Everyone remembers the sanguinary outrages of the Hitlerite hangmen, committed against the Czechoslovak population.
One of the numerous cases of such monstrous outrages against the peaceful population was made public in the German newspaper, "Der Neue Tag" of June 11, 1942.
"In the course of the search for the murderer of Obergruppen fuehrer of the SS, it has been incontestably proved that the inhabitants of the village of Lidice, near Kladno, were aiding and abetting the perpetrators of the crime.
This has been proven in spite of the fact that the population denies any such assistance.
The attitude of the population in regard to such crimes is also evidenced by other hostile acts against the Reich.
There were discovered, for instance, subversive literature, stores of arms and ammunition, as well as the existence of a radio transmitter and a large quantity of rationed goods held in unlawful possession.
The entire adult male population was executed by firing squads.
Women were deported to concentration camps and children were sent to proper places for their further upbringing.
All buildings in this village were levelled to the ground and the name of the village was done away with."
The Prosecution has at its disposal official data collected by the Czechoslovakian Government on the shocking crimes which were perpetrated by the Hitlerite invaders on the territory of Czechoslovakia.
In the report of the Czechoslovak Government, which to a large extent is devoted to the description of the regime established by the Hitlerites in Czechoslovakia during the occupation, are cited numerous cases of terrorism:
shooting of hostages, mass deportations to concentration camps, murder of women and children.
That is how directive "Gruen" worked.
2. Attack on Poland.
On 1 September, 1939, the Nazi aggressors invaded the Polish territory, in treacherous violation of existing treaties.
The Polish people were subjected to mass extermination, and their cities and villages were pitilessly destroyed.
Official documents, exposing this aggression have already been presented to the Tribunal by my colleagues.
Among such documents we must mention in the first place a top-secret report on a conference, presided over by Hitler, which took place on 23 May, 1939, and at which, besides Hitler and other persons, the Defendants Goering, Raeder and Keitel were present.
At this conference Hitler made a lengthy statement concerning the "present situation and the political aims."
Hitler said:
"The Pole is not an unexpected enemy. Poland will always be on the side of our opponents.
The matter does not concern only Danzig.
It is the question of 'Lebensraum' (living space) in the East and the safeguarding of our food supplies, and the solution of the Baltic problem.
"Thus," said Hitler, "sparing Poland is out of question, and it remains for us to attack her at the first opportunity.
We cannot expect the repetition of what we achieved in the case of Czechoslovakia.
This time it means war."
Hitler then said, "The important fact in the conflict with Poland, which will begin with an attack on Poland, is that it can only be successful for us if the West does not participate.
If this should be impossible, it would be better to attack the Western powers and at the same time destroy Poland."
The second part of Hitler's statement was especially devoted to a number of questions of military strategy, connected with his decision to attack Poland.
This is how the gangster assault of Hitler's Germany on Poland was prepared in advance.
It was put into execution in September 1939.
We shall present to the Tribunal documentary evidence of monstrous crimes committed by the Hitlerites in Poland.
3. Attack on Yugoslavia.
Yugoslavia was one of the other Slav states which was the subject of a sudden attack on the part of the Hitlerite Germany.
It is well known that, on numerous occasions, Hitler's Government had given false assurances to the effect that Germany had no aggressive intentions towards Yugoslavia.
Thus, on 28 April, 1939, Hitler, in his speech to the Reichstag, stated that Germany was ready to give assurances to a number of states, and, in particular, to Yugoslavia, that Germany wished to maintain with them relations of mutual understanding, as she was bound to them by alliances and by "close ties of friendship."
Even prior to this, on 28 April, 1938, the Berlin news agency (DNB) had announced, "Confidential representatives have informed the Yugoslav Government on Germany's behalf that Germany's intentions do not extend beyond Austria, and that the Yugoslav frontier will remain inviolate."
In spite of these repeated and categorical declarations, Hitler's armies invaded Yugoslavia on 6 April, 1941 and occupied this country.
This attack was unexpected only by the victims, for the Nazi clique had carefully planned this assault in advance as it had done in the above-mentioned cases.
