Lantai column report.
Hello everyone, I'm Lantai. Today I will tell you the story of Armand Hammer and a shocking "ransom" transaction that took place during the Stalin era. This history is both business and political, let's uncover this story that has been sealed by time.
From "Hamer's Law" to the artwork of the Russian nobility.
Armand Hammer was born in New York on May 21, 1898, into a wealthy merchant family. His father was one of the founders of the Communist Party of the United States, and after the October Revolution, he served as commissioner of the Soviet office in New York. This status made Hammer a leader in the United States and the Soviet Union in the early 20th century.
"Hammer's Law" has become the golden rule of business management, leading Hammer to the pinnacle of business. In the Soviet Union, he became the first American businessman to obtain a franchise license, and successfully brought in a large number of American enterprises, including Ford. The reason for the emergence of "Hammer's Law" originated from a street experience in Moscow.
Behind the pencil: business masters from Germany to the USSR.
During his walk, Hammer discovered that stationery stores in Moscow only had expensive German pencils, which inspired his business idea of establishing a pencil factory in the Soviet Union. Despite the lack of production technology, Hammer used his own financial resources to bring engineers and skilled workers from the German company Faber to the Soviet Union, and quickly built the world's largest pencil factory.
This factory not only quickly replaced the German company Fabre, but also became the world's largest pencil manufacturer in just a few years, achieving Hammer's status as the "pencil king". However, this business saga did not end in itself, but rather sparked a political storm involving the artwork of the Russian aristocracy.
Stalin's "redemption": the double-edged sword of Soviet wisdom.
With the death of Lenin and the coming to power of Stalin, the attitude of the Soviet Union towards foreign capital changed completely. Stalin advocated the expulsion of the vast majority of foreign-owned enterprises from the Soviet Union, including those of Hamer, by means of "ransom".
In this political game, the Soviet Union paid compensation to confiscated companies in rubles, and forbade foreign merchants to exchange rubles for dollars, pounds, or **. Stalin proposed that foreign businessmen could use rubles to buy the art of the Tsarist nobility confiscated by the Soviet Union, and the pricing was the responsibility of the Soviet Union, which was not negotiable.
The True Value of a Work of Art: The Fall of Hammer and the Political Cost of the Soviet Union.
This "ransom" deal was not unexpected, and although he held several exhibitions to sell the artworks after returning to the United States, the prices were far less than expected. According to Hammer's memoirs, he had almost nothing but a pile of art. And the price of these works of art, such as a set of silver tableware used by the Tsar**1999 dollars, compared to the huge amount of money that Hammer invested in the USSR, he was actually robbed by Stalin's political tricks.
The "ransom" deal not only brought shame to Hammer, but also dealt a heavy blow to the Soviet Union's international prestige. Since then, Western countries insisted on payment in dollars, pounds sterling or ** in their dealings with the USSR, refused to accept rubles, and even never paid on credit.
Brutal political costs: the lack of credibility of the Soviet Union.
Stalin may have thought it was a clever "buy-out" scheme, but in fact, the Soviet Union's international credibility could not be restored ever since. In 1946, when a severe drought struck, the Soviet Union was forced to produce food for much-needed foreign exchange, but the trust of Western countries in the Soviet Union had completely collapsed, leading to a serious humanitarian disaster.
Stalin's political manipulation at the beginning of the 20th century became the trigger for the long-term alienation of the Soviet Union from the West. Even in the 80s of the 20th century, the USSR again invited foreign capitalists to invest, but no capitalists were willing to come to the door. Stalin's political wisdom eventually became a heavy burden on the Soviet Union's international credibility, and it also makes us ponder the long-term impact of political maneuvers.
Epilogue: Hamer's fate, Stalin's regret.
Armand Hammer's life is full of legends, from a business genius to the "pencil king" of the Soviet Union, who eventually lost everything to Stalin's political maneuvers. This history teaches us that the intersection of business and politics not only affects the fate of individuals, but also changes the course of countries. In the long and complicated course of history, Hammer's fate became a victim of Stalin's political manipulation and an indelible mark left by that era.
Hammer's Business Legend and Stalin's Political Wisdom: Glory and Regret in History
Armand Hammer's life is full of business legends, and he became a leading figure in the United States and the Soviet Union in the early 20th century with his keen business sense and outstanding business skills. However, his legendary life was led to an irreparable fate in a political game with Stalin.
First of all, Hamer's business acumen was fully demonstrated in the formulation of "Hamer's Law" and the conquest of the Soviet pencil market. Not only did he succeed in bringing in a large number of American companies, but he also established the world's largest pencil factory in the Soviet Union. This business feat is a testament to his talent in the business sector and his deep insight into the market. However, his glory is not the end, but a political storm.
Stalin's political maneuvers, through a "ransom" deal, turned Hammer's career in the Soviet Union into a victim of the political maelstrom. Stalin believed that a political victory could be achieved by confiscating foreign-owned enterprises and paying reparations in rubles, but this strategy not only cost Hammer dearly, but also had a serious negative impact on the Soviet Union's international reputation.
This political wisdom may have had some success in the short term, but in the long run it led to a long-term estrangement of the Soviet Union from the West. By reparating the artwork of the Russian aristocracy, the Soviet Union attempted to rebuild its image internationally, but this tactic created a deeper distrust of the outside world. Western countries insisted on using dollars, pounds, or ** payments in their dealings with the Soviet Union, a tradition that continued until the collapse of the Soviet Union. Stalin's political manipulation not only caused Hammer personal losses, but also buried hidden dangers for the entire country.
Throughout history, the confrontation between Hammer and Stalin has become a striking example of the collision between business and politics. This history teaches us that business success is often profoundly influenced by the political environment, and that the sophistication of political tactics can determine a country's position in the international community. Hamer's story is not only a business legend, but also a profound reflection on the consequences of the political game.
In this story, we see the intersection of business and political wisdom, and the game between the two has made a sad history. Hamer's fate may be deplorable, but it also raises questions about the long-term implications of political maneuvers. This historical lesson teaches us that business talents and politicians need to be highly vigilant and sensitive to the vicissitudes of history and society while pursuing success.
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