The Vietnam War is one of the most well-known and significant wars in American history because of its very strong political and social impact on American society. The Korean War had just finished in the previous years before and a new generation of lifestyles and independence was quickly becoming more popular, and the traditional “apple-pie” lifestyle was soon becoming a part of the past. Vietnam had always had a long history of conflict including the Guerrilla War with the French and also had many conflicts with China because they were against the Catholic and Buddhist beliefs in their country. The country even battled against its own people attempting to gain control of the people and create a communist governing system.

There was a large amount of student unrest and protesting due to the United States involvement with the Vietnam War, it began as a small group of student protesting against President Richard Nixon because they believed that he had murdered the United States Constitution by removing our freedom of making choices to go to war. President Nixon brought back the Draft for the first time sense 1942, this in return, made all of the “baby boomers” eligible to be drafted to fight in the Vietnam War. This outraged the college students in the United States because anyone over the age of 17 was eligible to be drafted as well as all students who graduate from college which made college students rebel against President Nixon’s and respond to the Draft with protest and unrest. Students felt that he was sending them off to a war that wasn’t the United States’ war and that it was completely unfair and unjust to do to the people of our nation that were eligible for the Draft. In the end, students felt as if they were truly betrayed by the government that was swore to protect them, so they responded with stern protest and anti-war movement across the entire country.

During the Vietnam War the United States was heavily affected both economically and politically because there was no economic or political plan of action to follow during the war. President Johnson continued to pour money into funding the United States fight in Vietnam and he did not sufficiently have a plan to replace to money that funded Vietnam, this caused a large amount of inflation and drastic increase in the federal deficit. As the war in Vietnam continued the United States began to fall into an economic slump causing many economic concerns for the political leaders. The citizens of our country began to feel resentment and anger towards our political leaders and the government because Americans felt that they were being put in a situation that did not involve them and that they were being cheated by the United States government. The people of the United States became more aware of the dishonesty of these leaders and began to distrust the government and view everything the government did with suspicion. President Nixon’s Watergate scandal that led to his resignation and President Ford’s appointment as Commander in Chief only fortified the public’s distrust of the government and government actions. In an effort to prevent a future conflict similar to Vietnam, Congress passed War Powers Act that Nixon had vetoed that stated that the President had to inform Congress if he was going to send troops into possible combat situations.

The Vietnam War was a very difficult time for the people of the United States because not only did many of our soldiers die in the war, but those that did return were permanently scared with the experiences that they went through during the war. Many had lifelong health issues that were related to fighting in the war and many were mentally effected for the rest of their life by not only the experience of fighting the war but also because of how they were treated by the government when they arrived home from the war. Many soldiers that made it home felt as if they had been spit on by their own country. Sense the Nixon Watergate scandal and the Vietnam War, the citizens of the United States have never fully trusted in the government sense those dishonest times in the history of our country, I can only hope for better choices on the U.S. Government’s behalf in the future. 

References

Pike, John. (2000). The Vietnam War. Retrieved on July, 13, 2010. Retrieved from Global Security Website. http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/ops/vietnam.htm

Ryan, J. S. (Nov. 14, 2008). Student Unrest and the Vietnam War. Retrieved on July, 13, 2010. Retrieved from Associated Content News Website. http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1195187/student_unrest_and_the_vietnam_war_.html?singlepage=true&cat=37

The Wonderland murders or Four on the Floor murders occurred on July1, 1981. Four people were bludgeoned to death in their sleep at 8763 Wonderland Ave. Joy Audrey Miller. Billy DeVerell. Ronald Launius. Barbara Richardson. The police were so disturbed by the amounts of blood found at the Wonderland crime scene they video taped it as evidence. It was the first time in American history that a video record of a murder scene was admitted as evidence in criminal trial.