In a top-secret directive issued from his headquarters on the 29 March, 1941, and intended for Higher Commanding Officers of the German Army only, the Fuehrer said:
"My intention is to invade Yugoslavia by powerful thrusts from the area of Fiume-Graz and Sophia in the general direction of Belgrade and further to the south, with the objective of inflicting on the Yugoslav army a decisive defeat as well as to cut off the southern part of Yugoslavia from the rest of the country and to turn it into a base for further operations of the German-Italian forces against Greece.
By promising the return of Macedonia and Bauat, attempts will be made to bring about the participation of Bulgaria and Hungary in the operations.
"The internal crisis in Yugoslavia will be aggravated by political guarantees promised to the Croats."
Further on the directive lays down a detailed strategic plan for the invasion of Yugoslavia and provides for actual participation in this aggression of German armed forces, including the 10th Air Corps, which had to be transferred from Italy in order to take part in these operations.
Consequently, on the basis of the evidence supplied by original documents of the Hitlerite Government and High Command of German Armed Forces, we can establish that all attacks by Hitlerite Germany on Slav states were based on a plan prepared in advance, a plan which was only a part of a common criminal conspirary of the predatory German imperialism against freedom-loving nations.
Yugoslavia as well as Poland became a victim of the German Fascist aggressors who covere this flourishing country with ruins and its fields, gardens and ploughed land with corpses of many thousands of Yugoslav patriots,who fell in the heroic struggle against the foreign invaders and enslavers, in the struggle for the freedom and independence of their native land.
THE PRESIDENT:Would that be a convenient time to break off for 10 minutes?
(A recess was taken from 11.15 to 11.30 hours.)
GENERAL RUDENKO: May it please the Tribunal, I will now describe thecrimes committed by the Hitlerite aggressors against my own country, against the Union of Soviet Socialisst Republics.
On June 22, 1941, USSR was perfidiously attacked by Hitlerite Germany. However, it is not this date, that should be considered as the actual beginning of the execution of Hitlerite Germany's plan of aggression against the Soviet Union. What took place on June 22, 1941 was conceived, prepared and planned long before that.
The Hitlerite conspirators pursued these preparations continuously. All Germany's aggressive action against a number of European states, during the period between 1938 and 1941, were, actually, only preliminary measures for the main blow in the East.
For fascist Germany had conceived the criminal design of seizing the territory of the Soviet Union in order to plunder and to exploit the peoples of the USSR.
We need not seek confirmation thereof in Hitler's "Mein Kampf" or in the writings of the Hitlerite ring-leaders, which, as is known, contained together with a direct menace to the USSR, indications that the aggression of German imperialism must be directed towards the East, in order to conquer the so-called "living space". This tendency of predatory German imperialism is expressed in the well-known formula: "Drang nach Osten."
I revert, for evidence, to the official documents of the Hitlerite government, which fully disclose the defendant's guilt in committing the criminal actions with which they are charged under the present Indictment.
I beg to be allowed to refer, in the first case, to the document entitled "Report concerning the conference of May 23rd 1939". As can be seen from this document, this conference took place in Hitler's study, at the new Reich Chancellery, and the minutes were taken down by Lieut. Col. Schmundt, of the German General Staff. There were present at this conference Hitler, Goering, Raeder, Brauchitsh, Keitel, Colonel-General Milch, General-of-the-Artillery Halder and other representatives of the German High Command. The report states that the subject of the conference was "Instructions concerning the present situation and the objects of our policy." Speaking at this conference, Hitler frequently broached the subject of the seizure of territory in the East.
He declared:
"......if fate forces us into a conflict with the West, it would be desirable that we by that tame possess more extensive space in the East." And further:
"Our problem is to extend our living space in the East, secure our food supplies and solve the Baltic problem. As regards food supplies, we can only rely upon the thinly populated areas. The thoroughness of German agriculture, together with the fertility of our sail, will show itself favorably in the manifold increase of food production."
