Fourteenth Day: Thursday, 6th December, 1945
They could not possibly bombard or destroy any place where
there happened to be Germans living. Warsaw, Rotterdam,
England, London, - I wonder whether any sentiments of that
kind were held in consideration in regard to those places.
That was something quite different.
The meeting was held over that night, and it continued on
the following day.
It will be seen, on Page 7, in the middle of the page:-
(1) in the event of any further provocation, he would
immediately attack;
(2) if Poland did not clearly and plainly state her
political intention, she must be forced to do so."
I go to the last line on that page:-
The Mediterranean was obviously the most ancient domain
for which Italy had a claim to predominance. The Duce
himself had summed up the position to him in the words
that Italy was already the dominant power in the
Mediterranean. On the other hand, the Fuehrer said that
[Page 153]
Ribbentrop added that if the two problems mentioned in
yesterday's conversations were settled, Italy and
Germany would have their backs free for work against the
West. The Fuehrer said that Poland must be struck down
so that for 50 years" - there appears to have been a
query raised in the translation - "for so many years she
would be incapable of fighting. In such a case, matters
in the West could be settled.
Ciano thanked the Fuehrer for his extremely clear
explanation of the situation. He had, on his side,
nothing to add and would give the Duce full details. He
asked for more definite information on one point, in
order that the Duce might have all the facts before him.
The Duce might indeed have to make no decision because
the Fuehrer believed that the conflict with Poland could
be localised on the basis of long experience. He - Ciano
- quite saw that so far the Fuehrer had always been
right in his judgement of the position. If, however,
Mussolini had no decision to make, he had to take
certain measures of precaution, and therefore Ciano
would put the following questions.
The Fuehrer had mentioned two conditions under which he
would take Poland (1) if Poland were guilty of serious
provocation, and (2) if Poland did not make her
political position clear. The first of these conditions
depended on the decision of the Fuehrer, and German
reaction could follow in a moment. The second condition
required certain decisions as to time. Ciano therefore
asked what was the date by which Poland must have
satisfied Germany about her political condition. He
realised that this date depended upon climatic
conditions.
The Fuehrer answered that the decision of Poland must be
made clear at the latest by the end of August. Since,
however, the decisive part of military operations
against Poland could be carried out within a period of
14 days, and the final liquidation would need only
another four weeks, it could be finished at the end of
September or the beginning of October. These could be
regarded as the dates. It followed, therefore, that the
last date on which he could begin to take action was the
end of August.
Finally, the Fuehrer assured Ciano that since his youth
he had favoured German-Italian co-operation, and that no
other view was expressed in his books. He had always
thought that Germany and Italy were naturally suited for
collaboration, since there were no conflicts of interest
between them. He was personally fortunate to live at a
time in which, apart from himself, there was one other
statesman who would stand out great and unique in
history; that he could be this man's friend was for him
a matter of great personal satisfaction, and if the hour
of common battle struck he would always be found on the
side of the Duce."
THE PRESIDENT: We might adjourn now for ten minutes.
(A recess was taken.)
[Page 154]
LIEUTENANT-COLONEL GRIFFITH-JONES: If the Tribunal please, I
never actually put that last document that I was referring
to in as an exhibit. It is Document TC-77, which becomes
Exhibit GB 48.
Having referred the Tribunal to those documents showing that
the military preparations were throughout the whole period
in hand and nearing their completion, I would refer to one
letter from the defendant Funk, showing that at the same
time the economists had not been idle. It is a letter dated
26th August, 1939, in which Funk is writing to his Fuehrer.
He says:-
I thank you sincerely and heartily for your most
friendly and kind wishes on the occasion of my birthday.
How happy and how grateful to you we ought to be for
being granted the favour of experiencing these
overwhelmingly great and world-changing times, and
taking part in the mighty events of these days.
The information given to me by Field Marshal Goering,
that you, my Fuehrer, yesterday evening approved in
principle the measures prepared by me for financing the
war, and for shaping the relationship between wages and
prices, and for carrying through emergency sacrifices,
made me deeply happy. I hereby report to you, with all
respect, that I have succeeded by means of precautions
taken during the last few months, in making the
Reichsbank internally so strong and externally so
unassailable, that even the most serious shocks in the
international money and credit market cannot affect us
in the least. In the meantime, I have quite
inconspicuously changed into gold all the assets of the
Reichsbank and of the whole of the German economy abroad
which it was possible to lay hands on. Under the
proposals, I have prepared for a ruthless elimination of
all consumption which is not of vital importance, and of
all public expenditure and public works which are not of
importance for the war effort. We will be in a position
to cope with all demands on finance and economy, without
any serious shocks. I have considered it my duty as the
general plenipotentiary for economy appointed by you to
make this report and solemn promise to you, my Fuehrer.
