The son of the founder of AEG (industrial conglomerate), he succeeded his father in managing this company. In World War I, he played a key role in running the German economy, and after the war he was a government advisor in negotiations over reparations. In February 1922, he was named the Foreign Minister of Germany, and in April 1922, in this capacity, he signed in the Treaty of Rapallo with the Soviet Union. On 24 June 24 1922, Rathenau was assassinated by ultra-right anti-Semitic assailants.