In another document known as the "Minutes of the Fuehrer's conference with the Commander in Chief on November 23, 1939", Hitler stressed the necessity of solving the problem of the struggle for oil, rubber and useful minerals, And at that conference, Hitler formulated the main tasks as follows:
"....adapt the living space to the density of the population...".
"This is the eternal problem, to establish the necessary balance between the number of Germans and their territory, and to secure the necessary living space. Conceited modesty can be of no avail here. The problem can be solved only by the sword."
At this conference, Hitler with complete frankness disclosed his plans concerning the drive to the East, Boasting his successful seizures of Moravia, Bohemia and Poland he no longer kept secret his intentions of pursuing his aggression eastwards.
"I did not resurrect the armed forces", said Hitler, "For the purpose of keeping them inactive. The determination to act has always been alive in me. Sooner or later I always wanted to solve this problem."
Moreover, the Nazi government felt itself in no way restrained by the existence of a non-aggression pact, signed between Germany and the USSR, on August 23, 1939. However, Hitler's cynical declaration that treaties need only be respected as long as they serve immediate purposes, is now universally known.
My American colleague has already quoted in his address the speech made by the Defendant Jodl at the conference held by the Reich Gauleiters in Munich in January 1943.
In his speech, the Defendant Jodl said ...
"Hitler informed me, while we were still fighting in the West, of his plans of beginning a war against the USSR". In his turn, the Defendant Raeder at his preliminary examination, testified that the idea of a military campaign against the USSR had been in Hitler's mind long ago and it grew ever stronger with the decrease of the probability of an invasion of England in June 1940.
According to the Defendant Keitel's statement, Hitler prepared an attack against the USSR at the end of 1940. Already in the spring of 1940, a plan of assault had been worked out. Conferences on this subject had been held through the summer. In 1940, at a military conference in Reichenhall, the plan of attack on the USSR was examined. This is confirmed also by the statement of the Defendant Jodl, who at his preliminary examination, testified that the plans of attack on the USSR were actually worked out in the months of November - December 1940, and that during that period the first directives were given to the Army, to the Navy and to the Air Force. Speaking of these directives, Jodl refers to a document known as the "Case Barbarossa", This document is signed by Hitler, Jodl and Keitel.
This directive intended only for the High Command of the German Army, contained an elaborate and detailed plan for a sudden attack on the USSR.
I quote:
"The German Armed Forces must be prepared to crush Soviet Russia in a quick campaign before the end of the war against England."
"For this purpose the Army will have to employ all available units with the reservation that the occupied territories will have to be safeguarded againstany surprises."
Directive "Case Barbarossa" emphasizes that "Great caution has to be exercised that the intention of an attack will not be recognized."
The Directive further states, that if occasion arises, the order for attack against the Soviet Russia will be given, eight weeks in advance of the intended beginning of operations, and that "preparations requiring more time to start are - if this has not yet been done to begin presently and are to be completed by 15 May 1941."
And, finally, the same directive contains a detailed strategic plan of an attack on the USSR, which plan already contemplated the actual form of participation on the part of Rumania and Finalnd in this agression. In particular, the directive says bluntly:
"Probable Allies and their tasks 1. At the flanks of our operations the active participation in the war against Soviet Russia, of Rumania and Finland may be counted upon."
The directive also states that "the opportunity to make use of Swedish railroads and highways will become available for the deployment of the German Group North, from the start of actual operations, may be relied upon."
Thus, it is incontestable that at this time the Hitlerite Government had already secured the assent: of the Rumanian and Finnish Governments for the participation of these countries, together with Germany, in the aggression against the USSR.
This is apparent not only from the text of the directive, "Case Barbarossa", but also from other facts at our disposal. For example in a statement by the German General of the Infantry, Buschenhagen which we shall present to the Tribunal, the following appears:
"At the end of December 1940 (approximately on the 20th), I as the Chief of Staff of the German Forces in Norway with the rank of Colonel, was invited to take part in a conference of the Chiefs of Staffs of the Armies at the OKH, (High Command of the Army) at Zossen (near Berlin) which lasted several days. At this meeting the Chief of the General Staff, Col. Gen. Halder expounded the plan "Barbarossa", which envisaged the attack onthe Soviet Union. During that very time, the Chief of the General Staff of the Finnish Army, General Heinriks was present at Zossen where he was conferring with Col. Gen. Halder ....".
