In carrying out a vast and complicated task the defendant, Kjalmar Schacht played an emminent part in the preparation and the realization of the criminal plans of the Nazi conspirators.
Shacht's defense position is extremely simple:
If he is to be believed, purely patriotic motives drew him to Hitlerism.
He was against aggressive wars, but for the rearmament of Germany in order to maintain peace.
He was for the return of Germany's colonies in view of establishing economic stability in Europe.
Having come to the conviction that the policy of the Nazi government was directed towards an excissive armament and thereby here the menace of another world war, Schacht went over to the opposition.
He sabotaged the measures taken by the Hitlerite government and as a result he was persecuted as a participant in the plot against Hitler.
This is the defense position of Schacht.
Defendant Schacht strives now to depict the enthusiastic letters, full of expressions of loyalty which he addressed to Hitler, as a method of camouflaging his real oppositional feelings towards the Hitlerite regime.
Actually, Schacht's connection with the Nazi movement begins as early as 1930.
Schacht was drawn to National Socialism and both Hitler and Goering sought Schacht's support.
Indeed the latter, with his vast connections in Germany's industrial and financial spheres, could, like nobody else, render invaluable services to the Nazi movement.
And this he did. PS-457 As early as August 29, 1932, in a letter to Hitler, Schacht assured the latter of his layalty.
These were not mere words, for more than anybody, Defendant Schacht played a decisive port in Hitler's advent to power.
It was he, Schacht, who organized the demand formulated by the German PS376 industrialists for Hitler to be named Reich Chancellor.
As early as 1932, he, Schacht, declared to von Papen, who was then Reich Chancellor of Germany:
"Hand over your post to Hitler." US-161 D-203 It was again Schacht who, in 1933, on the eve of the Reichstag elections, US-655 US-767 called the conference of industrialists which created an election fund of several million marks for the Nazi party.
Hitler's closest follower, Goebbels, characterizes thus the part played by Schacht and his importance in the creation of Nozi Germany.
On the 21st of November 1932, he wrote down in his diary:
In a talk with Dr. Schacht, I came to the conviction that he fully -262 shares our point of view. He is one of the few who fully agrees with the position of the Fuehrer". - In his speech at the spring fair in Leipzig on the 4th of March, 1935, the 09 defendant Schacht depicted himself his part in the Nazi state:
"I can assure you that all that I do and all that I say is in full agreement with the Fuehrer, and that I will do and say nothing that would not be approved by the fuehrer.
That is why it is the Fuehrer and not I who is the bearer of economic reason."
As Schacht expected, Hitler appreciated his merits at their full value.
After his advent to power in 1933 Hitler immediately nominated Schacht to the post of President of the Reichsbank and then to the Ministry of Economy, and finally to the post of plenipotentiary General on matters of War Economy.
The Prosecution and the proceedings have proved the extraordinary part played by Schacht in thepreparation of Germany's armaments and conse quently in the launching of aggressive wars.
S-838 The former war minister, von Blomberg, testified that in 1937 the S- development plans of the armed forces were close to completion and that 901 Schacht was informed of these plans and of their financing Schacht was one of the most consistent partisans of the Nazi's criminal plans.
In a talk with the United States Ambassador Fuller on the 23rd of September, 1936, Schacht stated that:
"Germany absolutely needs colonies. If it is possible, we will * S-629 acquire them by means of negotiations.
If not, we will seize them." S-450 Speaking in Vienna in March, 1938, Schacht declared: S-632 S-297 "Thank God, this could not prevent the great German people from continuing on its course, because Adolf Hitler unified German will and German thought.
He strengthened it with reinforced armed forces and in the end he gave an outer shape to the inner unity of Germany and Austria."
Defendant Schacht was entrusted with extraordinary powers in the sphere of war economy.
Over a period of many years Schacht emulated the functions of Reichsbank President, Minister of Economy, and Plenipotentiary General of war Economy.
Be it only as a result of these positions, the defendant Schacht played an enormous and decisive part in the creation and resurrection of Nazi Germany's war economy and armed forces.
PS-644 This activity of the defendant Schacht is clearly described in the PS-650 numerous laudatory letters which he received from Hitler. PS-397 The defendant Schacht and no other was the creator of the adventurous method of issuing so-called "Mefo bills", by which twelve millions of Reichsmarks were assigned, aside from budget assignations, to German economy for rearmament purposes.
