Archive/File: imt/nca/nca-06/nca-06/nca-06-3787-ps.01 Last-Modified: 1999/12/06 TRANSLATION OF DOCUMENT 3787-PS Vol. 67-3[pencil note] 140/39. W/Le 29 Supreme Command of the Armed Forces AFA/L No. 1436/39 g Kdos IV Berlin, 10th July 1939 Subject: 2nd Meeting of the Reich Defense Council 100 Copies. 84th copy. (224) pencil MOST SECRET I enclose herewith the report of the 2nd meeting of the Reich Defense Council on 25th June 1939. --1 appendix Chief of the Supreme Command of the Armed Forces By order of and acting for [signed] v. [illegible] [stamp] Economic Staff Le 14th July 1939 No. 140/39 Distribution: I. Party: Fuehrer's Deputy for the attention of SS-Brigadefuehrer Knoblauch -- 1st Copy. II. Reich Departments and Prussiart State Ministry: Chief of the Reich Chancellery -- 2nd Copy. for the attention of Min. Dir. Kritzinger for the Chief of the Reich Chancellery -- 3rd Copy. President of the Secret Cabinet Council Ministerpraesident General Field Marshal Goering Commissioner for the Four Years Plan and the Prussian State Ministry for the attention of Min. Councillor Bergbohm -- 4th & 5th Copies. Reich Air Ministry and C. in C. Air Force Chief of the Ministry Office for the attention of Generalmajor Bodenschatz -- 6th & 7th Copies. Foreign Office for the attention of Legation Councillor Dr. Baron v.d. Heyden-Rynsch. -- 8th Copy. [Page 719] General Plenipotentiary for Reich Administration for the attention of Min. Section Head Dr. Danckwerts. -- 9th-18th Copies. For Direction Staff of the General Plenipotentiary for Administration. For Reich Ministry of the Interior. For Reich Ministry of Justice. For Reich Ministry of Education. For Reich Ministry for Church Affairs. For Reich Office for Planning. General Plenipotentiary for Economy for the attention of Min. Director Sarnow: 19th 29th Copies. For Direction Staff of the General Plenipotentiary for Economy. For Reich :Ministry of Economy. For Reich Ministry of Food & Agriculture. For Reich Ministry of Labour. For Reich Chief Forrester. For Reich Commissioner for Price Control. Reich Ministry of Finance for the attention of Min. Section Head: Geh. Rat. Dr. Bender. 30th Copy. Reich Ministry of Finance for the attention of Finance President von Dietz. 31st Copy. Reich Ministry of Transport -- Motor Transport and roads-- for the attention of Min. Section Head Baur. 32nd Copy. Reich Ministry of Transport -- railways -- for the attention of Min. Councillor Dr. Ebeling. 33rd Copy. Reich Post Ministry for the attention of Min. Councillor Honold. 34th Copy. Reich Ministry of Enlightenment and Propaganda for the attention of Oberstleutnant Wentscher. 35th Copy. Reichsbank Directorate for the attention of Reichsbank Director Dr. Mueller. 36th Copy. [Page 720] General Inspector of German roads for the attention of Chief Government Councillor for Construction (Oberreg. Baurat) Henne. 37th Copy. III Armed Forces: OKH (Section 2 of Army General Staff). 38th-47th Copies. OKM (A II).48th-53rd Copies. Reich Minister for Air and C. in C. Air Force. (Section 2 of the Air Force General Staff). 54th-61st. Copies. Supreme Command of the Armed Forces: WZ. 62nd Copy. WH. 63rd Copy. Armed Forces Reserve [?j (WR). 64th Copy. L (I, II, IV). 65th-70th Copies. Armed Forces Communications Service also to the Liaison Officer at the Postal Ministry). 71st-73rd Copies A/Ausl.Abw. 74th-77th Copies. General Armed Forces Department. 78th-79th Copies. Armed Forces Staff. 80th-84th Copies Reserve held by L IV. 85th-100th Copies. ---------- REPORT ON THE 2ND MEETING OF THE REICH DEFENSE COUNCIL Date: 23.6.1939. Commencement: 1110 Place: Large Conference Room of the Reich Air Ministry. Termination: 1355 President: Ministerpraesident General Field Marshal Goering. Persons present: Supreme Reich Authorities The Fuehrer's Deputy SS-Brigadefuehrer Knoblauch Chief of the Reich Chancellery Reichminister Dr. Lammers Ministerpraesident General Secretary of State Koerner Field Marshal Goering Secretary of State Neumann Commissioner for the Four Years Plan Min. Councillor Bergbohm. Prussian State Ministry Oberst.v.Schell Oberstleutnant Schricker [Page 721] General Plenipotentiary for Reichsminister Dr. Frick Reich Administration Reichsfuehrer-SS Himmler Secretary of State Pfundtner Secretary of State Dr. Stuckart General of the Regular Uniformed Police Daluege Ministerial Section Head Danckwerts General Plenipotentiary for Economy Reichsminister Funk. Secretary of State Dr. Posse. Secretary of State Dr. Syrup. Secretary of State Dr. Landfried Secretary of State Backe Ministerial Councillor Dr. Burandt Reich Ministry of Finance Keichsminister count Schwerin v.Krosigk. Reich Ministry of Transport Reichsminister Dr. Dorpmueller Secretary of State Kleinmann General Inspector of German Roads Professor Dr. Ing. Todt ARMED FORCES [Wehrmacht] Supreme Command of the Armed Forces Generaloberst Keitel WFA (Secretariat Reich Defense Oberst d.G. Warlimont Council) Oberst d.G. Gause Oberstleutnant v.Mauch Armed Forces Staff Generalmajor Thomas Supreme Command of the Army Army General Staff General of Artillery Halder Oberst i.G. Gercke General Army Department Oberst d.G. Burdach Supreme Command of the Navy Grossadmiral Dr.h.c.Raeder Reich Minister for Air and C. in C. Generaloberst Milch Air Force General der Flieger Stumpff Generalmajor Bodenschatz ---------- CONTENTS DISTRIBUTION OF LABOUR: Page Directives of the President of Reich Defense Council. Principles governing the distribution and employment of the population in wartime. [Page 722] Employment of labour in the case of mobilization; Schedule of manpower for the war. Effect of the schedule of manpower on the continued direction of economy. Economy in personnel in public administration. Increase in the efficiency of the Transport Service. Suspension of the Secret Protection of the Reich Defense Laws ---------- A. INTRODUCTION Ministerpraesident General Field Marshal Goering emphasized, in a preamble that, according to the Fuehrer's wishes, the Reich Defense Council was the determining body in the Reich for all questions of preparation for war. It is to discuss only the most important questions of Reich Defense. They will be worked out by the Reich Defense Committee. Meetings of the Reich Defense Council are to be convened only for those decisions which are unavoidable. It is urged that the Departmental Chiefs themselves be present. B. DISTRIBUTION OF LABOUR I. The President announced the following directives to govern the distribution and employment of the population in wartime. 