Chapter LII: Section I: of the report of this conference (1157-PS) deals with the (1)

general organization of Economic Staff _Oldenburg_ as it had developed. The report begins:

“_Conference with the Branches of the Armed Forces at 1000 hours on 29th
April 1941_
I.
_Welcome_

“Purpose of meeting: introduction to the organizational
structure of the economic sector of the action.

“_Barbarossa—Oldenburg_

“As already known, the Fuehrer, contrary to previous procedure,
has ordered for this drive the uniform concentration in one hand
of _all_ economic operations and has entrusted the Reich Marshal
with the overall direction of the economic administration in the
area of operations and in the areas under political
administration.

“The Reich Marshal has delegated this function to an economic
general staff, working under the director of the industrial
armament office (_Chef Wi Rue Amt_).

“Under the Reich Marshal and the economic general staff, the
supreme central authority in the area of the drive itself is the
_Economic Staff Oldenburg for special duties_ under the command
of Major General (Generalleutnant) Schubert.

“His subordinate authorities, geographically subdivided are:

5 economic inspectorates

23 economic commands

12 sub-offices, which are distributed among important
places within the area of the economic commands.

“These offices are used in the _military rear area_; the idea is
that in the territory of each Army Group an economic
inspectorate is to be established at the seat of the commander
of the military rear area, and that this inspectorate will
supervise the economic exploitation of the territory.

“A distinction must be made between the military rear area on
the one hand and the battle area proper and the rear area of the
army on the other hand. In the last economic matters are dealt
with by the IV Econ (IV Wi) of the Army Headquarters Commands,
i.e. the liaison officer of the industrial armament office
within the supreme command of the armed forces at the army
headquarters commands. For the battle area he has attached to
him: technical battalions, reconnaissance and recovery troops
for raw materials, mineral oil, agricultural machinery, in
particular tractors and means of production.

“In the territory between the battle and the military rear area,
the rear area of the Army, group IV Econs at the various field
commands are placed at the disposal of the liaison officer of
the industrial armaments office in order to support the army
headquarters commands specialists responsible for supplying the
troops from the country’s resources and for preparing the
subsequent general economic exploitation.

“While these units move with the troops, economic inspectorates,
economic commands and their sub-offices remain established in
the locality.

“The new feature inherent in the organization under the command
of the Economic Staff _Oldenburg_ is that it does not only deal
with military industry, but comprises the _entire_ economic
field. Consequently, all offices are no longer to be designated
as offices of the military industries or armaments, but quite
generally as economic inspectorates, economic commands, etc.

“This also corresponds with the internal organization of the
individual offices which, from the Economic Staff _Oldenburg_
down to the economic commands, requires a standard subdivision
into three large groups, i.e.

“_Group H_ dealing with troop requirements, armaments,
industrial transport organization.

“_Group L_ which concerns itself with all questions of feed and
agriculture, and

“_Group W_ which is in charge of the entire field of trade and
industry, including raw materials and suppliers; further
questions of forestry, finance and banking, enemy property,
commerce and exchange of commodities and manpower allocation.

“Secretary of State Backe is appointed Commissioner for Food and
Agriculture in the General Staff; the problems falling within
the field of activities of Group W are dealt with by General v.
Hanneken.” (_1157-PS_)

The remainder of the document deals with local subdivisions, personnel and staffing problems, and similar details.

These documents portray the calculated method with which the Nazi conspirators prepared months in advance to rob and loot their intended victim. They show that the conspirators not only planned to stage an attack on a neighbor they had pledged to security, but that they also intended to strip that neighbor of its food, its factories, and all its means of livelihood. The Nazi conspirators made these plans for plunder being fully aware that to carry them out would necessarily involve ruin and starvation for millions of the inhabitants of the Soviet Union. (The story of how this plot was executed forms a part of the case to be presented by the Soviet prosecuting staff.)