Buschenhagen further tells us how, in February 1941, he left for Helsinki, where together with the representatives ofthe Finnish Army, he worked but a definite plan for the attack on the USSR. On 2 or 3 March 1941, upon his return to Oslo, he compiled and submitted to the OKW a report on his mission.
'On the basis of these documents - states Buschenhagen - the operational plan "Blue Fox" was drawn up, envisaging an attack on the Murmansk railroad from the area of Kuusamo, Rovaniemi and Petsamo.
The plan of operations in the area of Kirkiness-Petsamo was called "Reindeer", that in the area of Rovaniemi "Silver Fox".
Further, as narrated by Buschenhagen, towards the end of April or the beginning of May 1941, he flew again to Helsinki where, "at the Finnish General Staff, negotiations took place with the Generals Heinrichs, Airo and Colonel Tapola, in the course of which we have ascertained that the Finnish General Staff was fully prepared to participate in the coming war against the Soviet Union."
In his personal written testimony given to the investigating authorities of the Soviet Union, which will be presented to the Tribunal, Marshal Jon Antonescu gives an account of his meetings with Hitler in November 1940, January 1941 and May 1941, at which the problems connected with the preparation of war against the Soviet Union were discussed.
During the first conference between Antonescu and Hitler, in which Ribbentrop and Hitler's personal interpreter, Schmidt took part, problems directly concerning the preparation of the German aggression against the USSR, and the Rumanian participation therein, were discussed.
In reply to the question put by the Soviet investigating authorities to Antonescu, whether his first conference with Hitler should be considered as his initial step towards an understanding with the Germans for the preparation of aggressive war against the Soviet Union, he stated:
"I reply in the affirmative. Hitler undoubtedly had this in mind when working out the plans for attacking the Soviet Union."
At the second meeting between Antonescu and Hitler, which took place in January 1941, the Defendants Ribbentrop, Keitel and Jodl, were present. Hitler requested Antonescu to permit the German armies concentrated on Hungarian territory, to pass through Rumania in order to enable then to assist the Italians in war against Greece.
Antonescu testifies: "I expressed my apprehension that the movement of German troops through Rumania might serve as a pretext for military action of the Soviet Union against Rumania, thus placing Rumania in a very difficult position as the Rumanian army was not mobilized: to this Hitler replied that he will give an order for part of the German troops intended for operations against Greece to remain in Rumania.
"Hitler also emphasized that according to the information at his disposal, the Soviet Union has no intention to fight either against Germany or Rumania.
" "Being satisfied with this statement of Hitler I have agreed to allow the German troops to pass through Rumanian territory."
"Lt. Colonel Jodl who was present at this conference described to me the strategic situation of the German Army emphasizing the necessity of an attack on Greece through Bulgaria."
Speaking of the third meeting with Hitler in May 1941 in the city of Munich, at which the defendant Ribbentrop was present, Antonescu declared:
"At this meeting .... we had already definitely agreed upon our joint assault on the Soviet Union.
"Hitler stated that he had decided to attack the Soviet Union. 'Having prepared this attack,' said Hitler, 'we must launch it unexpectedly along the entire frontier of the Soviet Union from the Black Sea to the Baltics.'
"'The suddenness of this military attack,' continued Hitler, 'will enable Germany and Rumania to overcome in a very short time one of our most dangerous opponents.'
"In connection with his war plans, Hitler asked me to place at his disposal Rumanian territory for the concentration of German troops and in conjunction with this to take a direct part in carrying out the attack on the Soviet Union."
By entering the conspiracy on the side of Germany and preparing to attack the Soviet Union, Roumania in her turn pursued aggressive aims.