As was already stated *---* defendant Schacht attempted, at various periods of his activity, to stress his alleged ever-increasing dissension with the Nazi regime.
In reality, Schacht was carrying out a double game.
On one hand, he shielded himself from the responsibility for the criminal policy of the Nazi government by flirting with persons who actually did strive to overthrow the Nazi regime, and on the other, he remained loyal to this regime.
It was only in 1943, when the downfall of Nazi Germany became apparent, even to such a hard-boiled politician as Schacht, that he established connection with oppositional circles.
However, true to himself, he took precautions for any event, and he did not actually do anything personally to overthrow the Nazi regime, and that is why he was spared by Hitler.
That is the portrait of the defendant Schacht, and that is the part played by him in Hitler's conspiracy and war crimes.
It is the part of the creator of Nazi Germany's war economy and of an instigator of the Second World War launched by the criminal Nazi Government.
Walter Funk became a Nazi long before his official admission in 1931, into the membership of the NSDAP, and he remained a Nazi up to the end.
His economic knowledge, his experience as a journalist, his extensive connections with the leaders of the German industry, trade and finance were put by him at the service of the Hitlerite conspirators.
An article published in the newspaper "Das Reich" on 13 August 1940, under the heading "Walter Funk - pioneer of the national-socialist thought", read as follows:
USSR-450 "Walter Funk was true to his principles because he was, is and always Trans. 7.V.46, will be a true national socialist, a champion, devoting all his morn.ses. page 51 labors to the victory of the Fuehrer's ideals."
What was meant by "Fuehrer's ideals", we already know only too well.
Funk devoted to these "ideals" 15 years of his life. Trans. Funk declared that he had nothing in common with the SS, but it was 6.V.46 ev.ses. he, Funk, who transformed the vaults of the Reichsbank into PP 57-62 depositories for the treasures, plundered by the SS-men in the Eastern and other occupied territories.
Trans. Funk personally gave orders, after his negotiations with Himmler, to 7.V.46 morn.ses. take into the Reichsbank the golden tooth plates, the glass rims end pp 1-22 other valuables belonging to the victims of numerous concentration camps, tortured to death.
The Gruppenfuehrer SS Hoiler was Funk's deputy. Under Funk's Trans. direction operated Olendorf, this murderer, who has the death of 3.I.46 morn.ses. 90,000 persons on his conscience. p.17 USA-36 Funk, supplementing Schacht's measures, put the whole of Germany's PS-2194 USSR-451 economy at the service of the aggressive Hitlerite plans, and later on - the economy of the territories Germans occupied as well.
USA-662 Already in May 1939, Funk, together with his Deputy, Landfried, PS-2409 elaborated plans for the financing of the war and the utilization of the economic resources of Germany and annexed Czechoslovakia, for war purposes.
USA-782 On 23 June 1939, Funk takes part in the conference of the Reich PS-378 Defense Council, which elaborated detailed plans for the reconversion of of all national economy to a war footing.
USSR-452 Already at that epoch, Funk was not only informed of Germany's im pending attack on Poland, was not only cooperating in the realization of this aggressive plan, but was also preparing economically new wars, the seizure of new territories.
Such were the "Fuehrer's" great political aims which were set out by Funk, a few months later, in his article entitled "Economic and Financial mobilization".I shall mention one mere ducment.
On 25 August 1939, Funk wrote to Hitler:
GB-49 "Fieldmarshal Goering told me that my Fuehrer yesterday evenPS-699 ing approved the main points of the measures conceived by me for the financiing of war, stabilization of prices, fixation of wages and the organization of subscription to obligatory donations; this news made me happy."
A long time before the treacherous attack of Germany against the USSR, Funk participated in the elaborate on of plans for the spoliation of the riches the Soviet Union.
Funk attached his collaborators to Rosenberg's ministry and to the Economic Staff OST - this predatory organization.
Funk's agents took part in the plunder also of Czech Slovakia, Jugoslavia and other occupied countries.
Transc. Funk was the president of the "Continental Oil Company" which was 7-5-46 morn. created for the exploitation by Germans of the oil fields in the occupied pp. 1-64 Eastern Territories, and especially the oil fields of Grosny and Baku.
Funk was in full agreement with the predatory aims of the war launched by Germany against the USSR.
