Judgment:
[Page 67]
Structure and Component Parts: The Indictment has named the
Leadership Corps of the Nazi Party as a group or
organisation which should be declared criminal. The
Leadership Corps of the Nazi Party consisted, in effect, of
the official organisation of the Nazi Party, with Hitler as
Fuehrer at its head. The actual work of running the
Leadership Corps was carried out
[Page 68]
by the Chief of the Party Chancellery (Hess, succeeded by
Bormann) assisted by the Party Reich Directorate, or
Reichsleitung, which was composed of the Reichleiters, the
heads of the functional organisations of the Party, as well
as of the heads of the various main departments and offices
which were attached to the Party Reich Directorate. Under
the Chief of the Party Chancellery were the Gauleiters, with
territorial jurisdiction over the major administrative
regions of the Party, the Gaus. The Gauleiters were assisted
by a Party Gau Directorate or Gauleitung, similar in
composition and in function to the Party Reich Directorate.
Under the Gauleiters in the Party hierarchy were the
Kreisleiters with territorial jurisdiction over a Kreis,
usually consisting of a single county, and assisted by a
Party Kreis Directorate, or Kreisleitung. The Kreisleiters
were the lowest members of the Party hierarchy who were full-
time paid employees. Directly under the Kreisleiters were
the Ortsgruppenleiters, then the Zellenleiters and then the
Blockleiters. Directives and instructions were received from
the Party Reich Directorate. The Gauleiters had the function
of interpreting such orders and issuing them to lower
formations. The Kreisleiters had a certain discretion in
interpreting orders, but the Ortsgruppenleiters had not, but
acted under definite instructions. Instructions were only
issued in writing down as far as the Ortsgruppenleiters. The
Block and Zellenleiters usually received instructions
orally. Membership in the Leadership Corps at all levels was
voluntary.
On 28th February, 1946, the Prosecution excluded from the
declaration asked for, all members of the staffs of the
Ortsgruppenleiters and all assistants of the Zellenleiters
and Blockleiters. The declaration sought against the
Leadership Corps of the Nazi Party thus includes the
Fuehrer, the Reichsleitung, the Gauleiters and their staff
officers, the Kreisleiters and their staff officers, the
Ortsgruppenleiters, the Zellenleiters and the Blockleiters,
a group estimated to contain at least 600,000 people.
Aims and Activities: The primary purpose of the Leadership
Corps from its beginning was to assist the Nazis in
obtaining and after January 30, 1933, in retaining, control
of the German State. The machinery of the Leadership Corps
was used for the widespread dissemination of Nazi propaganda
and to keep a detailed check on the political attitudes of
the German People. In this activity the lower Political
Leaders played a particularly important role. The
Blockleiters were instructed by the Party Manual to report
to the Ortsgruppenleiters all persons circulating damaging
rumors or criticism of the regime. The Ortsgruppenleiters,
on the basis of information supplied them by the
Blockleiters and Zellenleiters, kept a card index of the
people within their Ortsgruppe which recorded the factors
which would be used in forming a judgment as to their
political reliability.
The Leadership Corps was particularly active during
plebiscites. All members of the Leadership Corps were active
in getting out the vote and insuring the highest possible
proportion of "yes" votes. Ortsgruppenleiters and Political
Leaders of higher ranks often collaborated with the Gestapo
and SD in taking steps to determine those who refused to
vote or who voted "no" and in taking steps against them
which went as far as arrest and detention in a concentration
camp.
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The Accused Organisations:
The
Leadership Corps Of The Nazi Party
(Part 2 of 10)
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