Antonescu in the same statements spoke of Hitler's promises as follows:
"Hitler emphasized that Rumania should not remain out of this war, as in order to get back Bessarabia and northern Bukovine, she had no ether way but to fight on the side of Germany. He added to this that in return for our help in the war, Rumania could occupy and administer other Soviet territories up to the Dnieper."
Antonescu further testified:
"As Hitler's proposal to start jointly the war against USSR was in line with my aggressive intentions, I declared my readiness to participate in the assault on the Soviet Union, and undertook to prepare the required number of Rumanian troops and at the same time to increase the deliveries of oil and farm produce for the needs of Germany."
"After my return to Bucharest from Munich, I began energetic preparation for the coming war."
These facts are likewise confirmed by the documents from the archives of Antonescu, which will also be submitted to the Tribunal.
I draw the attention of the Tribunal to the records of a conversation which took place between Antonescu and Dernberg, Head of the Protocol Department of the German Foreign Office, on the 10th of February 1942 (conversation after meeting at the frontier):
"....I declared," remarks Antonescu, "that Rumania entered into an alliance with the Axis not for the purpose of altering the treaty of Versailles, but in order to fight the Slavs...."
It will be seen from this record that the hatred towards the Slav peoples united Hitler and Antonescu in their preparation and realisation of a war of aggression.
Documents which are to be presented to the Tribunal will show quite incontestably the complicity of Hungary in the conspiracy to violate peace and in the preparations of an aggressive war against the Soviet Union.
Hungary was definitely assigned the role of attacking the rear of theRed Army through the Carpathian Mountains at the very moment when the German and the Rumanian Armies were to open military operations against the Soviet Union.
In this way was knocked together the criminal block of aggressors against the peace-loving nations, with fascist Germany in the man.
Coming back to the so-called "Case Barbarossa", I wish to twell on the most important points of this document "Case Barbarossa" consists of three parts.
In the first its general aims are set forth, the second deals with the allies of Germany in the war against the Soviet Union. The third part is devoted to the execution of military operations on land, in the air and on the sea. This document has the highly pertinent feature of having been issued, in view of its top secret contents, in only nine copies to comply with the demand for absolute secrecy on Germany' preparations for the attack on the Soviet Union.
The first part of the plan reads as follows:
"Troops of the Russian army massed in the western part of Russia must be destroyed.
"...... The retreat into the vast expanses of Russian territory of units fit for combat must be prevented. Then, by rapid pursuit, a line must be reached from which the Russian air force will not be able to carry out attacks against German territory.--"
The document further states that the ultimate objective of this plan was to consolidate the line Archangel - Volga, paralyze the last remaining industrial area in the Urals by air operations, put the Baltic fleet out of commission, and prevent the possibility of active interference on the part of the Russian air force.
In the third part of the document we find the directive: "To seize Leningrad and Kronstadt and to continue offensive operations with the objective of taking the most important center of communications and war-production Moscow".
"The seizure of this city" - according to the plan - "will mean a decisive success both politically and economically," Such was the plan to invade the USSR; conceived, worked out and prepared long in advance by Hitlerite Germany.
The Preparation of War Crimes While undertaking strategic and diplomatic measures to prepare for its predatory attack against the USSR, the Nazi government conceived and planned beforehand the commission of war crimes on the territory of the USSR.
The so-called "Case Barbarossa" was a strategic plan. But this plan was supplemented by a number of instructions and orders, designed to embrace all the innumerable measures, relative to the problems which would arise on the invasion of the Soviet Union. Among these measures, we must mention, in the very first place, the instruction issued on 13 March 1941, by the Headquarters of the German High Command.
This instruction deals with a series of organizational problems of a civilian nature and, in particular, with the problems relative to the organization of administrative power. It is of importance to note that this instruction placed German troops stationed in East Prussia and the so-called Government-General (that is to say, Poland) to be under the laws and regulations which were to be put in force in the zone of operations at least four weeks prior to the beginning of the campaign.