He made a speech on 17 December 1941 in Prague, to the effect that the East is the future German colony.
Funk participated at the conference which took place on 6-8-1942 at Goering's office, for the discussion of the most effective measures for the economic plunder of the occupied territories of the USSR', Poland, Czechoslovakia, Jugoslavia, France, Norway, and other countries.
At this conference, as well as at the conference of the "Central Planning Board", Funk participated in the elaboration of plans for the deportation to slavery of millions of people from the occupied territories.
Such are the fundamental stages of the criminal activity of the Hitlerite conspirator, defendant Funk - Hitler's personal adviser on the economic question since 1931, Reich Minister and Plenipotentiary General for Economic questions, President of the Reichbank and member of the Reich Defense Council, during the period of the preparations and the realization of the criminal plan (conspiracy).
The guilt of Funk, this active participant of fascist conspiracy for the realization of crimes against individuals, in war crimes and crimes against humanity - this guilt has been fully proved and he must bear the responsibility for the evil deeds perpetrated by him.
SCHIRACH Since 1931 and until the end of the war, the defendant von Schirach was at the head of the Nazi youth.
After the publication of 1st December 1936, of a decree concerning the Hitlerite youth, von Schirach was - in his capacity of the Reich leader of youth - directly subordinated to Hitler.
In his statements before the Court, the defendant von Schirach, in his efforts to avoid the responsibility for the education of the German youth in the spirit of national socialist ideas, made frequent references to the fact that "Hitlerjugend" was a youth organization independent of the nazi party and the Hitlerite government.
For the purposes of his defense, the defendant Schirach deemed it possible and relevant to refer to the great Goethe, whose words - "the youth itself educates young people" - were utilized by Schirach with open cynicism.
Goethe, was, of course, right when he said that "the youth itself educates the young people". But he meant the healthy youth full of value, joyful youth, and not youth corrupted with the obscur antism of the Hitlerism, described clearly by the words of Hitler addressed to Rauschning:
"We shall educate youth before which the whole world shall tremble -
USSR-378 (p. 252) rough, exacting, cruel youth. That is what I want. Out youth must be in the possession of all these qualities.
It must be without pity before suffering.
It must be without weakness or softness. I want to see a glint of the wild animal in its eye."
And the Defendant Schirach instilled systematically the ideas of Hitlerism in the conscience of German youth, and educated the German youth in the spirit of Hitler's ashes, modelling them after the image of the grown-up-leaders of the Hitlerite gang.
During cross examination, the defendant Schirach was, at the end, forced to admit that the German youth was brought up in the spirit of national socialist ideas, the members of the SA, officers of the German armed forces, and the SS, participated in its education, and that intense preparation of the youth for war was being carried out in Germany.
For this purpose, special agreements were made between the Reich Leaders of "Hitlerjugend" and the OKW, as represented by the defendant Keitel and the Reichsfuehrer SS Himmler, which made provi-sions for the education of youth in the spirit of aggressive militaris and appropriate enlistment and the preparation of youth for the German armed forces and the SS units.
The part taken by the defendant von Schirach and his participation in the common conspiracy, in war crimes and crimes against humanity are best of all characterised by the behaviour of the German youth brought up in "Hitler jugend" during the war.
The Soviet prosecution has presented to the Tribunal under #USSR-6 in conformity with Article 21 of the Charter, a report of the Extraordinary State Commission about the crimes committed by the Germans on the territory of Lwow region.
This report records the declaration of the French citizen, Ida Wasseaux about the inhuman execution by the members of the "Hitler jugend" of young children, of whom they made targets for shooting.
USSR-455 In her wirtten deposition of 16 May 1946 an also in her answers to the questionnaire of Counsel for the defendant Schirach, Ida Wasseaux confirmed this declaration to the letter.
Conclusive testimony about the actions of the members of the "Hitler jugend" in the cadre of the German armed forces were given by a Ger man soldier, war-prisoner, Hertom Knitel, himself a of farmer member USSR-454 of the "Hitler jugend" since 1938 and who at the age of 18, was recruited into the German army in 1942.
Describing his participation in numerous crimes Hert Knitel, declared:
"In the locality of Lishaisk our company set on fire in June 1943 a house together with all the people who were in it.
.. All those tried to jump out of the house, we shot down, excepting one old woman whom we did not shoot, down, as she lost her mine before our very eyes.
