Twenty-Third Day: Wednesday, 19th December, 1945
[Page 120]
In twenty-five 'group schools' and in three
'Reichsfuehrer' schools of the S.A., 22,000 to 25,000
officers and non-coms have been trained yearly since
1934 in special educational courses until they earned
the education and examination certificates. In clearly
outlined directives the training goal which had to be
achieved yearly was stepped up, and at the same time
annual Reich competitive contacts of the S.A. were
established. Hand in hand with the training of the
Fuehrer Corps and the organisations belonging to it
went the training for the front on the broadest basis." [Page 121]
In 1939 the S.A. Sports Programme was formally recognised in
a decree issued by Hitler as a military training programme
and the S.A. was openly declared to be an agency for pre-and
post-military training, that is, for military training prior
to and following service in the Wehrmacht. I have Document
2383-PS----
THE PRESIDENT: Colonel Storey, you have just drawn our
attention to a Document 3215-PS, which shows that from 1934
onwards, 25,000 officers and non-commissioned officers were
trained by the S.A.
COLONEL STOREY: Yes, Sir.
THE PRESIDENT: Isn't that sufficient to show the military
nature of the organisation?
COLONEL STOREY: I think so. This was just the decree of
Hitler. May I just refer to it by reference for the record?
I will not read the decree.
THE PRESIDENT: Go on; what are you referring to?
COLONEL STOREY: Document 2383-PS, Page 11 of the English
translation contains a copy of the decree legalising the
training programme for pre-and post-military training.
It would have been one thing for the S.A. to conduct a
military training programme for its members, but the S.A.
programme was not confined to its members. The entire youth
of Germany was enlisted into a feverish programme of
military training.
I refer to a quotation in Document 2354-PS, from the same
organisation book, which is at Page 2 of the English
translation, in which the Chief of Staff Lutze said, and I
quote briefly:
Document 3215-PS is an excerpt from Das Archiv, and I refer
to Pages 2 to 3 of the English translation beginning at the
bottom of Page 2, and I quote:
[Page 122]
There is one of them, 17th February, 1934, Page 7, "Pistol
Shooting"; 21st April, 1934, Page 13, "What every S.A. man
must now about Aviation"; 19th May, 1934, Page 13, "Chemical
Warfare"; 2nd June, 1934, Page 14, "Modern Battle Methods in
the View of the S.A. Man"; 4th August, 1934, Page 13, "The
Significance of Tanks and Motors in the Modern War."
I will omit references to the remainder.
Similarly, the issues of the S.A.-Mann contain many
photographs and articles demonstrating and portraying S.A.
participation in military exercises, including forced
marching, battle maneuvers, obstacle runs, small-caliber
firing, and so on. I merely refer these to your Honour, and
they are shown on Pages 11 to 13 of Document 3050. Just one
or two titles: 24th August, 1935, Page 2, "The S.A. Is and
remains the Shock Troop of the Third Reich." Here is one
showing the connection with the Wehrmacht: 2nd September,
1938, Page 1, "The S.A. and the Wehrmacht," with pictures of
S.A. men on field maneuvers throwing hand grenades.
I will omit the rest of those.
Convincing evidence demonstrating the participation of the
S.A. in the conspiracy is found in the fact that care was
taken at all times to co-ordinate the military training of
the S.A. with the requirements of the Wehrmacht. This is
shown by Document 2821-PS, Exhibit USA 431, Page 1 of the
English translation, quoting:
[Page 123]
The specialised training given S.A. members, in accordance
with the requirements of the technical branches of the
Wehrmacht, is described in Document 2168 by S.A.
Sturmfuehrer Bayer, Exhibit USA 411, and it is Page 13 of
the English translation:
Thus they contribute a considerable portion to the
increase of the armed strength and armed spirit of the
German people."
I simply call attention now to Page 3 of an issue of Der
S.A.-Mann dated 3rd February, 1939, which contains a
photograph of Chief of Staff Lutze addressing a group of his
men. This photograph bears the caption, "We will be the
Bridge between the Party and the Wehrmacht."
