as their agent the defendant Rosenberg. As early as the second of April 1941 Rosenberg or a member of his staff prepared a memorandum on the USSR. This memorandum considers what the political goal of such occupation should be and suggests ways for reaching such a goal.
The memorandum is No. 1017 PS in our series, and I offer it in evidence now as Exhibit No. 142 USA. subject, "The USSR":
"A military conflict with the USSR, will result in an extraordinarily rapid occupation of an important and large section of the USSR. It is very probable that military action on our part will very soon be followed by the military collapse of the USSR. The occupation of these areas would then present not so many military as administrative and economic difficulties. Thus arises the first question:
"Is the occupation to be determined by purely military and/or economic needs, or is the laying of political foundations for a future organization of the area also a factor in determining how far the occupation shall be extended? If so, it is a matter of urgency to fix the political goal which is to be attained, for it will, without doubt, also have an effect on military operations.
"If the political overthrow of the Eastern Empire, in the weak condition it would be at the time, is set as the goal of military operations, one may conclude that:
"1) The occupation must comprise areas of vast proportions;
"2) From the very beginning, the treatment of individual sections of territory should, as regards administration, as well as economics and ideology, be adapted to the political ends we are striving to attain.
"3) Again, extraordinary questions concerning these vast areas, such as, in particular, the ensuring of essential supplies for the continuation of the war against England, the maintenance of production which this necessitates and the great directives for the completely separate areas, should best be dealt with all together in one place.
"It should again be stressed here that, in addition, all the arguments which follow of course only hold good once the supplies from the area to be occupied, which are essential to Greater Germany for the continuance of the war, have been assured.
"Anyone who knows the East, sees in a map of Russia's population the following national or geographical units:
"(a) Greater Russia with Moscow as its center.
"(b) White Russia with Minsk or Smolensk as its capital.
"(c) Esthonia, Latvia, and Lithuania.
"(d) The Ukraine, Latvia, and Lithuania.
"(e) The Don area with Rostov as its capital.
"(f) The area of the Caucasus.
"(g) Russian Central Asia or Russian Turkestan." geographical units lists in some detail, and I shall not read those pages. and briefly outlines his plan. I should like to read that portion into the record. It is at the bottom of Page 4 of the English translation under the heading "Summary":"The following systematic constructional plan is evolved from the points briefly outlined here:
"(1) the creation of a central department for the occupied areas of the USSR, to be fonfined more or less to war time.
"Working in agreement with the higher and supreme Reich authorities, it would be the task of this department-
"(a) to issue binding political instructions to the separate administration areas, having in mind the situation existing at the time and the goal which is to be achieved.
"(b) to secure for the Reich supplies essential to the war from all the occupied areas.
"(c) to make preparations for, and to supervise the carrying out, in main outline, of the primarily important questions for all areas, as for instance, those of finance and funds, transport, and the production of oil, coal and food:
"(2) the carrying out of sharply defined decentralization in the separate administration areas, grouped together by race or by reason of political economy, for the carrying out of the totally dissimilar tasks assigned to them.
"As against this, an administrative department, regulating matters in principle, and to be set up on a purely economic basis, as is at present envisaged, might very soon prove to be inadequate, and fail in its purpose. Such a central office would be compelled to carry out a common policy for all areas, dictated only by economic considerations, and this might impede the carrying out of the political task and, in view of its being run on purely bureaucratic lines, might possibly even prevent it.
"The question therefore arises, whether the opinions which have been set forth should not, purely for reasons of expediency, be taken into consideration from the very beginning when organizing the administration of the territory on a basis of war economy. In view of the vast spaces and the difficulties of administration which arise from that alone, and also in view of the living conditions created by Bolshevism, which are totally different from those of Western Europe, the whole question of the USSR would require different treatment from that which has been applied in the individual countries of Western Europe."
JUSTICE BIDDLE: Is that signed?
MR. ALDERMAN: No, sir, it is not signed.
JUSTICE BIDDLE: Is it in the defendant Rosenburg's handwriting?
MR ALDERMAN: It was in the Rosenberg file.
