitler, is simply untrue.

Shell internal communications obtained under the UK Data Protection Act revealed pre-publication jitters at Shell prior to the publication of the four-volume history of the Royal Dutch Shell Group. read more

This website and sisters royaldutchshellgroup.com, shellnazihistory.com, royaldutchshell.website, johndonovan.website, and shellnews.net, are owned by John Donovan. There is also a Wikipedia segment.

Shell’s toxic Nazi history catching up with the energy giant

Sep 8th, 2019
by John Donovan.
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Shell’s toxic Nazi history catching up with the energy giant

By John Donovan

Information and evidence about Shell’s financial support for Hitler’s Nazi regime (and Shell’s anti-Semitism directed at its own employees), remained buried for decades in library books and newspaper archives gathering more and more dust.

Unfortunately for Royal Dutch Shell, it’s reputation, brand value (and shareholders), fast-evolving Internet technology, including digitalisation of newspaper archives, has transformed access, thereby making that toxic information instantly available everywhere. And spread by social media.  read more

This website and sisters royaldutchshellgroup.com, shellnazihistory.com, royaldutchshell.website, johndonovan.website, and shellnews.net, are owned by John Donovan. There is also a Wikipedia segment.

Sir Henri Deterding’s admiration and support for another fascist dictator, Mussolini

Sep 4th, 2019
by John Donovan.
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Sir Henri Deterding’s admiration and support for another fascist dictator, Mussolini

By John Donovan

I have already published an ebook and website focussed on Royal Dutch Shell leader Sir Henri Deterding and his admiration and support for the Nazi dictator, Adolf Hitler, who he met a number of times on behalf of Shell.

Hitler was not the only fascist dictator admired and supported by Deterding.

In his autobiography “AN INTERNATIONAL OILMAN” (pages 13 and 14) Sir Henri made plain his high regard for the Italian dictator, Benito Mussolini.

In Italy, not long ago, it fell to my lot to talk with Mussolini, a man who, regard him as you may, has shown a driving force almost unparalleled in running a country-though from such outward manifestations as are seen in the present-day world, I wouldn’t say that the running of a country was at all the same thing as the running of a business. Too often, the men who run countries have never run businesses, as the results of their government so painfully show. But that is by the way. read more

This website and sisters royaldutchshellgroup.com, shellnazihistory.com, royaldutchshell.website, johndonovan.website, and shellnews.net, are owned by John Donovan. There is also a Wikipedia segment.

The Dutch Elon Musk?

Jul 29th, 2019
by John Donovan.
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By John Donovan

For as long as I can remember stories have been circulating along the lines that an engineering genius devised a fuelless engine and made the mistake of disclosing his invention to a ruthless oil company oil, which promptly killed the idea. 

It is possible that there is some substance to this mythology.

Shell subsidiary Bataafsche Petroleum Maatschappij (Dutch for Batavian Oil Company), is the oil company allegedly involved, along with Sir Henri Deterding and a senior Shell  Director, Hendrik Colijn. He served as CEO for the Bataafse Petroleum Maatschappij and later became CEO of Royal Dutch Shell. read more

This website and sisters royaldutchshellgroup.com, shellnazihistory.com, royaldutchshell.website, johndonovan.website, and shellnews.net, are owned by John Donovan. There is also a Wikipedia segment.

Sir Henri Deterding: Hitlers Paymaster

Jul 20th, 2019
by John Donovan.
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Sir Henri Deterding: Hitlers Paymaster

By John Donovan

EXTRACT FROM PAGE 07/483 from volume 1 of a four-volume work published in 2007 “A History of Royal Dutch Shell” – authored by eminent historians associated with Utrecht University. 

From 1937 Deterding, now influenced by a personal secretary with outspoken Fascist sympathies, helped to finance the paper of a Fascist splinter group in the Netherlands, just as the Group sponsored a Russian anti-Soviet press service in London. Finally, if Deterding or the Group indeed supported the Nazis during their wilderness years with any substantial sums, then one would have expected the Reichskanzlei to have acknowledged the fact in the minute considering whether or not to grant him an audience with Hitler in March 1933. However, the document mentions nothing of the kind; Deterding was turned down without further ado. read more

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CONTENT

May 15th, 2019
by John Donovan.
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SUMMARY OF FEATURED CONTENT FROM THE EBOOK “SIR HENRI DETERDING AND THE NAZI HISTORY OF ROYAL DUTCH SHELL”
CHAPTER 1: The best historians Shell could buy
CHAPTER 2: News story in February 2015: Shell ship named after a Nazi SS Officer
CHAPTER 3: Royal Dutch Shell and the Nazis
CHAPTER 4: Media coverage of Sir Henri Deterding’s death
CHAPTER 5: The Nazi Funeral of Royal Dutch Shell leader Sir Henri Deterding
CHAPTER 6: Great friend of the Germans
CHAPTER 7: “You Can Be Sure of Shell….”
CHAPTER 8: Royal Dutch Shell Anti-Semitism
CHAPTER 9: Deterding’s support for Nazi Stormtroopers
CHAPTER 10: Shell support for the Nazis continued after the retirement of Sir Henri as leader
CHAPTER 11: Shell collaborated in the Nazi annexation of Austria and occupation of Czechoslovakia
CHAPTER 12: Shell’s notorious business partner: IG Farben
CHAPTER 13: Royal Dutch Shell and Nazi slave labor
CHAPTER 14: Control of Royal Dutch Shell companies in Nazi-occupied Europe
CHAPTER 15: Nazi connections relating to Shell
CHAPTER 16: Shell historians attempt to distance Deterding from Hitler
CHAPTER 17: Why does it still matter?
CHAPTER 18: Time for a rare public apology from Shell?
CHAPTER 19: INDEX OF KEY DATES
CHAPTER 20: Shell cloak and dagger activities
CHAPTER 21: Wikipedia: The sanitization of Shell’s history
Chapter 22: Author’s unique connection with Shell
CHAPTER 23: Index of Shell leadership financial support for the Nazis

RELATED ARTICLES

Deterding’s massive funding for Hitlers Winterhilfswerk (added 2 Aug 2019)

Evidence confirms that Shell fuelled the Nazi war machine: First published on royaldutchshellplc.com 2021

Shell’s effort to help maintain Hitler’s foreign markets thereby aiding the Nazi Government in its direct war against Britain: added October 2021

Royal Dutch Shell Corporate Collaboration with the Nazis: added Oct 2021

Henry van der Waerden, the Shell executive who defied Deterding and his Nazi ambitions

Shell’s toxic Nazi history catching up with the energy giant read more

This website and sisters royaldutchshellgroup.com, shellnazihistory.com, royaldutchshell.website, johndonovan.website, and shellnews.net, are owned by John Donovan. There is also a Wikipedia segment.

Henry van der Waerden, the Shell executive who defied Deterding and his Nazi ambitions

Jan 14th, 2019
by John Donovan.
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Who Killed Henry?: The book title arises from the fact that in 1937, Shell Director for Europe Henry van der Waerden was found dead in mysterious circumstances after receiving a threat from members of the Nazi movement. This was after he had failed to respond favourably to intense pressure from Deterding and the Nazis to do their bidding.

By John Donovan

I was recently contacted by Henry van Buuren, the grandson of Henry van der Waerden, an engineer who held a high-level position at Shell under Sir Henri Deterding. read more

This website and sisters royaldutchshellgroup.com, shellnazihistory.com, royaldutchshell.website, johndonovan.website, and shellnews.net, are owned by John Donovan. There is also a Wikipedia segment.

Royal Air Force Attack on Gestapo HQ in Shell House Copenhagen

Jan 5th, 2019
by John Donovan.
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Shell House before the bombing. At the time of the bombing, it was painted in camouflage colours

Operation Carthage, on 21 March 1945, was a British air raid on Copenhagen, Denmark during the Second World War which caused significant collateral damage. The target of the raid was the Shellhus, used as Gestapo headquarters in the city centre. It was used for the storage of dossiers and the torture of Danish citizens during interrogations. The Danish Resistance had long asked the British to conduct a raid against the site. The building was destroyed, 18 prisoners were freed and anti-resistance Nazi activities were disrupted. read more

This website and sisters royaldutchshellgroup.com, shellnazihistory.com, royaldutchshell.website, johndonovan.website, and shellnews.net, are owned by John Donovan. There is also a Wikipedia segment.

Shell’s Nazi Boss, feted by Hitler in return for massive financial support 

Sep 13th, 2018
by John Donovan.
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Sir Henri Deterding was Director General of the Royal Dutch Shell Group when his initial massive donation of food to Nazi Germany was announced in a Reuter’s Wireless report dated 20 December 1936. 

The donated food on that occasion filled 7,000 railway wagons.

Despite criticism in the news media, specifically linking the money saved on food to Nazi rearmament, Deterding continued to donate Dutch food for Nazi Germany, where he now lived after marrying his secretary, a young German woman. Like him, an ardent Nazi.  read more

This website and sisters royaldutchshellgroup.com, shellnazihistory.com, royaldutchshell.website, johndonovan.website, and shellnews.net, are owned by John Donovan. There is also a Wikipedia segment.

Royal Dutch Shell should apologise for antisemitic conduct and Nazi support

Sep 11th, 2018
by John Donovan.
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Royal Dutch Shell should apologise for antisemitic conduct and Nazi support

By John Donovan

I strongly believe that Royal Dutch Shell should be held accountable for its outrageous antisemitic actions against its own employees, which cost some of them their lives. The same applies to Shell’s huge financial support for Nazi Germany that contributed to the deaths of some 50 million victims in WW2 including those poor souls who perished in the Holocaust. Shell’s leader, Sir Henri Deterding, was an ardent Nazi feted by Adolf Hitler. Shell has never apologised or expressed any remorse.  read more

This website and sisters royaldutchshellgroup.com, shellnazihistory.com, royaldutchshell.website, johndonovan.website, and shellnews.net, are owned by John Donovan. There is also a Wikipedia segment.

Royal Dutch Shell should apologise for antisemitic conduct and Nazi support

Sep 11th, 2018
by John Donovan.
No comments yet

Royal Dutch Shell should apologise for antisemitic conduct and Nazi support

By John Donovan

I strongly believe that Royal Dutch Shell should be held accountable for its outrageous antisemitic actions against its own employees, which cost some of them their lives. The same applies to Shell’s huge financial support for Nazi Germany that contributed to the deaths of some 50 million victims in WW2 including those poor souls who perished in the Holocaust. Shell’s leader, Sir Henri Deterding, was an ardent Nazi feted by Adolf Hitler. Shell has never apologised or expressed any remorse.  read more

This website and sisters royaldutchshellgroup.com, shellnazihistory.com, royaldutchshell.website, johndonovan.website, and shellnews.net, are owned by John Donovan. There is also a Wikipedia segment.
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