The second reference shows a photograph of General
Brauchitsch and Chief of Staff Lutze reviewing an S.A. unit.
Now, I pass to Document 3214-PS, which is Exhibit USA 432.
There is only one page of it. Quoting:
COLONEL STOREY: As I understand it, your Honour, if you
joined the S.A. you got out of conscription, but once you
were in it they could use you as desired. In other words,
the S.A. was a voluntary organisation.
THE PRESIDENT: That is the evidence you have given up to
date.
COLONEL STOREY: Yes, Sir.
THE PRESIDENT: Well, when did it become liable to
conscription or used as a substitute for conscription?
COLONEL STOREY: May I ask Mr. Burdell, who has been working
on it, to answer that question?
MR. BURDELL: If your Honour pleases, there never was
conscription
[Page 124]
The next paragraph of Document 3214 designates the
requirements that must be fulfilled before the S.A. man can
join this Feldherrnhalle Regiment, but if he fulfills those
requirements he may join that regiment, and having done so,
that serves the purpose or serves the function of
conscription in the Wehrmacht.
I hope that answers your Honour's question.
COLONEL STOREY: In view of the above we would accept the
S.A. to have been used as a striking force in the first
steps of the aggressive war launched by Germany and as a
basis for so-called Commando Groups, and such was the case.
S.A. units were among the first Nazi military machine to
invade Austria in the spring of 1938, as was proudly
announced in an article appearing in Der S.A.-Mann, 19th
March, 1938, Page 10, the article entitled, "We Were There
First."
The S.A. participation in the occupation of the Sudetenland
is also shown by Document 3036, Exhibit USA 102, and that is
an affidavit by Gottlieb Berger, a former office holder in
the S.S., who was assigned to the Sudeten-German Free Corps.
I quote paragraphs 1 and 2 of the affidavit.
[Page 125]
I quote first, briefly, from Document 3219, the whole text,
exclusive of the heading:
As a result of these conferences, as well as of
measures already carried out earlier for the
totalisation of the war employment, the S.A. has placed
86 per cent. of its main professional Fuehrer Corps at
the disposal of the Front, even though the war missions
of the S.A. have increased in the fields of pre-
military training, the S.A. penetration into new parts
of the Reich, the air war employment, the State and
national guard, etc., during wartime.
The S.A. as a whole has given at present 70 per cent.
of its some million members to the Wehrmacht." [
Previous |
Index |
Next ]
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.
(Part 4 of 8)
[COLONEL STOREY continues]
"For the purpose of camouflage, Lt. Col. Auleb will
wear S.A. uniform with the insignia of rank according
to more detailed regulations of the Supreme S.A.
Leaders."
The military training programme of the S.A. was for many
years conducted under the guise of a sports programme. This
plan was created by Hitler as early as 1920 by the founding
of what he called the Sports Programme. The fact that the
so-called Sports Programme was in reality closely associated
with, and, in fact, a means of providing military training
for the German youth is shown by the following
characterisation it by Lutze, the Chief of Staff of the
S.A., in an article written in 1939. I now refer to Document
3215-PS, Exhibit USA 426, and I quote excerpts of the
English translation on Page 2:
"This goal was also served by the decrees of the
Fuehrer to the S.A. in 1935 regarding the renewing of,
in 1936 regarding the charter of, and in 1937
regarding the yearly repetitive exercises required for
the S.A. sport badge. Parallel to this decree of the
Fuehrer for the betterment and military indoctrination,
organisational and training measures were taken within
the S.A. Based on the conception that the preservation
and intensification of the military power of our people
must especially be promoted by military and physical
exercises, a systematic training was carried out
especially in these schools.