JUSTICE BIDDLE: Is there anything to indicate that he wrote it?
MR. ALDERMAN: No. I said it was evidently prepared by Rosenberg or under his authority. We captured the whole Rosenberg file, which constitutes really, a large library.
It is evident that the "presently envisaged administration operating ona purely economic basis" to which the memorandum objects was the Economic Staff Oldenburg, which I have already described as having been set up under Goering and General Thomas.
Rosenberg's statement, if this be his statement, of the political purpose of the invasion and his analysis of the achieving of it, apparently did not fall on deaf ears. By a Fuehrer order, dated 20 April 1941, Rosenburg was name Commissioner for the Central Control of Questions Connected with the East European Region. This order is part of the correspondence file regarding Rosenburg's appointment, which has been given the Number 865 PS in out series. I ask that this file, all relating to the same subject, and consisting of four letters, all of which I shall read or refer to, be admitted in evidence as Exhibit USA 143.
The order itself reads as follows: It is the first item on the English translation of 865 PS:
"I name Reichsleiter Alfred Rosenburg as my Commissioner for the central control of questions connected with the East - European Region.
"An office, which is to be established in accordance with his orders, is a the disposal of Reichsleiter Rosenburg for the carrying out of the duties there by entrusted to him.
"The necessary money for this office is to be taken out of the Reich Chancellory treasury in a lump sum.
"Fuehrer's Headquarters, 20th April 1941. The Fuehrer /signed/ Adolf Hitler. Reich Minister and Head of Reich Chancellory /signed/ Dr. Lammers."
This particular copy of the Fuehrer's order was enclosed in a letter which Dr. Lanmers wrote to the defendant Keitel requesting his cooperation for Rosenberg and asking that Keitel appoint a deputy to work with Rosenberg. This letter reads as follows: It is on the stationery of The Reich Minister and the Head of the Reich Chancellory, Berlin, 21 April, 1941. I omit the salutation.
"Herewith I am sending you a copy of the Fuehrer's Decree by which the Fuehrer appointed Reichsleiter Alfred Rosenberg as his Commissioner for the central control connected with the East European Region. In this capacity Reichsleiter Rosenberg is to make the necessary preparations for the probable emergency with all speed. The Fuehrer wishes that Rosenberg shall be authorized for this purpose to obtain the closest cooperation of the highest Reich authorities, receive information from them, and summon the representatives of the Highest Reich Authorities to conferences. In order to guarantee the necessary secrecy of the commission and the measures to be undertaken, for the time being only those of the highest Reich Authorities should be informed on whose cooperation Reichsleiter Rosenberg will primarily depend. These are: The Commissioner for the Four YearPlan"--that is Goering--"the Reichs Minister of Economies and you yourself--" that is Keitel.
"Therefore, may I ask you, in accordance with the Fuehrer's wishes, to place your cooperation at the disposal of the Reichsleiter Rosenberg in the carrying out of the task imposed upon him.
"It is recommended in the interests of secrecy that you name a representative in your office with whom the office of the Reichsleiter can communicate and who in addition to your usual deputy should be the only one to whom you should communicate the contents of this letter.
"I should be obliged if you would acknowledge the receipt of this letter.
"Heil Hitler, Yours very sincerely, /signed/ Dr. Lammers.
of his letter and telling of his compliance with the request. Keitel also writes Rosenberg telling him of the action he has taken. Now, the letter to Dr. Lammers I shall read the text of:
"Dear Reich Minister:
"I acknowledge receipt of the copy of the Fuehrer's Decree in which the Fuehrer appointed Reichsleiter Alfred Rosenberg as his Commissioner for the central control of questions connected with the East European Region. I have named General of the Artillery Jodl, Head of the Armed Forces Operational Staff, as my permanent deputy, and Major General Warlimont as his Deputy."