E. _Preparation for the Political Phase of the Aggression._

As has already been indicated, and as will be later more fully developed, there were both economic and political motives for the action of the Nazi conspirators in invading the Soviet Union. The economic aspects have been discussed. Equally elaborate planning was engaged in by the Nazi conspirators to insure the effectuation of the political aim of their aggression. That political aim may be described as the elimination of the U.S.S.R. as a powerful political factor in Europe, and the acquisition of _Lebensraum_. For the accomplishment of these purposes the Nazi conspirators selected as their agent Rosenberg.

As early as 2 April 1941 Rosenberg, or a member of his staff, prepared a memorandum on the U.S.S.R. (_1017-PS_). This memorandum speculates on the possibility of a disagreement with the U.S.S.R. which would result in a quick occupation of an important part of that country. The memorandum then considers what the political goal of such occupation should be and suggests ways for reaching such a goal. This memorandum begins:

“_Subject: The U.S.S.R._

“Bolshevik Russia, just as the one-time Czarist Russia, is a
conglomeration of peoples of very different types, which has
come into being through the annexation of states of a related or
even of an essentially alien character.

“A military conflict with the U.S.S.R. will result in an
extraordinarily rapid occupation of an important and large
section of the U.S.S.R. It is very probable that military action
on our part will very soon be followed by the military collapse
of the U.S.S.R. The occupation of these areas would then present
not so many military as administrative and economic
difficulties. Thus arises the first question:

“Is the occupation to be determined by purely military and/or
economic needs, or is the laying of political foundations for a
future organization of the area also a factor in determining how
far the occupation shall be extended? If so, it is a matter of
urgency to fix the _political_ goal which is to be attained, for
it will, without doubt, also have an effect on military
operations.

“If the Political overthrow of the Eastern Empire, in the weak
condition it would be at the time, is set as the goal of
military operations, one may conclude that:

“1. The occupation must comprise areas of vast proportions;

“2. From the very beginning, the treatment of individual
sections of territory should, as regards administration, as well
as economics and ideology, be adapted to the political ends we
are striving to attain;

“3. Again, extraordinary questions concerning these vast areas,
such as, in particular, the ensuring of essential supplies for
the continuation of the war against England, the maintenance of
production which this necessitates and the great directives for
the completely separate areas, should best be dealt with all
together in one place.

“It should again be stressed here that, in addition, all the
arguments which follow of course only hold good once the
supplies from the area to be occupied which are essential to
Greater Germany for the continuance of the war, have been
assured.

“Anyone who knows the East, sees in a map of Russia’s population
the following national or geographical units:

“_a._ Greater Russia with Moscow as its centre.

“_b._ White Russia with Minsk or Smolensk as its capital.

“_c._ Esthonia, Latvia, and Lithuania.

“_d._ The Ukraine and the Crimea with Kiev as its centre.

“_e._ The Don area with Rostov as its capital.

“_f._ The area of the Caucasus.

“_g._ Russian Central Asia or Russian Turkestan.” (_1017-PS_)

The memorandum then proceeds to discuss each of the areas or geographical units thus listed in some detail. At the end of the paper the writer sums up his thoughts and briefly outlines his plan in these terms:

“_Summary_

“The following systematic constructional plan is evolved from
the points briefly outlined here:

“1. The creation of a central department for the occupied areas
of the U.S.S.R., to be confined more or less to wartime.

“Working in agreement with the higher and supreme Reich
authorities, it would be the task of this department—

“_a._ To issue binding political instructions to the separate
administration area, having in mind the situation existing at
the time and the goal which is to be achieved.

“_b._ To secure for the Reich supplies essential to the war from
all the occupied areas.

“_c._ To make preparations for, and to supervise the carrying
out, in main outline, of the primarily important questions for
all areas, as for instance, those of finance and funds,
transport, and the production of oil, coal and food;

“2. The carrying out of sharply defined decentralization in the
separate administration area, grouped together by race or by
reason of political economy, for the carrying out of the totally
dissimilar tasks assigned to them.

