How did Pre-Nazi German companies join the Nazis?

I heard it said by one person that most German companies cheerfully and greedily "lined up" for handouts from the newly installed Nazi regime just before and during World War II - the point being Hitler's government didn't force them into cooperation, takeover, or federalization, but that they voluntarily offered their services in trade for financial gain.

I question that because in documentaries I saw I got the impression many of them including Zeppelin and many scientists to name a few were very reluctant to join the Nazi's in their missions and were ultimately forced into submission.

I realize it was a nation of desperate people, on the common citizen level, in many cases who were looking for financial aid in any form they could get, but for the largest of the German pre-Nazi companies, did they really "line up" in eagerness to become part of the Nazi campaign?

Thanks,
Eljay

 

Herman Goerring was probably Hitler's biggest help in all this. He was married to a Swedish Noblewoman, Carin Von Katzow, and after WW1 had made many influential friends in powerful corporations both in Sweden and Germany.

After meeting Hitler in the 1920's it was largely Goerring's connections that smoothed the way for Hitler's contacts with the German industrialists even before he came to power. During the late 1920's and early 1930's, Hitler and Goerring used elaborate social occasions to convince the industrialists, corporate heads and bankers that a relationship with him (Hitler) would be profitable for them later and good for Germany and was able, with Goerrings help to solicit large donations for the Nazi party coffers. Hitler was many things but he was not corrupt, he knew he needed their economic banking not for his own personal financial gain but in order to rebuild Germany and the military to the former glory he dreamed of.

If the financiers of the Nazi party had known what Hitler would eventually bring to Germany, one wonders if they would have thought twice about supporting Hitler and his Nazis - but in the early days Hitler was seen as basically just another big-talking politician but one who might be able to lead Germany out of its economic depression.

Since Communism was a movement in Germany during the 1920's and early 1930's almost as strong as the Nazis were, perhaps Hitler and the Nazis simply seemed the lesser of two evils to many people at the time.

 

At least some of this and certainly a lot of the background is covered in the early chapters of Wages of Destruction.