And the letter to Reichsleiter Rosenberg on the same date:
"Dear Reichsleiter:
"The Head of the Reich Chancellory has sent me a copy of the Fuehrer's Decree, by which he has appointed you his Commissioner for the central control of questions connected with the East European Region. I have charged General of the Artillery Jodl, Head of the Armed Forces Operational Staff and his Deputy, Major General Warlimont, with the solving of these questions, as far as they concern the Supreme Command of the Armed Forces. Now I ask you, as far as your office is concerned, to deal with him only." building his organization, conferring with the various ministries, issuing his instructions and generally making the detailed plans and preparations necessary to carry out his assigned mission. Although Rosenberg's files, which were captured intact, were crowded with documents evidencing both the extent of the preparation and its purpose, I believe that the citation of a small number which are typical should be sufficient for the Tribunal and the record. All of those I shall now discuss were found in the Defendant Rosenberg's files.
entitled "General Instructions for all Reichkommissars in the occupied Eastern Territories." I offer that in evidence as Exhibit USA 144. outlines clearly the political aims and purposes of the attack. In the second two paragraphs of the English translation, which appear on Page 2 of the German, the following remarks appear:
"The only political goal of war can be the aim to free the German Reich from the 'grossrussisch' pressure for centuries to come. This does not only correspond with German interests, but also with historical justice, for Russian Imperialism was in a position to accomplish its policy of conquest and oppression almost unopposed, whilst it threatened Germany again and again. Therefore, the German Reich has to beware of starting a campaign against Russia with a historical injustice, meaning the reconstruction of a Great Russian Empire, no matter of what kind. On the contrary, all historical struggles of the various nationalities against Moscow and Petersburg have to be scrutinized for their bearing on the situation today. This has been done on the part of the National Socialist movement to correspond to the Leader's political testament as laid down in his book, that now the military and political threat from the East shall be eliminated forever.
'Therefore this huge area must be divided according to its historical and racial conditions into Reichskommissariats, each of which bears within itself a different political aim. The Reich Kommissariat Eastland (Ostland), including White Ruthenia, will have the task to prepare, by way of development into a Germanized Protectorate, a progressively closer cohesion with Germany. The Ukraine shall become an independent state in alliance with Germany and Caucasia with the contiguous Northern Territories a Federal State with a German plenipotentiary. Russia proper must put her own house in order for the future. These general viewpoints are explained in the following instructions for each Reich Kommissar.
Beyond that there are still a few general considerations which possess validity for all Reich Kommissars." German, presents a fascinating rationalization of a contemplated robbery. It reads:
"The German people has achieved, in the course of centuries, tremendous accomplishments in the Eastern European area. Nearly its entire real estate property was confiscated without indemnification; hundreds of thousands (in the South, on the Volga) starved or were deported, or, like in the Baltic territories, were cheated out of the fruits of their cultural work during the past 700 years. The German Reich will now have to proclaim the principle, that after the occupation of the Eastern Territories, the former German assets have become property of the people of Greater Germany, irrespective of the consent of the former individual proprietors where the German Reich may reserve the right (assuming that it has not already been done during resettlement) to arrange a just settlement. The manner be subject to different treatment by each Reich Kommissariat."
Document No. 1029-PS in our series is an "Instruction for a Reich Kommissar in the Baltic Countries and White Russia."
It is I offer this document in evidence as Exhibit USA 145.
I should It begins:
"All the regions between Narva and Tilsit have "The aim of a Reich Kommisar for Esthonia, Latvia, Lithuania and White Russia"--last words added in pencil--"must be to strive banishing undesirable elements.
The Baltic Sea must become a "For certain cattle-raising products the Baltic region was a to increase it.
With regard to the process of germanizing or be considered as a kindred nation.
In Latvia the section capable of being assimilated is considerably smaller than in Esthonia.
In banishment on a larger scale will have to be envisaged.
A similar very intensive germanization (on the East Prussian border).""The task of a Reich Kommissar with his seat of office in Riga will therefore largely be an extraordinarily positive one.
A Baltic civilization from Bolshevism.
For the rest, the solution concerns Greater Germany, and it must be settled on those lines."
it was hoped would be achieved thereby. However, on 23th June, 20th of April.
