Financial Instruments (Details) In Millions, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended		3 Months Ended	6 Months Ended	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended			3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended		3 Months Ended	6 Months Ended	3 Months Ended	6 Months Ended
	Feb. 28, 2015 Interest Rate Swap [Member] Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member] Interest Expense [Member] USD ($)	Feb. 28, 2014 Interest Rate Swap [Member] Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member] Interest Expense [Member] USD ($)	Feb. 28, 2015 Interest Rate Swap [Member] Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member] Interest Expense [Member] USD ($)	Feb. 28, 2014 Interest Rate Swap [Member] Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member] Interest Expense [Member] USD ($)	Feb. 28, 2015 Interest Rate Swap [Member] Not Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member] Interest Expense [Member] USD ($)	Feb. 28, 2015 Interest Rate Swap [Member] Not Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member] Interest Expense [Member] USD ($)	Feb. 28, 2015 Notes [Member] Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member] Interest Expense [Member] USD ($)	Feb. 28, 2014 Notes [Member] Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member] Interest Expense [Member] USD ($)	Feb. 28, 2015 Notes [Member] Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member] Interest Expense [Member] USD ($)	Feb. 28, 2014 Notes [Member] Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member] Interest Expense [Member] USD ($)	Feb. 28, 2015 Interest Rate Cap [Member] EUR (€)	Feb. 28, 2015 Warrants [Member] Other income/(expenses) [Member] USD ($)	Feb. 28, 2014 Warrants [Member] Other income/(expenses) [Member] USD ($)	Feb. 28, 2015 Warrants [Member] Other income/(expenses) [Member] USD ($)	Feb. 28, 2014 Warrants [Member] Other income/(expenses) [Member] USD ($)	Feb. 28, 2015 Foreign Currency Forwards [Member] Not Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member] Selling, General and Administrative Expenses [Member] USD ($)	Feb. 28, 2015 Foreign Currency Forwards [Member] Not Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member] Selling, General and Administrative Expenses [Member] USD ($)	Feb. 28, 2015 Foreign Currency Forwards [Member] Not Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member] Other income/(expenses) [Member] USD ($)	Feb. 28, 2015 Foreign Currency Forwards [Member] Not Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member] Other income/(expenses) [Member] USD ($)	Feb. 28, 2015 Other current assets [Member] Interest Rate Swap [Member] Not Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member] USD ($)		Feb. 28, 2015 Other current assets [Member] Interest Rate Cap [Member] Not Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member] USD ($)		Feb. 28, 2015 Other current assets [Member] Foreign Currency Forwards [Member] Not Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member] USD ($)		Feb. 28, 2015 Other current assets [Member] Cash Flow Hedging [Member] Basis Swaps [Member] USD ($)		Feb. 28, 2015 Other non-currents assets [Member] Interest Rate Swap [Member] Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member] USD ($)		Aug. 31, 2014 Other non-currents assets [Member] Interest Rate Swap [Member] Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member] USD ($)	Feb. 28, 2015 Other non-currents assets [Member] Warrants [Member] USD ($)	Aug. 31, 2014 Other non-currents assets [Member] Warrants [Member] USD ($)	Aug. 31, 2014 Other Noncurrent Liabilities [Member] Cash Flow Hedging [Member] Forward Interest Rate Swaps [Member] Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member] USD ($)	Feb. 28, 2015 Other current liabilities [Member] Foreign Currency Forwards [Member] Not Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member] USD ($)
Derivatives, Fair Value [Line Items]
Derivatives aseets, Notional Amount											€ 2,000									$ 1,542	[1]	$ 3,879	[1]	$ 2,037	[1]	$ 71	[1]	$ 1,000	[1]	$ 1,000				$ 104	[1]
Derivative liability, Notional Amount																																	1,500
Derivatives assets, Fair Value																				0		0		60		6		22		16				7
Derivative liability, fair value																																	44
Effect of Fair Value Hedges on Results of Operations [Abstract]
Gains and losses due to changes in fair value of derivative instruments	4	(6)	(6)	(17)	(1)	(1)	(4)	6	6	18		559	(64)	849	156	(28)	(28)	(70)	(166)
Warrants [Abstract]
Derivative asset																															2,231	553
Gains and losses due to changes in fair value of derivative instruments	$ 4	$ (6)	$ (6)	$ (17)	$ (1)	$ (1)	$ (4)	$ 6	$ 6	$ 18		$ 559	$ (64)	$ 849	$ 156	$ (28)	$ (28)	$ (70)	$ (166)

[1] Amounts in U.S. dollar equivalents, where appropriate.