.."
For all these crimes, the defendant von Schirach bears full responsi bility together with Hert Knitel and thousands of others.
USSR-193 Schirach himself did not, of course, shoot, did not set on fire but USSR-36 USSR-357 he armed the German youty, morally corrupted, it and prepared it for the commission of any atrocity.
But the activity during the war of the "Hitler jugend" and the defen dant Schirach was not limited to these crimes only.
The Hitlerjugend" took an active part in the preparation of the war of aggression by the creation of fifth columns in Poland and Yugoslovia; the official reports of the Polish and Yugoslav Gevern ments testify to this fact.
The Organization "Hitlerjugend" took an active part in the execution of all the measures undertaken by the Ministry for Occupied Eastern Territories, and this is shown by the report of the Defendant Rosenberg, presented to the Tribunal as 31039-PS; it participated also in the deportation to slavery from the occupied territories of children between the ages of 10 and 14, which fact is proved by a document presented to the Tribunal under # 1031-PS.
In his capacity of Reich Deputy and Gauleiter of Vienna, Schirach directed personally the eviction of 60,000 Jews from Vienna, and who afterwards were exterminated in the concentration camps of Poland.
The documents presented by the prosecution -weekly reports addressed to Schirach, prove the he was informed of all the numerous crimes perpetrated by the German armed forces and the occupation authorities in the East, and, in particular, about the tragic fate of the tens of thousands of Jews deported from Vienna.
In 1940 the defendant Schirach sent a telegram to Bormann, in which he demanded the destruction from the air of one of the cultural towns of Great Britain, in answer to the murder of Heidrich, that butcher of Bohemia and Moravia.
This telegram is in itself a sufficiently vivid and convincing des cription of the moral aspect of von Schirach.
Faithfull to the Hitleri clique, right to the end, aware of all its criminal deeds, in which he himself took an active part -the defendant von Schirach is one of the most sinister figures of the third Reich.
THE PRESIDENT: The Tribunal will adjourn now.
(The Tribunal adjourned until Tuesday, 30 July, at 1000 hours.)
Official Transcript of the International Military Tribunal in the matter of the United States of American, the French Republic, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics against Hermann Wilhelm Goering et al, Defendants, sitting at Nurnberg, Germany, on 30 July 1946, 1000-1700, Lord Justice Lawrence presiding.
GENERAL RUDENKO:Gentlemen of the Tribunal:
I have already indicated in my Opening Statement that the action of deporting civilians: men, women and children for forced labor into Germany, was one of the most important in the chain of heinous crimes committed by the germane-fascist usurpers.
The decisive role in this sinister crime was enacted by the defendant Fritz Sauckel.
During cross-examination in this court-room defendant Sauckel could not help out admit that during the war about 10 million enslaved laborers originating from both occupied territories and from the ranks of prisoners of war, were utilized in German industrial undertakings and also partly for German agricultural labor.
Whilst admitting the deportation to Germany and the utilization for the war industry of Hitlerite Germany of millions of workers from the occupied territories, Sauckel denied the criminal character of this action, affirming that the recruiting of labor was allegedly carried out on a voluntary basis.
This assertion is not only a lie but a slander against the millions of honest patriots of the Soviet Union, of Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia, Poland, Franc and Holland, who, devoted to their country, were forcibly sent for labor into Hitlerite Germany.
The attempts of defendant Sauckel to depict his part of plenipotentiary general for the utilization of manpower as merely consisting of coordinating and controlling other government labor organizations are futile. As the Plenipotentiary general for labor employment, Sauckel was invested by Hitler with supreme and all-encompassing powers, and was, in his activity, directly and personally subordinate to Goering.
And Sauckel extensively used these full powers in order to deport to Germany labor from occupied territories.
There is no need to refer to the extensive documentary evidence presented to the Tribunal and which irrefutably establishes the criminal character of the methods of mass deportation into slavery of the population of occupied territories as well as the role of the defendant Sauckel in organizing these crimes. How far these crimes extended is shown in the operation carried out by the German military and civil authorities, and ciphered under the name "Seno" which provided for the forced deportation of Ukrainian girls destined by Hitler for Germanisation.
The defendant Sauckel has tried to assure the Tribunal that he had strictly complied with the demands of the Geneva and Hague Conventions concerning utilization of labor of prisoners of war. However his own instructions fully expose his lies.