1. The total strength of the Armed Forces is determined by the Fuehrer. It includes only half the number of those fit and liable for military service. Nevertheless, their disposition will involve difficulties for economy, the administration, and the whole of the civil sphere. 2. When a schedule of manpower is made out, the basis on which the question is to be judged is how the remaining number, after those required for the Armed Forces have been withdrawn. can be most suitably employed. 3. Of equal importance to the requirements of the Armed Forces are those of the Armament Industry. It, above all, must be organized in peace-time, materially and as regards personnel, in such a way that its production does not decrease but increases immediately with the outbreak of war. 4. The direction of labour to the vital war armament industry and to other civilian requirements is the main task of the General Plenipotentiary for Economy. a. War armament covers not only the works producing war materials, but also those producing synthetic rubber (Buna), [Page 723] armament production tools [Waffenbetriebsmittel], hydrogenation works, coal mining etc. b. (1) As a rule, no essential and irreplaceable workers may be taken away from "war decisive" factories, on whose production depends the course of the war, unless they can be replaced. Coal mining is the most urgent work. Every worker who is essential to coal mining is "indispensable". Note. Coal mining has even now become the key point of the whole of the armament industry, of communications and of export. If the necessary labour is not made available for it now, the most important part of the export trade, the export of coal, will cease. The purchase of coal in Poland will stop. The correct distribution of labour is determinative. In order to be able to man these key points with the right people, severe demands will shortly be submitted to the Fuehrer which, even in the current mobilization year, will under certain circumstances, lead to an exceptional direction of the war, e.g. to the immobilization of lorries and to the closing down of unessential factories owing to lack of coal. In addition, there is the supplying of Italy and other countries such a. Scandinavia with coal (to maintain the German supplies of iron). (2) The remaining "war essential" industries can and must suffer losses, as must the "vital" industries which are of importance to the life o f the people, --cf. No. 23--. Note by the Reich Defense Committee. The industries will be combined under the term "war economy industries," --cf. the "General principles for cooperation between the OKW and the General Plenipotentiary for Economy in the preparation of war economy industries for war" dated 3.5.1939, which was approved by the President of the Reich Defense Council, and the "Principles for the distribution and direction of the Population in wartime," dated 10.6.1939. c. (1) An important and valuable specialist worker will be of more use in his place of work than at the fighting front. The greater number of specialist workers must be drawn from those who are no longer liable for military service, that is from the older age groups. (2) A second category of workers liable for military service will be called up during the war after their replacements have been trained. A decisive role is played by the extensive preliminary training and retraining of workers. (3) Preparations must be made for replacing the mass of other workers liable for military service, even by drawing on an increased number of women. There are also disabled servicemen. (4) Compulsory work for women in wartime is of decisive importance. It is important to proceed to a great extent with the training of women in war-essential work, as replacements and to augment the number of male workers. [Page 724] d. In order to avoid confusion when mobilization takes place, persons working in war-essential branches e.g. administration, communication, police, food, will not at first be removed. It is essential to establish the degrees of urgency and the standard of value. e. In the interests of the auxiliary civilian service, provided by every European people to gain and maintain the lead in the decisive initial weeks of a war, efforts must, in this way, be made to ensure by a trustworthy organization, easily understood, that every German in wartime not only possesses his mobilization orders but has also been thoroughly prepared for his wartime activity. The works must be adapted to receive the replacements and additional workers. II. The President o f the Reich Defense Committee, Generaloberst Keitel, Chief of the OKW, made a report explaining the "Principles for the distribution and employment of the population in wartime," issued by the Reich Defense Council on 10th June 1939.
Home ·
Site Map ·
What's New? ·
Search
Nizkor
© The Nizkor Project, 1991-2012
This site is intended for educational purposes to teach about the Holocaust and
to combat hatred.
Any statements or excerpts found on this site are for educational purposes only.
As part of these educational purposes, Nizkor may
include on this website materials, such as excerpts from the writings of racists and antisemites. Far from approving these writings, Nizkor condemns them and
provides them so that its readers can learn the nature and extent of hate and antisemitic discourse. Nizkor urges the readers of these pages to condemn racist
and hate speech in all of its forms and manifestations.