Karl Helfferich
| Karl Helfferich | |
|---|---|
Karl Helfferich
|
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| Secretary for the Treasury of German Empire | |
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In office 31 January 1915 – 22 May 1916 |
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| Chancellor | Theobald von Bethmann-Hollweg |
| Preceded by | Hermann Kühn |
| Succeeded by | Siegfried von Roedern |
| Secretary of the Interior of German Empire | |
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In office 22 May 1916 – 23 October 1917 |
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| Chancellor | Theobald von Bethmann-Hollweg Georg Michaelis Georg von Hertling |
| Preceded by | Clemens von Delbrück |
| Succeeded by | Max Wallraf |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Karl Theodor Helfferich 22 July 1872 Neustadt an der Weinstraße, Rhineland-Palatinate |
| Died | 23 April 1924 (aged 51) Bellinzona, Switzerland |
| Nationality | German |
| Alma mater |
University of Berlin University of Munich University of Strasbourg |
| Occupation | Lawyer, economist |
| Religion | Protestant |
Karl Theodor Helfferich (22 July 1872 – 23 April 1924) was a German politician, economist, and financier from Neustadt an der Weinstraße in the Palatinate.
Helfferich studied law and political science at the universities of Munich, Berlin, and Strasbourg. He taught at the University of Berlin and later at the government school for colonial politics and oriental languages. In 1902 he entered upon a diplomatic career. He soon became a leader in the German government's policy of economic imperialism, and in 1906 he was appointed director of the Anatolian Railway which was financed by Deutsche Bank. In 1908 he was made chairman of the directorship of the powerful Deutsche Bank in Berlin.
At the close of the Balkan War, Helfferich was the German financial delegate to the international conference (1913). He was Secretary for the Treasury from 1916 to 1917, and was said to be responsible for financing expenses for World War I through loans instead of taxes. He counted upon a final German victory and upon imposing heavy indemnities upon the Allies. He also served as Vice-Chancellor for Chancellors Georg Michaelis and Georg von Hertling.
After the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk, Helfferich was sent to Moscow as the German Ambassador to Russia, succeeding Wilhelm Mirbach, who was assassinated. Elected to the Reichstag of 1920, Helfferich led the conservative and monarchist right, known as the Deutsch-Nationalen, and strongly opposed reparations and the economic fulfillment of the Versailles Treaty. In particular, he directed his denunciations against the democratic Catholic leader Matthias Erzberger with whom he had a celebrated lawsuit in 1920.
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