A "Proclamation to Workers" addressed to employees and employers by Dr. Robert Ley on 5 September 1939. Quoted from the chapter "The German Worker Has Recognized * * *"
pp. 14-17, of "Forge of the Sword", a collection in book form of speeches by, and articles about, Dr. Robert Ley, published in 1942 by the Central Publishing House of the NSDAP, Franz Eher Successor, Munich, with a foreword by Reichs Marshal Goering.
The German people in its^overall attitude is what the Fuehrer has made of that people after the collapse. The poised and selfassured attitude of the German people in the current world crisis contrasts so enormously with the insecurity of the so-called democratic nations, that each thinking human being must ask himself about the cause of this state of affairs, which is so full of hope for us Germans.
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The achievement of the Fuehrer in the entire political sphere is a LARGE SCALE AND UNIQUE ACHIEVEMENT OF EDUCATION. The following principles have been taught by the Fuehrer and are decisive for the present strong attitude of Germany.
The Fuehrer has taught the German people that its existence and its being is dependent upon the unqualified perception of all Germans that the battle for life of the German people cannot be fought in limited areas, but that this battle for life means wrestling and battling in all spheres of life. It is the teaching of the totality for the battle for life. .
We National Socialists say; social policy and economy are one and belong together. Progress and development are socialism. A socialist can never be a pacifist; on the contrary, he must ALWAYS STAND PREPARED AT THE HIGHEST PITCH OF MILITARY READINESS to attain the socialist objective. Peace and war are not separate, mutually exclusive conditions, but in each case they are only a different guise [Erscheinungsform] for one and the same struggle of the people to secure its living potentialities. We National Socialists do not hope for gifts and miracles, but we recognize that every thing must be fought and worked for honestly. We do not believe in chance, and we leave nothing to arbitrariness either. To us Fight is Life, and to us Life means Fight. We have no inclination to rest and restrict ourselves to watching, but we know that Life would simply pass us by were we to withhold ourselves from the Fight. We could never make up for what we neglect today.
BECAUSE OF THAT THE FUEHRER HAS FURTHERMORE TAUGHT US THAT OUR GERMAN PEOPLE MUST COMMIT ALL THE STRENGTH AND ENERGY IT POSSESSES TO FIGHT THROUGH THE STRUGGLE OF LIFE AND DESTINY, SO AS TO ATTAIN VICTORY. We National Socialists REJECT HALF MEASURES AND COMPROMISES. They never lead to the goal, but lull people to sleep until they wake up one day in horror and dread. COWARDS PERISH!
Because of that we National Socialists have mobilized all resources and all our energies during the past seven years, so as to be equipped for the supreme effort of battle. WE DO NOT THROW OURSELVES INTO ADVENTURES, AND WE ARE NOT SO UNSCRUPULOUS AS TO LEAVE ANYTHING TO ACCIDENT.
True,—when according to human judgment and according to
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the state of our knowledge all preparations have been made, then we have never as yet hesitated to venture the ultimate.
OBSERVE THE FUEHRER! Is he not the living model! His own career, his leadership of the NSDAP, the seizure of power, the conduct of the state, the regaining of Austria, the Sudeten area, Bohemia and Moravia and finally the Memel territory,— all great events demonstrate ever anew the fortunate fact that the Fuehrer prepares anything and everything to the last detail. He calculates, ponders, elucidates,—he acts. But when a decision has been arrived at, then there is no more going back. He holds fast. He is tenacious.'
Thus did the Fuehrer's great successes come about, and thus new successes will be added.
In conclusion the Fuehrer has taught a third principle: THE PREREQUISITE for any battle and THE PREREQUISITE for the mobilization of all our strength and energy is the folk and fate community of all Germans. [Volks und Schicksalsgemeinschaft]. Even though our professions may differ, even though our interests may clash, even though the individuality of the various tribes and provinces may reveal itself, one thing encompasses us, whether we are workers or soldiers; THE RECOGNITION, THAT WE GERMANS BELONG TOGETHER IN AN INDISSOLUBLE COMMUNITY OF FATE.
For example, what a splendid example was the building of the West Wall, which revealed convincingly and unforgettably the cohesion of worker and soldier!
THE COMMUNITY OF THE FACTORY IS NOT A MATTER OF PAPER VERBIAGE, BUT IT IS AN UNEQUIVOCAL FACT.
The Great War 1914/1918 was not lost because the German soldier had become a coward, but because dissension and discord tore the people asunder.
Destiny will test us anew. This time we will demonstrate what the National Socialist community can accomplish. This community is not a matter of paper verbiage, it is not a phrase! The first precautionary measure, the introduction of rationing certificates has proven how seriously the National Socialist state believes in the total people's community.
Thus you, German man and German woman workers, will understand that in this gigantic fight of Germany for justice and freedom, for living space and bread, THERE IS NO PLACE WHATEVER FOR EVERYDAY QUARRELS. YOU, working
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German, will learn to understand THAT THE LONG-RANGE PLANS OF THE FUEHRER AUTOMATICALLY PRECLUDE ALL DISSENSION.
It will be impossible in future, too, to play the Home Front against the Fighting Front and Fighting Front against the Home Front. Not a front sector at some border is alone involved in battle, but the entire German people. The worker at his drill press, the merchant at his counter, the inventor in his laboratory, the soldier in the trenches, they are all equally determined to fight for Germany's freedom.
No one will be able to evade the question: "Do you believe in Germany?", and no one will want to evade that question. And the answer to this question will resound audibly for the whole world: "Yes, indeed, we believe in Germany because we believe in the work of the Fuehrer."
Speech on "the battle for life," the mobilization of resources and energies since 1933, and the "cohesion of worker and soldier" in the war
Authors
Robert Ley (Dr., Reichsleiter of German Labor Front)
Robert Ley
German Nazi politician; indicted by the International Military Tribunal for war crimes (1890-1945)
- Born: 1890-02-15 (Niederbreidenbach)
- Died: 1945-10-25 (Nuremberg Court Prison)
- Country of citizenship: Germany
- Occupation: aircraft pilot; chemist; politician
- Member of political party: Nazi Party
- Member of: Sängerschaft zu St. Pauli Jena
- Military rank: lieutenant
- Position held: Member of Landtag of Prussia; member of the Reichstag of Nazi Germany; member of the Reichstag of the Weimar Republic
Date: 05 September 1939
Literal Title: A "Proclamation to Workers" addressed to employees and employers by Dr. Robert Ley on 5 September 1939. . . .[in] "Schmiede des Schwertes" ("Forge of the Sword") [1942]
Defendant: Robert Ley
Total Pages: 2
Language of Text: English
Source of Text: Nazi conspiracy and aggression (Office of United States Chief of Counsel for Prosecution of Axis Criminality. Washington, D.C. : U.S. Government Printing Office, 1946.)
Evidence Code: PS-1939
Citation: IMT (page 255)
HLSL Item No.: 450393