By this instruction, the High Command of the German Armed Forces was authorized to assume executive power and to delegate it to the Commanding Generals of the Army Groups and Armies, One also cannot overlook in this instruction sub-paragraph "B" which characterizes the tasks and objectives pursued by the conspirators. In this sub-paragraph it states;
"In the theater of military operations, in connection with the preparation of political administration, the Reichsfuehrer of the SS, by order of the Fuehrer, has been given special tasks arising from the conclusive and decisive struggle between two opposing political systems. Within the limits of these tasks, the Reichsfuehrer of the SS acts independently, upon his own responsibility.
Mankind is now well aware of the meaning of these "special tasks", the execution of which was exclusively entrusted to the SS generals and officers, who made full use of this right to act "independently" and "upon their own responsibility."
It meant unheard of terror, plundering, violence and killing of prisoners of war and peaceful citizens.
This instruction deals further in a very specific way with such problems, as the plundering and predatory exploitation of the areas occupied by the German troops. The instruction is signed by the defendant KEITEL. In another instruction, issued in June 1941, as a supplement to the "Plan Barbarossa", orders are issued, which in the guise of propaganda directives, prescribe the ruthless treatment of all those who oppose the German aggressors. As to actual propaganda, the directives frankly mention the usual dirty Nazi methods of columny, lies and provocation, which were to be used by the so-called "propaganda companies."
Finally, one cannot overlook another instruction, known under the name of "Orders concerning military jurisdiction in the Barbarossa area and special measures to be taken by the troops." These orders, whilst sanctioning a complete arbitrary action on the part of the German authorities and troops in regard to the civilian population in the territories seized by the German armed forces, begin with a demand made to the German troops to "protect" themselves ruthlessly against hostile actions of the civilian population.
In the rules prescribing the adoption of draconian measures against peaceful populations and partisans, we find indications as to the brutal punishment to be imposed upon persons defined in those orders as "suspected elements."
With the permission of the Tribunal, I will read only two paragraphs of these rules, Paragraphs 4 and 5.
Paragraph 4: "In those places where it is too late to adopt these measures or where it had not been possible to do so immediately, suspected elements must be handed over without delay to the officer, who will decide whether or not they should be shot."
Paragraph 5: "It is absolutely prohibited to hold these suspects for trial by courts, to be instituted for the local population at a later date."
Thus, according to these so-called "rules", the fate and life of every apprehended person depended exclusively on the officer, and it was prohibit as the order cynically stressed, "to hold the suspects for trial". In other words, it was a definite order to exterminate the "suspects."
Moreover in case of attacks against the German Armed Forces, the order prescribed "mass measures of repression", that is to say. the wholesale extermination of absolutely innocent people.
What heights of cynicism were reached by the German High Command in the application of sanguinary terror, can be seen from the fact that this "order freed the German soldiers, officers and officials of any responsibility for the commission of crimes against the peaceful Soviet population. According to these "orders", the German troop commanders were entitled to confirm only those "sentences" which, as the said document states, were in accordance with the "political objectives of the leaders."
Consequently, long before 22 June 1941, the Hitlerite Government and to German High Command, whose representatives are now in the dock, planned and prepared in detail those war crimes which were subsequently committed in the territory of the USSR. These plans inexorably disclose that the defendants premeditated the monstrous crimes which were organized by them.
Predatory Attack of Hitlerite Germany on the USSR.
On 22 June 1941 the Hitlerite conspirators, having perfidiously violate the pact of non-aggression between the USSR and German, without a declaration of war, started an attack against Soviet territory, initiating thereby an aggressive war against the USSR, without the slightest provocation on the pa of the Soviet Union.
Large masses of German troops which were secretly concentrated on the borders beforehand, were thrown against the USSR. As planned, Finnish troop took part in the attack on the USSR in the North and Hungarian and Rumanian troops in the south. In order to create panic and confusion, the German Air force immediately began the bombing of peaceful towns subjecting them to destruction.
Less than a month after the perpetration of this perfidious act, Hitler called a conference, which was attended by Rosenberg, Goering, Bormann, Lammers and Keitel.
At this conference Hitler instructed those present not to disclose to the outside world the true aims of the war begun by the Hitlerites.
