Industrialist Presentations (In the Context of the WWI mod)

Now on the Austro-Hungarian Industrialist, Manfréd Weiss de Csepel!

Manfred Weiss was born on April 11, 1857 in Pest, Austria-Hungary. He too was made a Baron for his services to Austria-Hungary.

Manfréd Weiss Steel and Metal Works and its factory in Csepel Island outside Budapest had become one of the largest arms suppliers for Austria-Hungary pre-WWI. He also supplied arms to Serbia, Bulgaria, Portugal, Spain, Mexico, and Russia. After receiving support from the Hungarian Society of Industrialists, his firm became the largest in Austria-Hungary

During WWI, he produced a wide variety of equipment, from ammo to airplanes. In that period, he employed 30,000 workers.

Assesment: Since he was a Baron, nobility is a must. Not sure about other skills though.

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Top: Manfréd Weiss
Bottom: Weiss canned food factory on Csepel Island

We're doing Renault for France, so Carnegie for US (made him a total badass)

Jewish as I am, Ford's antisemitism had nothing to do with the choice

Alright, now on Vickers (GB).

Thomas Vickers was born on 9 July 1833. His father, Edward Vickers was one of the cofounders of Vickers Ltd. alongside with George Naylor.

He and his brother Albert ran the business until 1909, when he handed over control to Albert. He died in 1915.

During WWI, Vickers Ltd. produced artillery, a modified version of the Maxim machine gun, airplanes, ships, torpedoes, and cars.

A modified Vickers Vimy was used in the first non-stop transatlantic flight of Alcock and Brown.





Top: Thomas Vickers.
Bottom: Vickers Vimy bomber in the transatlantic flight.

Now on the Russian Industrialist.

Alexander Ivanovich Konovalov was born in 17 September 1875 in Moscow, Russian Empire. He became one of Russia's biggest textile manufacturers. He also pushed business interests in Russia's legislative body, the Imperial Duma.

During WWI, he was Vice President of Guchkov's Military-Industrial Committee. When the First Coalition of the Provisional Government replaced the Council of Ministers, he became Minister of Trade and Industry. In the second coalition, he was excluded as the his business interests were deemed bourgeuise. However, in the Third Coalition of the Provisional Government under Alexander Kerensky, he became Vice President and Minister of Trade and Industry.

After the October Revolution, Konovalov emigrated to Paris, France. He became one of the leading emigre figures. He died in 28 January 1949 in Paris.
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Top: Konovalov.
Bottom: Cabinet of the First Coalition of the Provisional Government. Notice Konovalov in the upper middle.

I really want to see that

Now on the US Industrialist: Andrew Carnegie!

Andrew Carnegie was born on November 25, 1835 in Dunfermline, Scotland. He and his parents emigrated to the USA, specifically to Pennsylvania.

Carnegie began working as a messenger boy in the Ohio Telegraph Company. He was promoted to operator due to his skill of translating messages without a strip.

In 1853, Carnegie worked in the Pennsylvania Railroad Company as a secretary and telegraph operator, as he thought the railroad industry had better prospects than the telegraph industry. He also began his first investments under the guide of his boss. He also arranged a merger between a sleeping car company he had shares in and George Pullman's.

During the Civil War, his boss became Assistant Secretary of War. He tasked Carnegie to reopen Union telgraph lines. The Civil War was a huge lesson for Carnegie, as it showed the importance of industry in the Union victory.

He started devoting all his time to iron works after the Civil War, leaving railroads altogether. He used his railroad connections to effect during his early years to get contracts and sell iron.

He helped fund and supplied steel for Eads' Bridge over the Mississippi. He also bought out his rival in 1883.

In 1892, he launched the Carnegie Steel Company. He previously had adopted the Bessemer process, which enabled cheap mass production of steel. He also owned all his suppliers, thus effectively cutting costs.

His wealth also had some controversies which weighed heavily on him, those being the 1887 Johnstown Flood and the Homestead Strike, where Pinkertons fired upon union workers. Both were mostly caused by Henry Clay Frick, his partner. Frick was nearly assassinated, and after the attempt Carnegie bought out his shares.

In 1901, banker J.P. Morgan planned an intergrated steel industry and for that he had to buy Carnegie out. Carnegie was planning to retire, and Morgan bought his company for $ 480 million (13.7 billion in 2016). Carnegie himself recieved $ 225.639.000 (6.42 billion in 2016). His and other steel companies were merged into U.S. Steel.

He became a philantrophist, following his dictum that the last third of one's life must be devoted to giving money  away to causes one thought to be important. Carnegie University and Carnegie Hall are examples of his philantrophy. He also corresponded with U.S. Presidents and author Mark Twain.

He died on 11 August 1919 in Lenox, Massachusetts as one of the richest men in the world with a net worth of $ 480 million (about $ 310 billion today)






Top: Carnegie
Bottom: cartoon on Carnegie's philantrophy.