In terms of material wealth Hitler's Reich was second only to the United States. A taboo topic is the allied plunder of the defeated Reich. From the onset of war and the cost of millions of lives the Allies spurned peace offers. To accept would jeopardise opportunity to ransack the Reich. From as early as February 1943, the USSR established the Trophy Brigades. Their purpose was to ransack and to share with the Allies the spoils of war. Every German home, thousands of factories, tens of thousands of cars, millions of captive slaves became prize of war. Germany's entire merchant marine and manufacturing base became war booty. The ransacking of Germany reduced the Reich to an empty shell. Plunder included surrender to Stalin 21 nations including Poland for whose integrity the war was started. Ralph Keeling, Institute of American Economics: "The sacking of Germany will go down in history as one of the most monstrous acts of modern times. Its excess beggars description and its magnitude defy condemnation."