John Holmes disputed his involvement in the actual crime. Although, he was responsible for the two groups having anything to do with one another. He was a friend of Eddie Nash, club owner and the man who ordered the hit on the Wonderland home. Being in debt to his friends at Wonderland he drew them a map and left a sliding glass door open at Nash’s home for them to sneak in and commit their robbery of Nash as a way of paying them back. As soon as Nash found out of Holmes’involvement he ordered Holmes to tell what he knew and reveal the identity of his friends at Wonderland. He and, or his goons forced Holmes to go with them to 8763 Wonderland Ave. on the night of July 1, 1981. By most accounts they made Holmes watch as his goons exacted their revenge upon his friends. The police did find a bloody hand print at the scene that belonged to Holmes.

The crime scene footage is extremely graphic and bloody. It shows that the movie, Wonderland that came out in 2003 is a very close depiction of what actually happened on that fateful night.

Boogie Nights is a loosely based story of the rise and fall of John Holmes with Mark Wahlberg playing the self-confessed porn king. It tells a slightly different version of the events, but is more entertaining and flashy than Wonderland.

John Holmes died in the V.A. Hospital in Sepulveda, California March 13th, 1988. He was 43 years old.

The Link List

http://adf.ly/1V6z1 Wonderland Murder site
http://adf.ly/1V7Ih  Books on the Subject at Amazon
http://adf.ly/1V7M7 Wonderland on Trutv

1900s: Hanging – That is a hanging new hat you got there!

1910s: Jazzed –   I’m really jazzed about this tophat

1920s: Cat’s Meow — Don’t tell me that I’m applesauce, you’re applesauce! I’m the cat’s meow! BITCH!

1930s: Snazzy – What a snazzy invention, the Preparation H! 

1940s: Fuddy-Duddy – My anal hole is itchy and I’m in public, what a fuddy-duddy situation.

1950s: Swell — Thank you papa for the Preparation H, now everything is swell daddy-o.

1960s: Groovy — Whoa man that’s groovy!

1970s: Dig — Do you dig? yeah I guess.

1980s: Bodacious — Dude those are some of the most bodacious melons I’ve seen, and your breast ain’t bad either.

1990s: Word — Yo sucka can you hear me? word!

21st Century

2000s: LOL — I totally Lolled at that!

2010s: Winning — I am winning! Winning what?…or at what? Just winning!

2020s: Preparation H — I have totally Preparation H’d all over his face.

If you liked this, you will love these

http://scienceray.com/physics/every-decade-of-the-20th-century/

http://socyberty.com/history/nicknames-of-every-decade-of-the-19th-century/

http://authspot.com/short-stories/reflexion-of-nothingness-and-purpleness-2/

The New Right favoured social conservatism. It can be difficult to define a typical member due to the diversity and grand scale of issues, though the list below generalises.

A typical New Right voter could be defined by:

• ·         Disgusted by the 1960s’ excesses and permissiveness (sex, drugs and rock-and-roll)
• ·         Very patriotic
• ·         Anti-Communist
• ·         A great believer in free enterprise and a balanced budget
• ·         A church-goer
• ·         A great believer in family values
• ·         Opposed to the teaching of Evolution and Darwinist ideas in schools
• ·         Anti-sex education in schools
• ·         Anti-busing (as it maximised the amount of time a child spent away from home, promoted race mixing and destroyed the authority of the parents)
• ·         Anti-affirmative-action
• ·         Anti-feminism and the Equal Rights Amendment
• ·         Anti-abortion, pro- ‘right to life’
• ·         Anti-pornography
• ·         Against the abolition of prayer in schools
• ·         Against IRS moves to deny tax-exempt status to private schools, including Christian academies with all white pupils
• ·         Anti-crime
• ·         Anti-federal government bureaucracy
• ·         Anti-homosexuals

The Leaders within the New Right were typically religious figures, such as ministers or those who all-round good people.

Out of all the leaders and followers, Candy is a hero, she is the driving force behind the uprising. She shows her heroic behavior by helping the black farmers stand up for themselves and not be pushed around by the white men. She believes that people need to stick together to fight prejudice and segregation in a place where it is still prevalent. She stands up for what’s right, and that is not what is thought a white person would think. She shows individualism by thinking of others and putting them first.