In connection with the military training of the sports
programme, I refer to Document 2354, Exhibit USA 430, which
demonstrates the tests and standards required for obtaining
the sports award, on Page 2 of the English translation. I am
not going read all of it, if your Honour pleases, but just
refer to a few of them:
"Group II: Military sports; 25-kilometer march with
pack;
firing of small-caliber arms; aimed throwing of hand
grenades, 200 meter cross-country race over four
obstacles with gas masks; swimming or bicycling; basic
knowledge of first aid in case of accidents--"
I will pass the others.
"In order to give expression to the fostering of a
valiant spirit in all classes of the German people, I
further decree that this S.A. Sports Insignia can also
be earned by persons who are not members of the
movement, provided they comply racially and
ideologically with the National Socialist
requirements."
Document 2168-PS shows that responsibility for conducting
the nation-wide programme was lodged in the operational main
office of the SA. Page 8 of the English translation says,
and I quote:
"Prepare the physical military training of all Germans
capable of bearing arms, and as a preparation therefor
organise physical exercises and sports, so that the
widest strata of the population are reached and will be
kept in a militarily active condition both physically
and spiritually, as well as in respect to character and
ideology up until the last years of their lives."
I pass from that phase now.
"Next to the companies of the S.A. were the S.A. Sport
Badge Associations, in which all the militaristic
nationals entered who were prepared to answer the call
of the S.A. for the preservation of military
proficiency. Up until now about 800,000 nationals
outside the S.A.
could successfully undergo the physical training as
well as the political-military training of the S.A. on
the basis of the S.A. sport badge."
The military programme of the S.A. was not that of a mere
marching and drill society. It embraced every phase of the
technique of modern warfare. This is particularly
demonstrated by consideration of the articles on military
training which appeared publicly throughout the issues of
the S.A.-Mann. I should like to refer to only a few of the
titles, and they are set out on Pages 8 and 10 of Document
3050. It is a very long list, and I will only refer to five
or six.
"Permanent liaison between the Reich Defence Ministry
and the Supreme Commander of the S.A... has been
assured."
Another document, 3215-PS, which is an excerpt from Das
Archiv, sets forth the co-operation and collaboration with
the Wehrmacht, and specialised military training, and it was
stated in a speech of the Chief of Staff of the S.A.,
Document 32l5-PS, Page 2 of the English translation,
Exhibit USA 426:
"In the course of this development also special
missions for military betterment were set for the S.A.
The Fuehrer charged the S.A. with the cavalry and motor
training and appointed S.A. Obergruppenfuehrer Litzmann
as Reich Inspector with the mission of securing,
through the S.A., cavalry recruits for the requirements
of the German Wehrmacht. In close co-operation with
parts of the Wehrmacht, special certificates were
created for the signal, engineer and medical units
which, like the cavalry certificate of the S.A., are
valued as a statement of preference for employment in
these units."
Your Honour, we have two or three more quotations about co-
operation with the Wehrmacht, but I believe they would be
cumulative, and I will omit them. I will refer only to
Document 2383-PS, Exhibit USA 410. I will read a portion of
the decree:
"The Fuehrer: In amplification of my decrees of 15th
February, 1935, and of 18th March, 1937 regarding the
award of the S.A. Sports Insignia and the yearly
repetitive exercises, I raise the S.A. Sports Insignia
to the S.A. Military Insignia and make it a basis for
pre- and post-military training. I designate the S.A.
as the Standard Bearer of this training."
I pass now to Page 48 for the record.
"On the one hand, the young S.A. man who from his
branch in the S.A. enters the Armed Forces (Wehrmacht)
already has many abilities which facilitate and speed
up technical training; while on the other hand those
very soldiers, who, having served their time in the
Armed Forces return to the S.A., keep themselves, by
constant training, physically and mentally fit, and
impart their knowledge to their fellows.
And then passing down: "The S.A. each year is able to
furnish many thousands of trained young men to our
Wehrmacht." I will omit the rest of that.
"It was announced that S.A. men and Hitler Youths
liable to military service can fulfil their military
duty in the S.A. Regiment 'Feldherrnhalle,' the
Commander of which is General Field Marshal, S.A.