One might almost think he had so meticulously this prosecution.
evidence as Exhibit U.S.A. 146. To me the most interesting things about this report are its disclosures concerning the number of these defendants who worked with and assisted Rosenberg in the planning and preparation for this phase of the aggression and the extent to which practically all of the ministries and offices of both the State and the Party are shown to have been involved in this operation. The report was found in the Defendant Rosenberg's files and, although it is rather long, it is of sufficient importance in implicating persons, groups and organizations that it must, I believe, be read in full in order that it may be made part of the record. It is headed "Report on the Preparatory Work in Eastern European Questions."
"Immediately after the notification of individual Supreme Reich offices regarding the Fuehrer's decree of 20.4.41 a conference with the Chief of the OKW (Armed Forces High Command) took place" -that is the defendant Keitel. "After presentation of the various political aims in the proposed Reichskommissariats and presentation of personal requirements for the East, the chief of the OKW explained that a deferment (OK-stellung) would be too complicated in this case and that this matter could be carried out best by direct cancellation (Abkommandierung) by command of the Chief of the OKW. Generalfeldmarschall Keitel then issued an appropriate command which established the basis for the coming requirements. He named as deputy and liaison officer General Jodl and Major General Warlimont. The negotiations which then commenced relative in all questions of the Eastern Territory" -- relative to, I suppose it is-- "were carried on by the gentlemen of the OKW in collaboration with officials of my office.
"A conference took place with Admiral Canaris to the effect that under the given confidential circumstances my office could in no way deal with any representatives of the people of the East European area.
I asked him to do this insofar as the Military Intelligence required it, and then to name persons to me who could count as political personalities over and above the military intelligence in order to arrange for their eventual commitment later. Admiral Canaris said that naturally also my wish not to recognize any political groups among the emigrants would be considered by him and that he was planning to proceed in accordance with my indications.
"Later on I informed Generalfeldmarschall von Brauchitsch and Grossadmiral Raeder about the historical and political conceptions of the Eastern problem. In further conference we agreed to appoint a representative of my office to the Supreme Commander of the Army, respectively to the Chief Quartermaster and to the Army groups for questions relative to political configuration and requests of the OKW. In the meantime this has been done.
"Already at the outset there was a discussion with Minister of Economy (Reichswirtschaftsminister) Funk" -- the Defendant Funk-"who appointed as his permanent deputy Ministerialdirektor Dr. Schlotterer. Almost daily conferences were then held with Dr. Schlotterer with reference to the war economic intentions of the Economic Operational Staff East. In this connection I had conferences with General Thomas, State Secretary Koerner, State Secretary Backe, Ministerial Director Riecke, General Schubert, and others.
"Far-reaching agreement was reached in the eastern questions as regards direct technical work now and in the future. A few problems regarding the relationship of the proposed Reich ministry toward the four-year plan are still open and will be subject, after submission, to the decision of the Fuehrer. In principle I declared that I in no way intended to found an economic department in my office, economics would rather be handled substantially and practicably by the Reichsmarschall" -- that is the defendant Goering --" and the persons appointed by him. However, the two responsible department heads, namely Ministerial Director, Dr. Schlotterer, for industrial economies and Ministerial Director Riecke for food economies, would be placed in my office as permanent liaison men, to coordinate here political aims with the economic necessities in a department which would have to unite yet with other persons for such coordinating work, depending on later" -- that must be a mistranslation -- "depending on later and for work (political leadership of labor unions, construction, et cetera)."After notification of the Reich Foreign Minister, the latter appointed Geheimrat Grosskopf as permanent liaison man to my office.
For the requested representation in the political department of my office (headed by Reichsamtsleiter Dr. Seibbrandt) the foreign ministry released General Counsel Dr. Braeutigam, who is known to me for many years, speaks Russian, and worked for years in Russia. Negotiations which if necessary will be placed before the Fuehrer are under way with the foreign office regarding its wishes for the assignment of its representatives to the future Reich commissioners," or Kommissars.