The defendant Sauckel had planned beforehand the forced utilization of Soviet war prisoners for the war industry in Germany and never made any difference between them and the civilian labor forces.
The inhuman conditions under which the foreign workers and prisoners of war deported for slavery lived, are testified to by the numerous documents submitted as evidence.
The defendant Sauckel himself was obliged to admit that foreign workers were kept in camps behind barbed wire and were obliged to wear special identifying badges.
The witness Dr. Wilhelm Eger summoned to the Tribunal by counsel for the defense was obliged to give an awful picture of the conditions under which the enslaved workers at Krupp's works lived.
After all this, the deposition of the other witness Fritz Wishofer seems ridiculous because trying to excuse Sauckel, he manifestly overdid it by informing the Tribunal that he allegedly saw foreign workers walking and enjoying themselves in the Prater in Vienna.
The defendant Sauckel showed great activity in committing all these crimes.
in April 1943, he personally visited the towns of Rowno, Kiev, Dniepropetrovsk, Saporozhie, Simferopol, Minsk, Riga and in June of the sane year - Prague, Cracow and again Kiev, Saporozhie and Melitopol in order to force the deportation of lab And it was as a result of his journey to the Ukraine in 1943 that Sauckel expressed his gratitude for the successful mobilization of labor forces, to the Reichskommissar of the Ukraine Koch, known for the drastically cruel measures which he applied with regard to the Ukrainian population.
And it is not mere chance that the criminal activity of Sauckel was so highly appreciated in Hitlerite Germany.
On 6th August 1942 the defendant Goering declared at the conference of the Reichskommissars for the occupied territories:
"I do not wish to praise Gauleiter Sauckel. He does not need it.
But what he has done in this short time in order to gather workers rapidly and to have them brought to our enterprises is a unique achievement.
I muse tell everybody, gentlemen, that if each of you applied but the tenth part of the energy which Gauleiter Sauckel applied in his sphere, it would be easy indeed to fulfil the tasks imposed upon you.
...."
In the article published in the Reichsarbeitsblatt for 1944 and dedicated to the 50 anniversary of Sauckel it was said:
"True to his political task, he pursues his responsible course with unyielding consistency and steadfastness, with a fanatical belief.
As one of the most faithful adherents of Hitler, he gathers his creative and spiritual strength from the Fuehrer's trust in him."
When estimating the criminal activity of Sauckel, Your Honors will surely consider the tears shed by the millions of people who languished in German slavery, of the thousands of people tortured in inhuman conditions in the workers camps - they will consider this and will judge accordingly.
The defendant Arthur Seyss-Inquart was appointed by Hitler Chief of the civil administration in Southern Poland at the beginning of Sep tember 1939 and since 12 October of the same year -Deputy Governor General of Poland.
He held this post till May 1940.
Over a period of seven months Seyss-Inquart personally, under the leadership of Frank and jointly with him established a regime of terror in Poland, and took an active part in elaborating and realizing the *l*rs for the exte*--* of amny thousands of people, for the economic plunder and enslavement of the people of the Polish state.
Transc. On 17 November, 1939, Seyss-Inquart addressed the chiefs of the admi16-1-46 ev.
sess. nistration and departments of the Warsaw Government. He mentioned p. 24 among other things, that when the German administration acted in the General Government "its leading principle must he -the interests of the German Reich.
By means of a severe and unrelenting administration this region must be utilized for German economy, and in order not to show any unnecessary charity, one must remember how the Polish race usurped the German territory."
Two days later Seyss-Inquart instructed the Lublin Governor Brigaden same transcript fuehrer Schmidt on the same question in the following way :"The re pp.
33-34 sources and the inhabitants of this country must serve Germany, and they may prosper only within these limits.
The development of inde pendent political thinking cannot be permitted.
Perhaps the Vistula will have an even greater significance for the fate of Germany than the Rhein."
The report on the official journey of Seyss-Inquart establishes that the governor of Warsaw Fischer informed the defendant that all valua bles of the Warsaw bank in gold, precious metals and bills of exchange were transferred to the Reichsbank, whilst the Polish inhabitants were obliged to leave their depostis in the banks; that he was informd that the German administration was employing forced labor; that the Lublin Governor Schmidt declared in the presence of Seyss-Inquart:
PS-2278 "This territory with its strongly marked swampy nature could serve as US-487 a region for the Jews, where conditions could be created to shoot every tenth Jew."