Heil my Fuehrer (signed) Walter Funk."
That Document is PS-699, and it goes in as Exhibit GB 49.
It is difficult in view of that letter to see how the
defendant Funk can say that he did not know of the
preparations and of the intentions of the German Government
to wage war.
I come now to the speech which Hitler made on 22nd August at
Obersalzberg to his commanders-in-chief. By the end of the
third week of August, preparations were complete. That
speech has already been read to the Tribunal. I would,
perhaps, ask the Tribunal's patience if I quoted literally
half a dozen lines so as to carry the story on in sequence.
On the first page of PS-1014, which is already Exhibit US
30, the fourth line:
The second paragraph:
[Page 155]
Again, the famous sentence in the third paragraph:
We are going to see only too clearly how that propagandistic
cause, which already had been put in hand, was brought to
its climax.
I turn to the next page, the third paragraph:
I refer to these passages again particularly to emphasise
the intention of the Nazi Government, not only to conquer
Poland, but ultimately, in any event, to wage aggressive war
against the Western Democracies.
I refer lastly to the last page, a passage which becomes
more and more significant as we continue the story of the
last few days. I quote from the fourth paragraph:
The political aim is set farther. A beginning has been
made for the destruction of England's hegemony. The same
is open for the soldier, after I have made the political
preparations."
And, again, the very last line becomes significant later:
We pass from the military-economic preparations and his
exhortations to his generals to see how he was developing
the position in the diplomatic and political field.
On 23rd August, 1939, the Danzig Senate passed a decree
whereby Gauleiter Forster was appointed head of the State of
the Free City of Danzig, a position which did not exist
under the statute setting up the constitution of the Free
City. I put in the next document, which is taken from the
British Blue Book, only as evidence of that event, an event
that was, of course, aimed at stirring up the feeling in the
Free City at that time. That is TC-72, Number 62, which
becomes Exhibit GB 50.
At the same time, frontier incidents were being manufactured
by the Nazi Government with the aid of the S.S. The Tribunal
has already heard by evidence of General Lahousen the other
day in which he referred to the provision of Polish uniforms
to the S.S. Forces for these purposes, so that dead Poles
could be found lying about the German side of the frontier.
I refer the Tribunal now to three short reports which
corroborate the evidence that that gentleman came and gave
before you, and they are found in the British Blue Book.
They are reports from the British Ambassador in Warsaw.
The first of them, TC-72, Number 53, which becomes Exhibit
GB 51, is dated 26th August.
[Page 156]
Gazeta Polska, an inspired leader today, says these are
more than incidents. They are clearly prepared acts of
aggression of para-military disciplined detachments,
supplied with regular army's weapons; in one case it was
a regular army detachment. Attacks more or less
continuous.
These incidents did not cause Poland to forsake calm and
strong attitude of defence. Facts spoke for themselves
and acts of aggression came from German side. This was
the best answer to the ravings of German Press.
Ministry for Foreign Affairs state uniformed German
detachment has since shot Pole across frontier and
wounded another."
I pass to the next report, TC-72, Number 54, which becomes
Exhibit GB 52- It is dated the same date, 26th August.
And lastly, TC-72, Number 55, which becomes Exhibit GB 53,
the report of the next day, 27th August.
2. There is no sign of any loss of control of situation
by Polish civil authorities. Warsaw, and so far as I can
ascertain, the rest of Poland is still completely calm.
3. Such allegations are reminiscent of Nazi propaganda
methods regarding Czechoslovakia last year.
4. In any case it is purely and simply deliberate German
provocation in accordance with fixed policy that has
since March" - since the date when the rest of
Czechoslovakia was seized and they were ready to go
against Poland - "that has since March exacerbated
feeling between the two nationalities. I suppose this
has been done with the object (a) creating war spirit in
Germany, (b) impressing public opinion abroad, (c)
provoking either defeatism or apparent aggression in
Poland.
5. It has signally failed to achieve either of the two
latter objects.
6. It is noteworthy that Danzig was hardly mentioned by
Herr Hitler.