“As against this, an administrative department, regulating
matters in principle, and to be set up on a purely economic
basis, as is at present envisaged, might very soon prove to be
inadequate, and fail in its purpose. Such a central office would
be compelled to carry out a common policy for all areas,
dictated only by economic considerations, and this might impede
the carrying out of the political task and, in view of its being
run on purely bureaucratic lines, might possibly even prevent
it.

“The question therefore arises, whether the opinions which have
been set forth should not, purely for reasons of expediency, be
taken into consideration from the very beginning when organizing
the administration of the territory on a basis of war economy.
In view of the vast spaces and the difficulties of
administration which arise from that alone, and also in view of
the living conditions created by Bolshevism, which are totally
different from those of Western Europe, the whole question of
the U.S.S.R. would require different treatment from that which
has been applied in the individual countries of Western Europe.

“2.4.41” (_1017-PS_)

It is evident that the “presently envisaged” administration operating on a purely economic basis, to which this memorandum objects, was the Economic Staff _Oldenburg_ which was set up under Goering and Thomas.

Rosenberg’s statement of the political purpose of the invasion and his analysis of methods for achieving it apparently did not fall on deaf ears. By a Fuehrer Order dated 20 April 1941 he was named “Commissioner for the Central Control of Questions Connected with the East-European Region”. This order is part of a correspondence file regarding Rosenberg’s appointment (_865-PS_). Hitler’s order reads as follows:

“I name Reichsleiter Alfred Rosenberg as my Commissioner for the
central control of questions connected with the East-European
Region.

“An office, which is to be established in accordance with his
orders, is at the disposal of Reichsleiter Rosenberg for the
carrying out of the duties thereby entrusted to him.

“The necessary money for this office is to be taken out of the
Reich Chancellery Treasury in a lump sum.

“Fuehrer’s Headquarters 20th April 1941.
“The Fuehrer
(signed) Adolf Hitler
“Reich Minister and Head of Reich Chancellery
(signed) Dr. Lammers”
(_865-PS_)

This particular copy of the Fuehrer’s Order was enclosed in a letter which Dr. Lammers wrote to Keitel requesting cooperation for Rosenberg and asking that Keitel appoint a Deputy to work with Rosenberg. This letter reads as follows:

“The Reich Minister and the Head of the Reich Chancellery
“Berlin W8 21st April 1941
VossStrasse 6

At present Fuehrer
Headquarters, mail
without exception to
be sent to the Berlin
address.

“To: The Chief of the Supreme Command of the Armed Forces,
General Field Marshal Keitel

“Personal. By courier.

“My dear General Field Marshal.

“Herewith I am sending you a copy of the Fuehrer’s Decree by
which the Fuehrer appointed Reichsleiter Alfred Rosenberg as his
Commissioner for the central control connected with the
East-European Region. In this capacity Reichsleiter Rosenberg is
to make the necessary preparations for the probable emergency
with all speed. The Fuehrer wishes that Rosenberg shall be
authorized for this purpose to obtain the closest cooperation of
the highest Reich authorities, receive information from them,
and summon the representatives of the Highest Reich Authorities
to conferences. In order to guarantee the necessary secrecy of
the commission and the measures to be undertaken, for the time
being only those of the highest Reich Authorities should be
informed, on whose cooperation Reichsleiter Rosenberg will
primarily depend. There are: the Commissioner for the Four Year
plan, the Reich Minister of Economics and you, yourself.

“Therefore may I ask you, in accordance with the Fuehrer’s
wishes, to place your cooperation at the disposal of
Reichsleiter Rosenberg, in the carrying out of the task imposed
upon him.

“It is recommended in the interests of secrecy, that you name a
representative in your office, with whom the office of the
Reichsleiter can communicate and who in addition to your usual
deputy should be the only one to whom you should communicate the
contents of this letter.