I draw the attention of the Tribunal to the fact that it was exactly at Maidanek near Lublin that the Hitlerite henchmen created and enour mous death concern in which they exterminated about one million and a half of human beings.
Doc. of It is also known that Seyss-Inquart, as Frank's deputy, fulfilled on Def.
v.I p. 125 his behalf so-called "special tasks".
On 8th December 1939, Seyss-Inquart participated in a conference on the following subjects:
the appointment of Frank as authorized USSR-223 PS-2233 plenipotentiary for the 4 lear Plan and the tasks of the Governor General "to obtain from, the economy of the Government-General all that is best and useful for the Reich"; on the numerous trains of Jews and Poles which had arrived since the 1st December from the re annexed territories, and that these transportations would continue -according to Obergruppenfuehrer SS Krueger-till the middle of De cember; the issue of supplementary order extending labour recruite ment to persons of the age of 14 to 18 years.
USSRO On 21st April 1940 the defendant took part in the conference 223 at which measures for forced deportation of Polish workers to Germany were elaborated.
On 16 May 1940 the defendant participated in the elaboration of the AB operation, which was nothing but a plan of wilful mass extermination of the Polish intelligensia.
Transc. In connection with the appointment of Seyss-Inquart as Reichskom16.1.46 ev. pp. 25-26 missar for the Netherlands, Frank and his worthy deputy exchanged farewell speeches:
"I am exceedingly gald, said Frank, to assure you that the me mory of your work in the Government General will live forever when the future world Reich of the German nation will be created.
..."
"I have, Seyss-Inquart replied, learned much here above all about the initiative and firm leadership of the kind I saw in my friend, Dr. Frank.
.... All my thoughts are connected with the East. In the East we have a National-Socialist mission, in the West we have functions."
The function of Seyss-Inquart in the West, as the functions of other Reich ministers and Kommissars in all territories occupied by the Germans are well known:
it was the function of henchman and plun derer.
My colleagues have given the details about the criminal part played by Seyss-Inquart when annexing Austria and realizing other aggressive plans of the Hitlerite conspiracy; they have clearly shown how Seyss Inquart applied in the Netherlands the Sanguinary experiment, learned by him whilst collaborating with Frank in Poland.
For this reason I may fully support the charges against Seyss-Inquart as they are for mulated in the Indictment.
As early as 1932, whilst still Reichschancellor of the German republic, the defendant Franz von Papen actively contributed to the development of the fascist movement in Germany.
Papen rescinded the decree of his predecessor Bruening prohibiting the activities of the SA storm units.
It was he who overthrew the Braun Severing social-democratic government in Prussia.
These measures strengthened greatly the position of the fascists and contributed to their accession to power.
In this manner Papen cleared the way for Hitler. Having secured the power for the Nazis, Papen himself assumed the post of Vice-Chancellor in Hitler's cabinet.
In this capacity von Papen participated in the elaboration and the promulgation of a series of legislative acts which aimed at the consolidation of German fascism.
And later on, during the course of many years, and until the collapse of Hitlerite Germany, von Papen remained true to his fascist friends and participated to the utmost of his abilities in the realization of the criminal conspiracy.
The defendant von Papen is attempteing now to explain away his role in the development of the Nazi movement and in Hitler's rise to power by the political situation of the country which, according to him, made Hitler's accession to power unavoidable.
The real motives which guided von Papen are that actually he himself was a convinced fascist devoted to Hitler.
Speaking at Essen on the 2 November 1933, during the election campaign Papen declared "From the time that destiny called upon me to become the pioneer Transc.
of the national reawakening and rebirth of our Fatherland, I strove 23-1-46 evening with all my might to support the work of the national-socialist movesess. p. 14 ment and all of its leaders. Just as I pronounced myself, when I became chancellor, for paving the way for the young shock movement of liberation, just as on the 30th January I was chosen by a merciful providence to transfer the power to the hands of our Chancellor and fuehrer, so today I felt it incumbent upon me to tell the German nation and all those who have kept their trust in me : merciful God has blessed Germany by giving her, in the days of deep distress, a leader with the reliable intuition of a statesman, who will lead her through all misfortunes and weaknesses, through all crisis and dangers to a happy future."