"The Propaganda Ministry" -- that is Goebbels -
appointed State Secretary Gutterer as permanent liaison man, and a complete agreement was reached to the effect that the decisions on all political and other essays, speeches, proclamations, et cetera, would be made in my office; a great number of substantial works for propaganda would be delivered and the papers prepared by the Propaganda Ministry would be modified here, if necessary. The whole practical employment of propaganda will undisputedly be subject to the Reich Ministry of Public Enlightenment and Propaganda. For the sake of closer cooperation the Propaganda Ministry assigns yet another person directly to my department, 'Enlightenment and Press', and in addition appoints a permanent press liaison man. All these activities have been going on for some time, and without attracting attention to my office in any way, this agreement on contents and terminology takes place continually every day.
"Thorough discussions took place with Reichsminister Ohnesorge concerning future transmission of communication and setting up of all technical necessities in future occupied territories; with Reichsminister Seldte on the supply of labor forces, with Reichsm inister Frick" -- that is the defendant Frick--" (State Secretary Stuckart) in detailed form on the assignment of numerous necessary officials for the Kommissariats. According to the present estimate there will be four Reich Kommissariats, as approved by the Fuehrer. I shall propose to the Fuehrer for political and other reasons to set up a suitable number of General Kommissariats (24), Main Kommissariats (about 80), and Regional Kommissariats (over 900). A General Kommissariat would correspond to a former General government; a Main Kommissariat to a Maingovernment.
"A Regional Kommissariat contains three or four Districts (Kreise). In view of the huge spaces that is the minimum number which appears necessary for a future civil government and/or administration. A portion of the officials has already been requested on the basis of the above-named command of the Chief of the OKW."
THE PRESIDENT: Mr. Alderman, I don't understand why it is necessary to read this document in full. You have already shown that there was a plan for dividing Russia up into a number of Kommissariats.
MR. ALDERMAN: Yes, sir.
THE PRESIDENT: This is merely a detailed report on that.
MR. ALDERMAN: Quite true. I should like merely to point out two or three other individual defendants who are referred to in this document and as to whom the document shows that they were in immediate complicity with this whole scheme. The first of those about three paragraphs further down, the Reich Youth Leadership. What is the Defendant Baldur von Schirach. Then of course Gruppenfuehrer SS Heydrich, about the next paragraph -
THE PRESIDENT: Well, be is not a defendant.
MR. ALDERMAN: No, sir. His organization is, however, if the Tribunal please, charged as a criminal organization. to work under Goebbels. summarize the individual implication in this fashion. Those of the individual defendants now on trial which this report personally involves are Keitel, Jodl, Raeder, Funk, Goering, Ribbentrop, Frick, Schirach, and Fritsche. The organizations involved by this report include the following: OKW, OKH, OKM, Ministry of Economy, Reich Foreign Ministry, Propaganda Ministry Ministry of Labor, Ministry of the Interior, Ministry of Communications, Reich Physicians Leader, Ministry of Munitions and Armaments, Reich Youth Leadership, Reich Organizational Leader, German Labor Front, the SS, the SA, and the Reich Press Chief. ask the Tribunal to consider that that document with which I have just been dealing be considered a part of the record to the extent that it involves these individuals.
THE PRESIDENT: I think you can treat it as all being in evidence.
MR. ALDERMAN: At a later stage in the trial and in other connections evidence will be introduced concerning the manner in which all of this planning and preparation for the elimination of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics as a political factor was actually carried out. The planned execution of intelligentsia and other Russian leaders was, for example, but a part of the actual operation of the program to destroy the Soviet Union politically and make impossible its early resurrection as a European Power.
Soviet Union, the Nazi conspirators proceeded to carry out their plans, and on 22 June, 1941, hurled their armies across the borders of the U.S.S.R. In announcing this act of perfidy to the world, Hitler issued a proclamation on the day of the attack. The text of this statement has already been called to the Tribunal's attention by my British colleagues, and I should like merely to refer to it in passing here by quoting therefrom this one sentence.