Mapes is the police man who comes and is supposed to get the murderer. When he gets their however he finds a different scene than he expected. He isn’t like most other white men, just like candy he wants to do what’s right and not arrest the innocent. All of the people claimed that they shot him and they all have valid reasons about why they might have killed him. Mapes wants to stop a lunching mob that he knows will come, by arresting only one person and saving the rest. Mapes and Candy clash on certain levels because he wants them to stop the charade and come quietly, Candy on the other hand believes that the only way they will get through this is by sticking together.

Out of Mapes and Candy I think that Candy is the bigger hero. She is a leader and is admired by most of the people in the story for it. Mapes is also admired for not being racist and guides and directs others towards standing up for themselves, but he also tries to not get anyone killed in the process. I think that the situation that they are in is a tight one to be in and if they were in a different conflict both of them might not even be heroes.

Anybody who commits an act of remarkable bravery or who shows a commendable feature such as great courage or strength of character should be honored to be called a hero. Heroes don’t need to be the characterized type, but just showing good judgment helps a lot.    

Teena Marie was an experienced, soulful and moving singer, but what many do not realize how much of an exceptional lyricist, songwriter and musician Teen Marie proved worthy of being respected.  She like Madonna’s first album release did not feature her image on the cover.  Ms. Marie’s first album was called, “Wild and Peaceful”.

Cover of Lovergirl: Teena Marie Story

Teena Marie was born Marie Christine Brockert was only 19 years old when she signed with Motown Records as its first signed white act along with Rick James who she had both a music and personal relationship with.  She is survived by a daughter and on a come back after a bout with prescription drugs.

Watch Teen Marie Singer Lovergirl in concert when she was younger below

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UhMxfC9N4tY&feature=player_embedded

 Key looks include the best aspects of each of the following decades:

1980’s anchor styles:

1. Skinny jeans – but only if your body is reasonably slim. Wearing this style when overweight creates a Miss Piggy look. Don’t do that to yourself.
2. Boyfriend jacket – just please, not too huge. Long and sleek is cool, linebacker is not.
3. Vibrant make-up. It’s all part of the attitude.

1970’s anchor styles

1. Layered but blown-out hair (not permed) and wide-leg pants.
2. Silky, slinky, shiny fabrics that drape for tops.
3. Boots, boots, boots.
4. Lots of jewelry – but don’t overdo it. Several necklaces or bracelets. Just not everything all at once.
5.  Biker details – especially on boots and jackets. Extra straps and buckles.
6.  Muted colors like bronze, mustard gold, brick red, olive, nauticals like gray blue and silver for spring of course, and (thankfully) purple continues all year.
7.  Fringe bangs

1960’ anchor styles:

1. The Pixie bob. Emma Watson launched this one with her new post-Harry Potter “do”.

2.      Full skirts – more A-line than pencil. Just let it stop above or at the knee. No calf-length, “Little House on the Prairie” A-lines.

3.      Ladylike dresses with the same flowing qualities as the tops listed above.

For those of us who don’t live in London, Paris, Milan, New York or L.A., these runway trends will go to ready-to-wear but won’t actually be worn commonly on the street for a few years. But here, we get the inside scoop and can be a bit ahead of the game.

Happy New Year!

Resources: www.fashionising.com, www.instyle.com, www.beautyhill.com

• 1930s Depression slowed the construction of housing
• 1945, Australia had a shortage of over 350 000 houses
• 1945 Commonwealth State Housing Agreement ensure production of adequate and affordable permanent housing.
• After the war, there was a massive shortage of houses.
• Home ownership increased as the economy and transportation system improved.
• By 1961, 70% people owned their own homes
• Immigrants changed the landscape of Australian home architecture
• 1960 – popular Modernist styles of architecture maintained clean lines, minimal details and attention to design and form.
• 1970s housing poverty afflicted Australia
• Australian Housing Cooperation formed in 1977, formed to help finance community housing (federal Government)
• 1970s – preservation of buildings and city centre.
• 1980s – better housing options include – low income and special needs households
• 1990s – re-evaluation of previous housing policies.