Referring to their campaign against Norway, Denmark, Holland and Belgium, Hitler stressed the necessity of continuing this line of action; i.e. to conceal by all possible means the real intentions of the conspirators.
"Therefore", said Hitler, "we shall emphasize again that we were compelled to occupy a region to establish order and security there....our method of regulation is the natural outcome of this. Thus, it must not be revealed that our campaign concerns a final solution. However, despite and not withstanding this, we shall take all necessary measures such as mass-shootings, deportation etc."
Any kind of violence, deportation of the peaceful population into German slavery, shooting, all that was called, in the words of Hitler and his accomplices: "regulation."
At this conference the conspirators defined the ulterior aims of the Hitlerite Government in respect of the Soviet Union as follows :
"In the main, the problem amounts to this: first to conquer it, secondly to rule it, and thirdly, to exploit it......
"The basic idea: The creation of a military power west of the Urals must never occur again, even if, in order to prevent it, we have to fight for a hundred years. All the adherents of the Fuehrer must know this: The Reich will only be secure of no foreign military force exists west of the Urals. The iron law must be: none but the Germans shall be permitted to bear arms..... only a German has the right to carry a weapon, no Slav, no Czech, no Cossack, no Ukrainian."
Hitler continued: "The Baltic countries must become a province of the Reich. The Crimea and the surrounding area must likewise become a province of the Reich.... This surrounding area must be as extensive as possible....The Volga colonies as well as the Baku region must become a province of the Reich. The latter must become a German concession (military colony). The Finns want East Karelia. However, because of its great nickel production, the Kolsky peninsula must go to Germany.
The Finns claim the Leningrad region.... Level Leningrad to the ground, then give it to the Finns," The rapacious aims of the war launched by Germany against the USSR are frankly set forth in an article by the director of the Fascist propaganda, the notorious Goebbels, under the title:
"What For."
Goebbels wrote:
"This war is not a war for a throne nor an altar; this is a war for grain and bread, a war for a well-laden dinner-table, for plentiful breakfasts and suppers.......a war for raw materials, for rubber, iron and ore."
In his turn, Goering, in his address at the Harvest Festival in the Berlin Sports Palace, 5 October 1942, published in the "Voelkischer Beobachter" of Octber 6, 1942, exclaimed greedily:
"Don't forget we have taken away from the Russians their best regions....Eggs, butter and flour are there in such quantities as you can hardly imagine....We will have to see that everything is properly assimilated and properly processed at the spot..."
The defendant Rosenberg worked feverishly at inventing new names for Soviet cities, such as "Gotenburg" for Simferopol and "Theodorichshafen" for Sevastopol. This occupation Rosenberg combined with the leadership of a special staff concerned with the "assimilation" of the Caucasus.
All that shows very clearly the real predatory plans and schemes of the Hitlerite aggressors against the Soviet Union. Above all these criminal designs aimed at plundering the Soviet Union and the enslavement and exploitation of the Soviet people.
At the same time these were all steps on the road to establishing Hitlerite domination in Europe and in the whole world. For this reason, in a document submitted in the case which was published by the High Command of the Navy, and dealt with the plans for an invasion of North Africa, Gibraltar, Syria, Palestine and Egypt, the Hitlerite Government stated that at the realization of the above plan would depend entirely on the results of the war against the Soviet Union.
In its attempt to conceal its imperialistic aims, the Hitlerite clique hysterically shrieked, as usual, about a danger alleged to be forthcoming from the USSR, and proclaimed that the predatory war which it started against the Soviet Union with aggressive purposes was a "preventive" war.
A pitiful effort:
How can one speak of a "preventive" war when documents prove that, long in advance, Germany worked out and prepared a plan for an attack on the USSR, formulated the predatory aims of this attack, earmarked the territories of the Soviet Union which she intended to seize, established the methods for pillaging of these territories and for the extermination of their population, mobilized her army in good time and moved to the borders of the USSR 170 fully equipped divisions, which waited only for a signal to advance.
