Nazi Conspiracy & Aggression
Individual Responsibility Of Defendants

Gustav Krupp Von Bohlen Und Halbach

(Part 4 of 15)

[Page 782]

C. UNDER KRUPP'S DIRECTION, THE KRUPP FIRM, BY DEVELOPING NEW INSTRUMENTS OF WAR AND PRODUCING HUGE QUANTITIES OF WAR MATERIALS, FURTHERED THE CONSPIRATORS' PROGRAM TO CREATE A POWERFUL MILITARY POTENTIAL.

(1) In a speech prepared in January 1944, for delivery at the University of Berlin, Krupp stated:

"*** I don't see why this thought still flutters in many a head occasionally -- that the production of war materials should be a sinister trade! No: war material is life-saving for one's own people and whoever works and performs in

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these spheres can be proud of it; here enterprise as a whole finds its highest justification of existence. This justification I may inject this here -- crystallized especially during that time of the 'Interregnum', between 1919 and 1933, when Germany was lying-down disarmed. *** It is the one great merit of the entire German war economy that it did not remain idle during those bad years, even though its activity could not be brought to light for obvious reasons. Through years of secret work, scientific and basic ground work was laid, in order to be ready again to work the German Armed Forces at the appointed hour, without loss of time or experience."

"Only through this secret activity of German enterprise, together with the experience gained meanwhile through production of peace time goods was it possible after 1933, to fall into step with the new tasks arrived at restoring Germany's military power, (only through all that) could the entirely new and various problems, brought up by the Fuehrer's Four Year's Plan for German enterprise, be mastered. ***" (D- 317)

(2) Krupp played a leading role in the design and production of new weapons for the German armed forces.

(a) In a memorandum concerning a conference held at the Federal Ministry for National Defense in Vienna on 25 September 1936, Pfirsch, a Krupp official, wrote:

"*** in spite of the obstacles put in our way by the Treaty of Versailles, we had never been inactive throughout the postwar period, but had drawn upon the experience of the war in the creation of new types, and that we had won the prizes for almost every type in the competitions organized by our War Ministry for the construction of new artillery weapons, so much so that the guns introduced into the German Army of to-day, such as the 8.8 cm. anti-aircraft, the 10.5 cm. field gun, the heavy field howitzer and beyond them the larger calibres have been made according to our pattern." (D-152)

(b) In a memorandum dated 21 February 1944, Woelfert, a department chief in the Krupp concern, wrote:

"First a few facts about the development of tanks by Krupp. We are manufacturing tanks since 1928, which means before rearmament. We started studying on heavy tractors. Krupp built the first mass production tank, the Panzer I, which is

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also known as LaS. It-was shown in public in 1935, the year when rearmament started, and made a great impression. We also originated the Panzer IV, or better the BW, which was especially at the beginning of the war one of the prime factors in our rapid advances into enemy country, so that today we are fighting on the Atlantic coast, in the South, and east and not on German soil. Even today we use the BW-base for many self-propelled guns, assault-guns, anti-aircraft guns etc." (D-96).

(c) In a letter to Hitler dated 24 July 1942, Krupp wrote:

"My Fuehrer !

"The big weapon, whose manufacturing is to be thanked to your command, has now proved its effectiveness. ***"

"True to an example set by Alfred Krupp in 1870, my wife and myself ask the favour that the Krupp works refrain from charging for this first finished product.

"To express my thanks to you, my Fuehrer, for the confidence shown in our plants and in us personally by entrusting such an order with us, is a pleasant duty for my wife and myself.

Sieg Heil!" (D-375)

(d) Krupp likewise made significant contributions to the production of Navy weapons and U-Boats (D-88; D-287).

(3) The rapid and progressive expansion in armament production by Krupp after the conspirators' accession to power is plainly shown by a chart prepared by Krupp officials concerning the production of war materials at the Krupp Gustahlfabrik in Essen (only one of the many companies in the Krupp organization). This chart shows that the production of war materials at that particular factory during the fiscal year, 1 October 1933 to 30 September 1934, was more than twice that of any previous year since 1929; that such production during the fiscal year, 1 October 1934 to 30 September 1935, was almost twice as great as the previous year; and that production of war materials continued thereafter at an accelerated rate with the result that during the fiscal year, 1 October 1938 to 30 September 1939, it was more than 10 times as great as it was during the period 1 October 1932 to 30 September 1933 (Chart entitled "Fried, Krupp Gustahlfabrik Essen, Turnover in War Material," not reproduced here). It should be noted that this chart shows only direct sales by the Essen factory of war materials to the German Armed Forces Ordnance Supply Department and sales to foreign countries of war materials easily recognizable as such. It does not

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cover indirect sales, viz: the sale of products to other concerns which, in turn, used them to produce materials of war. (The chart entitled "Fried, Krupp and Branch Establishments, Inland Turnover," not here reproduced, shows figures which include "indirect" sales of war materials by certain Krupp companies.)

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