The International Military Tribunal will appreciate to the full the criminal activity of the de fendant von Papen, who played a decisive part in the seizure of power by Hitler and, in doing so, contributed to the creation of the dark powers of nazism who brought sanguinary wars on the world and caused innumerable calamities.
Long before the Nazi came to power the architect, Albert Speer, was a personal friend of the architect's draftsman, Hitler and remained one till the end.
Not only common professional interests but political interests brought them together.
Speer be an his career in 1932 with the reconstruction of the "Brown House" -the headquarters of NSDAP in Berlin, and 10 years' latter he was at the head of all the military constructions and war production in Fascist Germany.
Starting with the onstruction of the Reichs "Parteitag", Speer ended by setting up the "Atlantic Wall". Speer held an important post in the government and military machinery of Hitler's Germany and played a direct and active part in planning and bringing into effect the criminal conspiracy.
What is Speer's "line of defense" at the trial? Speer presents his case in the following way; he was pressed upon by Hitler to take on the post of minister; he was a closer friend of Hitler's, but he knew nothin about his plans; he was a member of the Nazi party for 14 years, but he stood far from politics and had never even read "Mein Kampf". It is true, that upon being given the lie Speer confes sed that he had lied during his preliminary interrogation.
USA-575 Speer lied when he denied that he had never belonged to the SA, and Ps-3568 then to the SS.
The Tribunal possesses the original file of the SS man Albert Speer, who belonged to the personal staff of the SS Reichsfuehrer SS Himmler.
Speer held also a rather high rank in the Nazi party. In the party chancellery, he was delegate for all technical problems he headed the chief technical administration of the party, he directed the union of German National Socialist technicians, he was plenipotentiary on the Staff of Rudolf Hess and a leader of one of the major German Labor Front organizations.
After all this can Speer's declaration that he was a apolitical spe cialist be taken into consideration?
In reality, as a close colla borator of Hitler, Hess, Ley and Goering, he directed the German technique not only as Reichsminister, but also as a Nazi political leader.
1435-PS Upon succeeding to Todt, Speer, as he expressed himself in his speech Transc.
before the Gauleiters, devoted himself completely to the solution of m. sess.
war problems. By means of the pitiless exploitations of the popula p. 43-82 ev.
sess. tion in the occupied territories and of the prisoners of war of the p. 20-82 allied countries, at the expense of the health and lives of hundreds of thousands of people, Speer increased the production of armament and USSR-480 USSR-482 ammunition for the German army.
By plundering the raw materials and USSR-483 other resources of the occupied territories, Speer increased the war potential of Hitler's Germany.
His powers grew with every month of the war.
By Hitler's Decree of 2 September 1943 Speer became pleni potentiary and responsible for the supply of raw materials, for the direction and production of war industry.
He was even commissioned to regulate the turnover of commodities and by Hitler's Decree of August 24, 1944 Speer was practically made dictotor of all German Authorities in Germany as well as in the occupied territories whose activity was in any way connected with the strengthening of German military power, And when the Fascist flyers bombed peaceful towns and villages, killing women, old men and children, when the german artillery shelled Leningrad with heavy artillery, when the Hitlerite pirates sank hosDoc.
def. p. 119 pital ships, when the "V" bombs destroyed town in England, all this was as a result of Speer's activity.
Under his leadership, the pro duction of gas and of other means of chemical warfare was widely in creased.
The defendant himself, when interrogated by Justice Jackson at the trial, confessed three factories were turning out products for chemical warfare and that they were working at full speed till Novem ber 1944.
Speer not only knew of the methods used by Sauckel for deporting to Doc. Def.
v. II, p. slave labor the populations of the occupied territories, but he him123 USA-179 self took part, to ether with Sauckel, in conferences with Hitler USA-225 PS-1292 and on the "Central Planning Board", where decisions were taken to deport millions of people to Germany from the occupied territo ries.
Doc. Def. Speer kept up a close contact with Himmler; He received from Himm-
v. II, p. 88 Transc. ler prisoners for work in war factories; branches of concentration 12.XII 45 p. 31 & 88 camps were organized in many factories subordinated to Speer; in & USA-179 recognition of Himmler's services Speer supplied the SS with ex pertenced specialist and with supplementary war equipment.