The fact of aggression committed by Fascist Germany against the USSR, as well as the original documents of the Hitlerite Government which now have been made public, definitely show to the whole world and to history how untrue and laughable was the assertion of Hitlerite propaganda about the "preventive" character of the war against the USSR.
Much, as the Fascist wolf might disguise himself in a sheep's skin, he cannot hide his teeth:
Having committed the perfidious attack on the USSR, the Hitlerite Government calculated that lengthy preparation for this attack, the concentration of all the armed forces of Germany for this thrust, the participation of Rumanian and Finnish armies, as well as of Italian and Hungarian units in this operation and, finally, the advantage of surprise, would assure a rapid defeat of the USSR.
However, all these calculations of the agressors were frustrated by the heroic resistance of the Red Army, which defended the honour and the independence of its country with self-denial. The German plans of attack were broken up one after another.
I shall not describe all the phases of the Fatherland war of the Soviet People against the German Fascist invaders and the great and courageous struggle of the Red Army with German, Rumanian, Finnish and other armies that invaded the Soviet soil.
The whole world watched this strugglewith admiration, and it will never be forgotten by history.
The Soviet people, in battles, the scale and ferocity of which were unmatched in history, steadfastly defended and saved the freedom and independence of their country, and together with the Allied Armies, liberated the freedom-loving nations throughout the whole world from the terrible menace of Nazi enslavement.
War Crimes Having prepared and carried out the perfidious assault against the freedom-loving nations, Nazi Germany turned the war into a system of militarized banditry.
Mass murder of war prisoners, extermination of civilian populations, plunder of occupied territories and other war crimes, were committed as a part of a totalitarian lightning war, Blitzkrieg, projected by the Nazis. In particular, the terrorism practised by Nazis on the temporarily-occupied Soviet territories, reached fabulous proportions and was carried out with a fiendish cruelty.
Mass execution of civil population "We must", said Hitler to Rauschning, "pursue a policy of systematic depopulation.
If you ask me what I mean by the term 'depopulation,' I would tell you that I understand it as the complete removal of whole racial groups. And that is what I am going to do; such, roughly speaking is my purpose. Nature is cruel, and so we have to be cruel too. If I can send the cream of the German nation into the hell of war . . .. without any regret for the shedding of precious German blood, I have surely the right to remove millions of an inferior race, who multiply like flies!"The Soviet Prosecution has at its disposal numerous documents, collected by the Extraordinary State Commission for the Prosecution and investigation of crimes committed by the German Nazi aggressors and their accomplices, which constitute irrefutable evidence of countless crimes perpetrated by German authorities.
We have at our disposal a document, known as the "Appendix #2 to the Operational Order #8 of the Chief of the SIPO and SD, dated "Berlin, 17 June 1941", and signed by Heydrich who, at that time, held the office of Himmler's deputy. This document was worked out in collaboration with the High Command of the German Armed Forces. The appendices to Order #8, as well as Orders #9 and 14 and the appendices thereto, make it evident that the systematic extermination of Soviet people in Nazi concentration camp in the territories of USSR and other countries occupied by the Nazi aggressors, was carried out under the form of "filtration", "cleaning measures", "purge", "extraordinary measures", "special treatment", "liquidation", "execution", and so on.
The perpetration of these crimes was entrusted to the "Sonder-Kommandos" especially formed for this purpose, by agreement between the Chief of Police and the SD and the High Command, of the German Armed Forces.
The Appendix #1 to Order #14 shows that these "Sonderkommandos", acted independently on the basis of their special powers and in accordance with general directives given to them within the scope of camp's regulations, maintaining close contact with the camps C.O.s and the officers of the counter intelligence.
It is to be noted that, during the German offensive aimed at Moscow, the Nazis created a special "Sonderkommando Moscow", which was supposed to carry out the mass killings of the inhabitants of Moscow.
Hitler's Government and the German Military Command were afraid that these monstrous Orders #8 and #14 might fall into the hands of the Red Army and the Soviet Government, and they took all possible measures to keep these Orders completely secret. In Order #14, Heidrich declared: