War loot

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War loot refers to goods, valuables and property obtained after a war from occupied territories. The winning army traditionally reserves the "right" to rob and plunder the defeated country and its population, often combined with war rape[1].

History

Since history has been documented, looting after a war activities seems common practice. Foot soldiers were thus allowed to supplement their meager pay and in the process allowed to rid of their built-up aggression. On higher levels, leaders of the winning armies, countries and nations did the very same, just in grander style.

Often spurred by regaining possession over formerly stolen property by the opponent. In many cases it was the unique opportunity to obtain treasures that otherwise would have been out of reach. Many times officially declared as 'retribution' and 'reparation' payments. One of the most notorious being the Treaty of Versailles[2]. As one of the Peace Treaties after World War I[3], it is widely seen as one of the most important factors that stirred the anti-allies propaganda in post-WWI Germany, being in part responsible for the launch of World War II[4].

In pre-modern societies, especially precious metals were the target of post-war looting. The Mayan gold is one of the most recognized example. Since the 18th century, fine art as war loot became more and more important. The Napoleonic Wars[5], following the French Revolution[6], catapulted many treasured art pieces from their former aristocratic owners into new art collections and eventually onto the emerging new art market. Such happened as well after the Civil War[7] on the North American Continent, when well-off Southerners were robbed of their possessions and collections. In the 1930s, Nazi Germany saw lots of art and property looting: from the looting of occupied countries[8] to the 'Aryanization' of companies and private property to the last steps of dehumanisation of all any any 'opponents' of the new regime: socialists, communists, Jews, Slavs, Sinti and Roma 'gypsies', homosexuals, the mentally disabled, and others who were 'selected' to go to 'concentration camps' or death camps. Not only were they advised to take as many valuables as possible (of which they were instantly robbed upon their registration); after entering the camps, they were even robbed of their hair, gold teeth, and prostheses[9].

In younger times, war looting also included persons of special (economical) interest. After WWII, German scientists were a hot commodity, especially for the USSR and the USA. One of the most prominent examples is Wernher von Braun, probably the most recognized rocket scientist of the 20th century. His 'extraction' from Germany, despite his former ties to the NSDAP (Nationalsozialsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei/'Nazi party') through the Operation Paperclip[10] is of special noteworthiness.

Yet this is not where war loot stops. Patents and other intellectual property were of further special interest to winning nations in 20th century post-war times.

The Hague Convention of 1907 and the Fourth Geneva Convention of 1949, both explicitly ban 'pillage' by hostile armies. Theoretically. to prevent such loot, unclaimed property is moved to the custody of the Custodian of Enemy Property, to be handled until the return to its owner.

In most recent years, looting of the National Museum of Iraq[11] throughout foreign occupation gave the old malaise of war loot a new spin.

See also

• Nazi plunder

References

• Bower, Tom: Blood Money. The Swiss, The Nazis, and the Looted Billions. London 1997.(ISBN 3-89667-037-9)

[On the Nazi-gold and Jewish property in Swiss Banks.]

• Fiedler, Wilfried: Safeguarding of Cultural Property during Occupation - Modifications of the Hague Convention of 1907 by World War II? In: Briat, Martine, Judith A. Freedberg (ed.): Legal Aspects of International Trade in Art. International Sales of Works of Art. Vol. V. Paris etc. 1996. Pp. 175-183.
• John Gimbel "U.S. Policy and German Scientists: The Early Cold War", Political Science Quarterly, Vol. 101, No. 3 (1986), pp. 433–51
• Grabowski, Jörn: Wallfahrtsort Nationalgalerie. Zur Rückführung der Dresdener Gemälde aus der Sowjetunion. In: Jahrbuch Preußischer Kulturbesitz. Band XXXII. Berlin 1996. S. 323-348.

["Place of Pilgrimage National Gallery. About the Restitution of the Dresden Paintings from the Soviet Union".]

• Matthias Judt; Burghard Ciesla, "Technology Transfer Out of Germany After 1945" Harwood Academic Publishers, 1996. ISBN 3718658224
• Merriam-Webster, loot: definition, http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/loot
• Clarence G., Lasby "Project Paperclip: German Scientists and the Cold War" Scribner (February 1975) ISBN 0689705247
• Gerhard Schoenberger, Der gelbe Stern. Die Judenverfolgung in Europa 1933 bis 1945, Bertelsmann, Munich, ISBN 357005490X
• Lee Smith, "Hitler's gold: the story of the Nazi war loot", Berg Publishers, 1996, ISBN 1859739210, 9781859739211
• Staatliche Galerie Moritzburg: Deutsche Kunstmedaillen des 20. Jahrhunderts. Aus der Sammlung des Landesmünzkabinetts Sachsen-Anhalt. Halle 1996.

["German Art Medallions of the 20th century. From the Collection of the Saxony-Anhalt State Cabinet of Medallions". See pp. 26-27: The Fate of the Collection after the Second World War.]