"I have therefore today decided to give the fate of Europe again into the hands of our soldiers". the plans darkly conceived almost a full year before and secretly and continuously developed since then, had new been brought to fruition. These conspirators, having carefully and completely prepared this war of aggression now proceeded to initiate and wage it. Before going into the positive reasons, I should like first to point out that not only was Germany bound by a solemn covenant not to attack the USSR, but throughout the entire period from August 1939 to the invasion in 1941, the Soviet Union was faithful to its agreements with Germany and displayed no aggressive intentions toward territories of the Reich, General Thomas, for example, points out in his draft of "Basic Facts for a History of the German War and Armaments Economy," which is our Document 2353 PS and which I put in evidence earlier as Exhibit USA No. 35, that insofar as the German-Soviet trade agreement of 11 August 1939, was concerned, the Soviets carried out their deliveries thereunder up to the very end. quickly and well, and since the food and raw materials being thus delivered was considered essential to the German economy, efforts were made to keep up their side too. However, as preparations for the campaign proceeded, the Nazis cared less about complying with their obligations under that agreement. At page 315 of his book, Thomas says, and I read from page 9 of the English translation:
"Later on the urgency of the Russian deliveries diminished, as preparations for the campaign in the East were already under way," By that, clearly he speaks of German deliveries to Russia, not as to what the Russians delivered.
"The Russians carried out their deliveries as planned, right up to the start of the attack; even during the last few days, transports of India-rubber from the Far East were completed by Express transit trains."
forcefully when he states, and I shall read the first paragraph on page 14 of the English translation:
"In addition to the Italian negotiations, until June, 1941, the negotiations with Russia were accorded a great deal of attention. The Fuehrer issued the directive that, in order to camouflage
THE PRESIDENT: Are you reading now from a document?
MR. ALDERMAN: Yes.
THE PRESIDENT: Where is that?
MR. ALDERMAN: It is page 14 of the English translation of these notes.
THE PRESIDENT: Thank you.
MR. ALDERMAN: "The Fuehrer issued the directive that, in order to camouflage German troop movements, the orders Russia has placed in Germany must be filled as promptly as possible. Since the Russians only made grain deliveries, when the Germans delivered orders placed by the Russians, and since in the case of individual firms these deliveries to Russia made it impossible for them to fill orders for the German armed forces, it was necessary for the Wi Rue office to enter into numerous individual negotiations with German firms in order to coordinate Russian orders with those of the German from the standpoint of priority. In accordance with the wishes of the Foreign Office, German industry was instructed to accept all Russian orders, even if it were impossible to fill them, within the limits of the time set for manufacture and delivery. Since in May especially, large deliveries had to be made to the Navy, the firms were instructed to allow the equipment to go through the Russian Acceptance Commission, then, however, to make such a detour during its transportation as to make it impossible for it to be delivered over the frontier prior to the beginning of the German attack." with Germany but the evidence shows that she had no aggressive intentions toward German territory. Our Document No. C-170, which is in evidence as Exhibit USA No.136, is, as I have previously stated, a file on Russo-German relations found in the files of the Naval High Command covering the entire period from the treaty to the attack.
The entries in this file demonstrate conclusively the point I have just stated. It will, I think, be sufficient to read to the Tribunal a few entries which include reports from the German ambassador in Moscow as late as June 1941. I shall read the first entry 165 on page 21 of the English translation. That is 4 June.
"Outwardly, no change in the relationship Germany-Russia, Russian deliveries continue to full satisfaction. Russian government is endeavouring to do everything to prevent a conflict with Germany".
In entry 167, on page 22 of the English translation, it says:
"6 June. Ambassador in Moscow reports ...Russia will only fight if attacked by Germany. Situation is considered in Moscow much more serious than up to now. All military preparations have been made quietely - as far as can be recognized only defensive. Russian policy still strives as before to produce the best possible relationship to Germany as good."
"From the report of the Ambassador in Moscow...All observations show that Stalin and Molotov, who alone are responsible for Russian foreign policy, are doing everything to avoid a conflict with Germany. The entire behavior of the Government, as well as the attitude of the press, which reports all events concerning Germany in a factual, indisputable manner, support this view. The loyal fulfillment of the economic treaty with Germany proves the same thing". Now, that is the German ambassador talking to you. Union could not have been self-denfense or treaty breaches. In truth, no doubt as has been necessarily implied from the materials presented on planning and preparation, more than one motive entered into the decision of the Nazi conspirators to launch their aggression against the USSR.