Home Appliances

• Before WWII , housing appliances were purchased only by the rich and middle-class people
• 1946 – only 8% of homes were connected to electricity, 75% did not have  kitchen sink.
• 1980 – estimated that no houses had a vacuum cleaner
• Home appliances have formed part of the modern machinery that made life speed up in the 20th Century

Entertainment

• Technology played a huge part in entertainment after WWII.
• Before 1954, hotels and bars closed before 6pm which led to the phrase “six o’ clock swill”
• Early closing was removed in 1954 in NSW, 1966 Victoria, South Australia 1967, which eventually led to the revival of hotels and bars as places of entertainment.
• Television was introduced in 1956, as a result, cinema audiences halved between 1956 to 1960s.
• 1980s – The introduction  of videos and proliferation of video stores decrease cinema audiences for some time.
• Pay TV and DVDs were introduced in 1996
• Late 1950s – young people formed bands in their garage
• Clubs of all sorts were important venues of a broad range of entertainment.
• Pubs were important venues for new bands.
• 1990s – gentrification and laws controlling noise meant a decrease in live band performances
• Pokies became legal after 50 years of illegal operation in 1956.
• Pokies were legalised throughout Australia by 1990s when State governments saw it as a lucrative source of revenue

Transport

• Today over 90% have access to one car.
• 1950s – only 20% of families had access to a car.
• 1956 – one third of Australia’s 2.3 million registered motor vehicles were used commercially.
• After WWII majority of drivers were men
• Women now account for half of the country’s motor vehicle drivers.
• Tramways were in the late 19th and early twentieth century were the main forms of transport
• 1960s – tramways closed across the continent
• Rise of motor vehicles was the demise of tramways in Australia.
• Motor vehicles led to the decentralising of jobs and places of work.
• Motor vehicles allowed many families to take holidays and take weekend drives.
• Motels flourished from the late 1950s and 1960s.
• Number of internal passenger flights increased from the 1950s.

Communication

• In the 1950s there were two types of communication, telegram and telephone.
• In recent we have seen the development of digital cultures and virtual communities.
• Private forms of communication are telephones, mobiles, pagers and snail mail.
• Public forms include radio and television.
• Communication are part of the country’s economic infrastructure.

AUSTRALIAN IN 1970s MAGAZINE ARTICLES

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SCHOOL CERTIFICATE HISTORY RESOURCES

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SCHOOL CERTIFICATE GEOGRAPHY RESOURCES

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Speaking of ordering things, that was one process that was nowhere near instant back then. Ordering something from a catalogue or the back of a cereal box meant sending in the order form with a cheque or money order, and then allowing 4 to 6 weeks for shipping and handling.

These days, many people would not buy anything that they would have to wait 4 to 6 days to receive, never mind weeks. We order stuff online, the seller receives the order instantly, and the marketing buzzword is now “same day shipping.” If it hasn’t come within a week, we go marching through cyberspace to find out what’s going on.

I have coined the phrase “Uber-Instant Era” to describe the sense of extreme motivity in the North American mindset these days. I googled “uber instant era” in quotation marks; and Google couldn’t find the phrase in cyberspace, so I am going to assume that I am indeed the coiner of this phrase.

Speaking (typing, actually) of Google, when did google become a verb? Anything you want to know, you just google and instantly your computer scoots around the planet like Santa Claus on steroids, or make that a reverse Santa Claus, like the Grinch – snatching up hits of your search words from every computer linked to the web; and then plunking five hundred million web addresses into your computer in a tenth of a second.

Facebook, Twitter, and Text Messaging have joined forces to super speed communication, so that people can communicate with each other uber-instantly, without ever having to leave the comfort and security at their end of the cyber connection. Ironically, the technology is all uber-transportable, so the comfort and security of never having to actually meet other human beings can go with you wherever you go.