Obergruppenfuehrer Goering. The regiment for the first
time was employed in the occupation of the Sudetenland
as Regiment of the Luftwaffe, with special tasks under
its Fuehrer and Regimental Commander, S.A.
Gruppenfuehrer Reimann."
THE PRESIDENT: Up to now you have brought evidence to our
notice showing that the S.A. was voluntary. This shows it
was conscripted. When did it become conscripted?
"1. In the fall of 1938 I held the rank and title of
Oberfuehrer in the S.S. In mid-September I was assigned
as S.S. Liaison Officer with Konrad Henlein's Sudeten
German Free Corps at their headquarters in the castle
at Dorndorf outside Bayreuth. In this position I was
responsible for all liaison between the Reichsfuehrer
S.S. Himmler and Henlein" -- your Honour will recall
Henlein was the leader in the Sudetenland -- "and in
particular, I was delegated to select from the Sudeten
Germans those who appeared to be eligible for
membership in the S.S. or V.T. (Verfuegungstruppe). In
addition to myself, Liaison Officers stationed with
Henlein included an Obergruppenfuehrer from the
N.S.K.K., whose name I have forgotten, and S.A.
Obergruppenfuehrer Max Juettmer, from the S.A. In
addition, Admiral Canaris, who was head of the O.K.W.
Abwehr, appeared at Dorndorf nearly every two days and
conferred with Henlein."
Your Honours will recall that the "Abwehr" was the
Intelligence Organisation.
2. In the course of my official duties at Henlein's
Headquarters I became familiar with the composition and
activities of the Free Corps. Three groups were being
formed under Henlein's direction: One in the Eisenstein
area, Bavaria; one in the Bayreuth area; one in the
Dresden area; and possibly a fourth in Silesia. These
groups were supposedly composed of refugees from the
Sudetenland who had crossed the border into Germany,
but they contain Germans with previous service in the
S.A. and the N.S.K.K. (Nazi Motor Corps) as well. These
Germans formed the backbone of the Free Corps.
On paper the Free Corps had a strength of 40,000 men.
Part of the equipment furnished to Henlein, mostly
haversacks, cooking utensils and blankets, was supplied
by the S.A."
The adaptability of the S.A. to whatever purpose was
required of it is demonstrated by its activities subsequent
to the outbreak of the war. During the war the S.A.
continued to carry out its military training programme, but
it also engaged in other functions. Its wartime activities
are set out in Document 3219-PS, which is Exhibit USA 433,
and Document 3216-PS, Exhibit USA 434, which excerpts from
Das Archiv.
"The Chief of Staff of the S.A., Wilhelm Schepmann,
gave further orders to increase the employment of the
S.A. in the homeland war areas, because of the
requirements of total war employment. This was done in
numerous conferences with leaders of the S.A.
divisions.
I call the attention of your Honours to the statement of the
membership of 26th August, 1944. I quote briefly from
Document 3216, the English translation, just one sentence:
"By order of the Chief of Staff of the S.A., the S.A.
unit Government-General was established, the command of
which was taken over by Governor General S.A.
Obergruppenfuehrer Dr. Frank."
I next offer in evidence an affidavit, being Document 3232-
PS, Exhibit USA 435, by Walter Schellenberg:
"From the beginning of 1944 the S.A. also participated
in many of the functions which had previously been
entrusted only to the S.S., the Sipo and Army; for
instance, the guarding of concentration camps and of
prisoner-of-war camps, the supervision of forced
laborers in Germany and occupied territories. This co-
operation of the S.A. was planned and arranged for by
high officials in Berlin as early as the middle of
1943."
This concludes my presentation of the principal points of
evidence concerning the participation of the S.A. in the
conspiracy, but before I leave the subject, I should like to
present to the Tribunal a few facts which establish the
participation in the conspiracy by defendant Goering, in his
capacity as an S.A. member or leader.