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Letter to Hitler, thanking him for his approval of Funk's war-economy plans and stating that the Reichsbank and the financial system are prepared for the war, including the recent conversion of foreign assets into gold

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Authors

Walther Funk (Reich Minister of Economics; Reichsbank; Central Planning Board)

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Walter Funk

German economist, Nazi politician and convicted war criminal (1890-1960)

Image of Walther Funk
  • Born: 1890-08-18 (Yasnaya Polyana)
  • Died: 1960-05-31 (Düsseldorf)
  • Country of citizenship: Germany
  • Occupation: banker; economist; journalist; politician
  • Member of political party: Nazi Party
  • Participant in: International Military Tribunal (role: defendant)
  • Position held: director (of: Bank for International Settlements, Reichsbank); member of the Reichstag of the Weimar Republic
  • Employer: Bank for International Settlements; Reichsbank

Date: 25 August 1939

Literal Title: My Fuehrer!

Defendants: Walther Funk, Hermann Wilhelm Goering

Total Pages: 1

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-699

Citation: IMT (page 307)

HLSL Item No.: 450561

Trial Issues

Conspiracy (and Common plan, in IMT) (IMT, NMT 1, 3, 4) IMT count 1: common plan or conspiracy (IMT) Nazi regime (rise, consolidation, economic control, and militarization) (I…

Document Summary

Staff Evidence Analyses

PS-699: Letter of [Illegible] Funk to Hitler pertaining to the Financial preparations for the War

Red Series Doc Descriptions

PS-699: Letter from Funk to Hitler, 25 August 1939, concerning the measures prepared by Funk for financing the war

Berlin W 8, August 25 39
Unter den Linden 13
Reich Minister Walter Funk
MY FUEHRER!
Let me thank you sincerely from the bottom of my heart for the good wishes you sent me for my birthday in such a friendly and kind manner. How happy and thankful we have to be to you that we are allowed to see these overwhelmingly great and worldshaking times and be able to cooperate in the mighty events of these days.
The information transmitted to me. by Field Marshal Goering that you, my Fuehrer, have in principal approved last night the measures prepared by me for the financing of the war and for the shaping of wage and price conditions, and of the carrying out of an emergency sacrifice has made me extremely happy. Herewith I report most obediently that by the careful forethought of the last few months I succeeded in making the German Reichsbank so strong internally, so unassailable from the outside, that even the heaviest shocks of the international finance and credit system cannot touch us in any way. Meanwhile, I have quite inconspicuously transferred into gold all assets in any way available of the Reich Bank and the whole Germany economy abroad. Through the suggestions I have worked out to keep down ruthlessly any non-vital consumption and any public expenses and tasks of no importance to the war. We will be in a position to satisfy all demands to be made on the finances and economy without any serious shocks.
As the plenipotentiary general for economical affairs, called upon by you, my Fuehrer, I thought it my duty in this hour to submit this report and this vow.
Heil my Fuehrer WALTHER FUNK
693-256—46—33
509

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