This has created the societal expectation that anyone that I would like to communicate with should be within my cyber grasp at all times. At our house, my 17 year old daughter is never without her LG Rumor. We hear a tinny humming sound every 20 or 30 seconds, announcing the arrival of an urgent communiqué from one of the significant cyber others in her life, demanding her immediate attention. I have had to forcibly remove this device from her maniacal grasp so that she can wash the dishes, and the whole time that she is incommunicado, the devilish little device screams for her attention. She has one cyber buddy in particular who monopolizes her view screen, and takes dramatic offense if she does not reply immediately. I’m sure this thing must have an off switch somewhere…

Have we gone too far with the electronic connections that can so easily replace our real face to face relationships? Perhaps, especially if the people in your cyber community get more of your attention than the ones with whom you share your real life.

(photo by author)

Update – My daughter proof read this and insisted that I was exaggerating her cyber ties. However, her LG Rumor buzzed 3 or 4 times while she was reading. She was able to answer each text almost without taking her eyes off my article, her thumbs madly clicking out the responses almost autonomically. Then when I snuck up to take this picture, she was playing on the X box, but she couldn’t resist dropping the control thingy to answer her texts. Oh well. Maybe in twenty years or so she will be complaining about the gadgets that my grandchildren have surgically implanted in their brains so that they stay in touch with their friends telepathically.

By the mid-1970s the West German automobile industry looked very gloomy indeed. The industry found itself with a saturated domestic market. Also the 1973 oil crisis had caused fuel price rises and an economic crisis which reduced demand for vehicles in the recession prone automobile industry. In 1968 the Deutschmark had been revalued upwards, making German exports more expensive and in 1972 the breakdown of the Bretton Woods Accord created uncertainty in a new world of floating exchange rates. Volkswagen had not replaced its Beetle and the Japanese were taking most of their share of the lower market segment, particularly in the USA. In 1974 Volkswagen, Europe’s largest car firm, found itself on the brink of bankruptcy. It is argued that the lack of innovation in the German car industry and inadequate planning had left it in such a perilous state. The root of the problem was stated clearly by Kern and Schumann: ‘those who were influential in the rise of German industry usually had technical or scientific backgrounds,… [but] as a result of capital accumulation, managers with a nontechnical, juridical, or commercial background often gained more influence.’

VW’s early 1970s crisis and renewal

When Kurt Lotz succeeded Nordhoff at Volkswagen in 1968, he found the company with a narrow product range and heavily dependent on exports. The huge plants developed by VW achieved economies of scale beyond certain levels of production, but once domestic markets had been saturated, this left a formerly successful company in a position where it had to find export markets for its product or collapse under the weight of its fixed costs.

The Japanese production system was superior to Volkswagen’s and their goods were of a quality and price that could not be matched by Volkswagen. In order to survive Volkswagen introduced a peculiar product strategy by moving up-market: improving product design and quality, and offering a broader range of model options. This creation of a non-homogeneous product protected Volkswagen from Japanese competition.

The product chosen was Volkswagen’s Golf. The Golf design was not developed by Volkswagen itself, but was acquired by VW when they purchased NSU in 1969 and merged its activities with Audi, acquired in 1965. Legal disputes arrising from the NSU takeover led to Lotz’s dismissal in 1971. Lotz was replaced as Chairman by Rudolf Leiding who forced a stagnant Volkswagen to innovate and who successfully marketed the Golf (Europe’s most popular car).

As a manufacturer of luxury automobiles Daimler was less vulnerable to customers concerns about the economy. Daimler had a policy of only making as many cars as it expected to sell, especially during recession. However, between 1973 and 1975, Daimler Chairman Joachim Zahn set aside $250 million as preparation for the difficult phase the auto industry was to confront. Daimler invested in engines powered by inexpensive diesel fuel. These vehicles comprised 45% of output by the mid-1970s. BMW and Daimler also entered the family car market. Vehicle production at Daimler increased from 350,000 to 540,000 units per annum between 1975 and 1983. This was mostly due to the introduction of the 190 model, a small version of its saloon car.

