In the history of mankind, there are a number of personalities whose names and surnames have become common nouns. These include many representatives of the Rothschild dynasty, founded at the end of the 18th century. This surname has long become a symbol of wealth, prosperity and success. The powerful Rothschild clan has not lost its influence in the world today.
The surname of the Rothschild dynasty has heraldic roots. It comes from the appearance of the coat of arms of the jewelry workshop that belonged to Angel Moses Bauer, the father of the founder of the banking dynasty, Mayer Rothschild. The emblem depicted a golden eagle against a red shield. This is how the workshop was later called - "Red Shield" or "Rotschield".
Born in a poor Jewish quarter in Frankfurt am Main, Germany, Mayer Rothschild continued the work of his father, who was engaged in petty usury. Over time, Mayer, with the help of his five sons, expanded the business, turning it into an international financial empire that had a huge impact on European life.
The Rothschild Banking House actively financed European nobles and monarchs, lending money at interest. Mayer's most talented son was Nathan Rothschild, who took a direct part in the fight against Napoleon, using his growing financial power and ingenuity. During the Napoleonic Wars, the financial empire of the Rothschilds grew at an incredible pace, lending to the conduct of the war. Nathan successfully took advantage of his own extensive network of agents, thanks to which he was the first to learn about the events that determined the financial life of Europe.
The methods used by Nathan Rothschild, making a multimillion-dollar fortune, can be judged by the following episode. In 1815, Rothschild was personally present at one of the decisive battles of the Allies with the troops of Napoleon. After the Napoleonic troops were utterly defeated, the financier immediately returned to England to make the biggest deal of his life.
Putting on a somber look, Rothschild made it clear that he was selling bank bonds. The bankers who followed his every move interpreted this as a consequence of a military failure and in a panic rushed to sell securities. After waiting for the prices of bonds to drop to a minimum, Nathan, with the help of an extensive network of agents, bought them, which allowed him to increase his fortune by 200 million pounds in almost one day.
Subsequent generations of the Rothschilds also achieved financial success, strengthening the position of the family. Since the end of the 19th century, the dynasty somewhat moderated the scope of its activities, devoting a lot of time to charity; however, most of these shares are anonymous. The House of Rothschild tries not to advertise the size of its fortune and avoids the demonstration of defiant luxury.
Today, the Rothschilds are still considered one of the most powerful businessmen. Many facts indicate that, having almost two centuries of experience in financing military operations, social and economic transformations, this dynasty still exerts a powerful influence on the course of events in the world.