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Memorandum to senior military commanders on Hitler's strategy for "the destruction of our Western enemies" (Britain and France) by a rapid attack

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Authors

Adolf Hitler (Fuehrer, Reich Chancellor, Supeme Commander of Wehrmacht)

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Adolf Hitler

Austrian nationalized German politician, leader of the National Socialist party and dictator of Germany (1889-1945)

Born: 1889-01-01 1889-04-20 (Braunau am Inn) (country: Austria-Hungary; located in the administrative territorial entity: Archduchy of Austria above the Enns; statement is subject of: Adolf-Hitler-Geburtshaus)
Died: 1945-04-30 (Berlin Führerbunker) (country: Nazi Germany; located in the administrative territorial entity: Berlin; statement is subject of: death of Adolf Hitler)
Country of citizenship: Cisleithania (period: 1889-04-20 through 1918-11-11); First Republic of Austria (period: 1919-01-01 through 1925-04-30); Nazi Germany (end cause: death of Adolf Hitler; period: 1933-01-30 through 1945-04-30); Republic of German-Austria (period: 1918-01-01 through 1919-01-01)
Occupation: painter (statement is subject of: paintings by Adolf Hitler); political writer; politician (reason for preferred rank: generally used form); soldier
Member of political party: German Workers' Party (period: 1919-09-12 through 1921-07-11); Nazi Party (series ordinal: 556)
Member of: Nazi Party
Participant in: Aktion T4; Beer Hall Putsch; The Holocaust; ethnic cleansing
Significant person: Albert Speer; Benito Mussolini; Eva Braun; Joseph Stalin

Date: 09 October 1939

Literal Title: [second page:] Memorandum and Directives for Conduct of the War in the West

Defendants: Hermann Wilhelm Goering, Wilhelm Keitel, Erich Raeder

Total Pages: 10

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: L-52

Exhibit Code: Prosecution 540

Document Book No: Prosecution CC: OKW

Citations: IMT (page 2154), IMT (page 2159)

HLSL Item No.: 451836

Notes:Hitler is identified as the author in the Blue Set, vol. 37, p. 466. The memo was sent to von Brauchitsch, Raeder, Goering, and Keitel.

Trial Issues

Criminal organizations (Gestapo, Leadership Corps, Cabinet, SS, SD, OKW) (… Wars of aggression

Document Summary

Staff Evidence Analyses

L-52: 'Memorandum and Directive for Conduct of the War in the West' believed by British War Office to be a directive from Hitler Addressed to C. in C. Army, Navy, Air Force and Chief of O.K.W. It discusses plans for German attack on Belgium Holland - Luxembourg