7. German treatment of Czech Jews and Polish minority is
apparently negligible factor compared with alleged
sufferings of Germans in Poland where, be it noted, they
do not amount to more than 10 per cent of the population
in any commune.
8. In the face of these facts it can hardly be doubted
that, if Herr Hitler decides on war, it is for the sole
purpose of destroying Polish independence.
[Page 157]
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(Part 4 of 9)
[LIEUTENANT-COLONEL GRIFFITH-JONES continues]
"Ciano asked how soon, according to the Fuehrer's view,
the Danzig question must be settled. The Fuehrer
answered that this settlement must be made one way or
another by the end of August. To the question of Ciano
as to what solution the Fuehrer proposed, Hitler
answered that Poland must give up political control of
Danzig, but that Polish economic interests would
obviously be preserved and that Polish general behaviour
must contribute to a general lessening of the tension.
He doubted whether Poland was ready to accept this
solution since, up to the present, the German proposals
had been refused. The Fuehrer had made this proposal
personally to Beck, on his visit to Obersalzberg. They
were extremely favourable to Poland. In return for the
political surrender of Danzig, under a complete
guarantee of Polish interests, and the establishment of
a connection between East Prussia and the Reich, Germany
would have given a frontier guarantee, a 25-year pact of
friendship, and the participation of Poland in influence
over Slovakia. Beck had received the proposal with the
remark that he was willing to examine it. The plain
refusal of it came only as a result of English
intervention. The general Polish aims could be seen
clearly from the Press. They wanted the whole of East
Prussia, and even proposed to advance to Berlin."
"The Fuehrer had therefore come to two definite
conclusions:-
"As matters now stand, Germany and Italy would simply
not exist further in the world through the lack of
space; not only was there no more space, but existing
space was completely blockaded by its present
possessors; they sat like misers with their heaps of
gold, and deluded themselves about their riches. The
Western Democracies were dominated by the desire to rule
the world and would not regard Germany and Italy as
their class. This psychological element of contempt was
perhaps the worst thing about the whole business. It
could only be settled by a life and death struggle,
which the two Axis partners could meet more easily
because their interests did not clash on any point.
Germany must take the old German road Eastwards and that
this road was also desirable for economic reasons, and
that Italy had geographical and historical claims to
permanency in the Mediterranean. Bismarck had recognised
it and had said as much in his well-known letter to
Manzini. The interests of Germany and Italy went in
quite different directions and there never could be a
conflict between them.
"My Fuehrer
"Everybody shall have to make a point of it that wt were
determined from the beginning to fight the Western
powers."
"Destruction of Poland is in the foreground. The aim is
the elimination of living forces, not the arrival at a
certain line. Even if
war should break out in the West, the destruction of
Poland shall be the primary objective."
"I shall give a propagandistic cause for starting the
war-never mind whether it be plausible or not. The
victor shall not be asked later on whether we told the
truth or not. In starting and making a war, not the
'Recht' is what matters, but victory."
"It was clear to me that a conflict with Poland had to
come sooner or later. I had already made this decision
in the spring, but I thought that I would first turn
against the West in a few years, and only afterwards
against the East."
"We need not be afraid of a blockade. The East will
supply us with grain, cattle, coal, lead and zinc. It is
a big aim, which demands great efforts. I am only afraid
that at the last minute some 'Schweinehund' will make a
proposal for mediation.
"Goering answers with thanks to the Fuehrer and the
assurance that the Armed Forces will do their duty."
"A series of incidents again occurred yesterday on
German frontier. Polish patrol met a party of Germans
one kilometre from the East Prussian frontier near
Pelta. Germans opened fire. Polish patrol replied,
killing leader, whose body is being returned. German
bands also crossed Silesian frontier near Szczygle,
twice near Rybnik and twice elsewhere, firing shots and
attacking blockhouses and customs posts with machine
guns and hand grenades. Poles have protested vigorously
to Berlin.
"Ministry for Foreign Affairs categorically deny story
recounted by Hitler to the French Ambassador, that
twenty-four Germans were recently killed at Lodz and
eight at Bielsko. The story is without any foundation
whatever."
"So far as I can judge, German allegations of mass ill-
treatment of German minority by Polish authorities are
gross exaggeration, if not complete falsification.
9. I shall lose no opportunity of impressing on Minister
for Foreign Affairs necessity of doing everything
possible to prove that Hitler's allegations regarding
German minority are false."