In Streeck’s view “high and sticky labour costs are an important factor forcing … German automobile manufacturers to orient themselves toward non-price competitive markets”. But in seeking to find non-homogeneous product markets, German industry did not address its core problems: productivity and costs. The next crisis was just being postponed until the Japanese began to move up-market. Furthermore, product diversification caused its own problems. As the number of model variations increased, so too did the number of faulty vehicle vehicles reaching customers, or as Streeck puts it: “product diversification had been driven to a level at which even under German conditions it ceased to be compatible with product quality”.

National policy

‘The West German state has had no strong tradition of industrial policy or selective intervention‘. Helmut Schmidt, for example, gave his full support to his finance minister’s refusal to give grant aid to Volkswagen in 1974. Streeck felt that the outstanding performance of the industry was excellent confirmation of the government’s free market philosophy. But such a view is misplaced. Firstly, if it were not for state intervention, Volkswagen would never have been built. Secondly, Streeck wrote his article during the mid-1980s boom and did not foresee the structural problems to come. The German unions have tried to compensate by developing their own policy papers but have found the role too difficult to fill. The trade association, the VDA, could not develop a joint strategy because its ranks are dominated by the large firms, which are German and American owned.

It is surprising also that the German government has been so slow to aid research and development in the automobile sector. Indeed the government has been inconsistent in its hands-off approach. This was clearly demonstrated in early 1987, when the Bonn government suggested that Daimler acquire a stake in Messerschmitt-Bolkow-Blohm (”MBB”). Their stated intention was to add Deutsche Airbus AG (”Airbus”), in which MBB had an 80% stake, to a strong private industrial group. However, their true intention was to relieve themselves of the financial burden of supporting the aerospace industry.

In the 1960s, German governments had an expansionary Autobahn building policy. But this has changed since the Social-Liberal government allowed citizens to have public building projects reviewed in the courts. The one area still favouring the automobile industry is that the Autobahnen have no general speed limit.

In July 1983 the Federal Government required all cars registered from 1986 in the FRG to be fitted with catalytic converters to reduce lead emission. This decision reflected the central place in West German discussion of the dying forest issue. The industry opposed the change vehemently, but saw that the government would not back down. Then after consulting its engineers, it found that the problem was solvable. The industry then chose to favour catalytic converters provided they applied also to imported cars. A compromise with the EC resulted in tax relief for cars meeting a new European standard. The industry had lost its credibility but had fumbled its way once more to success. In this area the German car industry has made great advances in reducing air pollution, by developing a three-way catalytic converter and more economical engines. As in the 1970s they had developed further non-homogeneous products.

Diversification and Global strategies

In 1975 Volkswagen under Toni Schmücker opened a manufacturing base in the USA, but operationally, financially and product-wise the plant was a failure and was closed by Carl Horst Hahn, who was appointed Chairman in 1981. VW had tried to diversify into office machinery but had to sell off Triumph-Adler at a huge loss. Hahn tried to lead VW through a more successful phase of international expansion with plants in Mexico, China and the Skoda plant in the Czech Republic. Each of those plants was expected to benefit from sales in those areas. The acquisition of the SEAT affiliate in Spain was intended to withstand EC competition.

Starting in 1985, Daimler departed from its traditional policy of gradual growth and embarked on an acquisition policy to counter competition and the high costs of research and development. In February 1985, Daimler-Benz acquired Motoren-und-Turbinen-Union (”MTU”), which made aircraft engines and diesel motors for tanks and ships. In May 1985, Daimler-Benz bought 65.5% of Dornier, a manufacturer of spacecraft systems, commuter planes and medical equipment. Then in early 1986, Daimler-Benz paid $820 million for control of AEG, a high technology manufacturer of electronic equipment such as turbines, robotics and data processing, as well as household appliances.

This change of direction was instigated by Werner Breitschwerdt, who in 1983 had become Daimler-Benz Chairman after the death of Dr. Gerhard Prinz. Breitschwerdt was the first engineer to head the company in decades, and the only research and development expert to hold that position. He hoped to expand the company’s research base by bringing the technical and research expertise of the new subsidiaries to Daimler-Benz. For example, the radar technology of AEG and the materials expertise of Dornier would assist the development of intelligent cars. However, Deutsche Bank which owns 28% of the company was troubled by Breitschwerdt’s lack of a clear integration plan. In July 1987, Breitschwerdt was forced to resign and was replaced by Edzard Reuter with Deutsche Bank’s full approval. Under Reuter Daimler-Benz was to continue its diversion policy with a vengeance.

When Daimler acquired MBB and Deutsche Airbus AG, Deutsche Aerospace AG (”DASA”) was born. Daimler’s diversification into aerospace was targetted at defence systems which are normally profitable. However, DASA’s defence business was adversely affected by the breakdown of the Eastern Block. In contrast Airbus, which Daimler was originally not keen to buy, can be expected to become the most attractive business of Daimler-Benz and to take over the role of Mercedes-Benz as the main source of Daimler’s earnings in the next century.

Der Spiegel published a feature on the globalisation of the Federal Republic’s economy with the title ‘Weltfirma Deutschland’. The leitmotif was the idea that whenever a West German firm has set up abroad, a part of Germany itself has been transplanted. Der Spiegel points out that globalisation came about only slowly and relatively late because industry had earned a very good living from the Made in Germany label.

In early 1993, Mercedes-Benz announced it was broadening its product range, pruning management, transferring assembly to Spain, South Korea and Mexico and searching for international partners in components. April 1993 marked a milestone in Mercedes-Benz development from a German to a global manufacturer, when it announced a project to built a four-wheel drive vehicle in the USA, its first ever new car produced outside Germany. Jürgen Hubert, head of Mercedes, shocked German industry by saying: “The time is right to emphasize Made by Mercedes“, thereby leaving other German manufacturers bemused in contemplation of a world without the Made in Germany ” tag.

The last of the significant German motor vehicle manufacturers to diversify internationally was BMW. In January, 1994, BMW announced it was acquiring the Rover Group for £800 million. According to BMW Presse Information, 31 January 1994, the combined BMW-Rover group, based on 1993 figures, would produce 534,000 automobiles and 36,000 motorcycles in BMW and 430,000 automobiles in Rover. BMW would add Rover’s 33000 employees to its own 71000 person strong workforce. 

Commenting on the bid, Bernd Pischetsrieder, the BMW Chairman, stated: “the Rover and BMW ranges complement each other… [and] our different regional strengths provide a powerful synergy”. Later in November, 1994, the first complete BMW car plant outside Germany was opened at Spartanburg, South Carolina, in the USA.

Owen Smith in his study of the German economy uses the German vehicle manufacturers to illustrate the global strategy patterns emerging in Germany. Examination of international company rankings will show that German firms rank highly by turnover but do not rate as well in terms of profitability. He concludes: “corporate growth has… been seen to be a more important German goal than profit maximisation” and suggests “from the …micro study of Daimler-Benz…, that securing and opening up of foreign markets is the dominant reason for internationalization of German firms”.

Doleschal’s study of the internationalization of Volkswagen’s production shows that only due to severely declining US profits and sales in the 1970s did VW consider direct production in the USA and newly emerging countries. His thesis is that the reorganisation of international production “was motivated less by cost advantages than by protectionism and import substitution policies”. Increasing trade restrictions left VW no choice but to produce directly in each market region. But significant production has only been established in countries with a domestic market (or a potential one). However, he adds: ‘the transition of production… orientation in Brazil and Mexico to export was not a consequence of VW’s own strategic considerations but a reaction to pressures from…these countries to improve their foreign exchange situation.’ In conclusion, he stated that “the creation of the international VW network has not been part of a planned international strategy…, but a reaction to trade policy restrictions”.