“I should be obliged if you would acknowledge the receipt of
this letter.

“Heil Hitler,
Yours very sincerely,
Dr. Lammers.”
(_865-PS_)

Keitel wrote Lammers acknowledging receipt of his letter and telling of his compliance with the request:

“The Chief of the Supreme Command of the Armed Forces.
“25 April 1941
“Most Secret
“By courier

“To:

“The Head of the Reich Chancellery,

Reich Minister Dr. Lammers.

“Personal

“Dear Reich Minister.

“I acknowledge receipt of the copy of the Fuehrer’s Decree in
which the Fuehrer appointed Reichsleiter Alfred Rosenberg as his
Commissioner for the central control of questions connected with
the East-European Region. I have named General of the Artillery
Jodl, Head of the Armed Forces Operational Staff as my permanent
Deputy and Major General Warlimont as his Deputy.

“Heil Hitler
“Yours very sincerely,
“K.
25/4”
(_865-PS_)

Keitel also wrote Rosenberg, telling of his compliance with Lammers’ request:

“The Chief of the Supreme Command of the Armed Forces
“25th April 1941
“Most Secret
“By courier

“To:

“Reichsleiter Rosenberg

“_Personal._

“Dear Reichsleiter,

“The Head of the Reich Chancellery has sent me a copy of the
Fuehrer’s Decree, by which he has appointed you his Commissioner
for the central control of questions connected with the
East-European Region. I have charged General of the Artillery
Jodl, Head of the Armed Forces Operational Staff and his Deputy,
Major General Warlimont with the solving of these questions, as
far as they concern the Supreme Command of the Armed Forces. Now
I ask you, as far as your Office is concerned, to deal with him
only.

“Heil Hitler
“Yours very sincerely,
“K.
25/4” (_865-PS_)

Immediately upon receipt of the order from Hitler, Rosenberg began building his organization, conferring with the various ministries, issuing his instructions, and generally making the detailed plans and preparations necessary to carry out his assigned mission. Although Rosenberg’s files, which were captured intact, were crowded with documents evidencing both the extent of the preparation and its purpose, the citation of a small number which are typical should be sufficient. All the documents now discussed were found in Rosenberg’s files.

In a memorandum dated 8 May 1941, entitled “General Instructions for all Reichcommissars in the occupied Eastern Territories”, Rosenberg gives instructions to his chief henchmen and outlines clearly the political aims and purposes of the attack. In the second two paragraphs of the English translation the following remarks appear:

“The only possible political goal of war can be the aim to free
the German Reich from the Great Russian (_gross-russisch_)
pressure for centuries to come. This does not only correspond
with German interests, but also with historical justice, for
Russian Imperialism was in a position to accomplish its policy
of conquest and oppression almost unopposed, whilst it
threatened Germany again and again. Therefore, the German Reich
has to beware of starting a campaign against Russia with a
historical injustice, meaning the reconstruction of a Great
Russian Empire, no matter of what kind. On the contrary, all
historical struggles of the various nationalities against Moscow
and Petersburg have to be scrutinized for their bearing on the
situation today. This has been done on the part of the National
Socialist movement to correspond to the Leader’s political
testament as laid down in his book, that now the military and
political threat, from the East shall be eliminated forever.

“Therefore this huge area must be divided according to its
historical and racial conditions into Reichs-Commissariats, each
of which bears within itself a different political aim. The
Reich Commissariat Eastland (_Ostland_) including White Ruthenia
will have the task, to prepare, by way of development into a
Germanized Protectorate, a progressively closer cohesion with
Germany. The Ukraine shall become an independent state in
alliance with Germany and Caucasia with the contiguous Northern
Territories a Federal State with a German plenipotentiary.
Russia proper must put her own house in order for the future.
These general viewpoints are explained in the following
instructions for each Reich Commissar. Beyond that there are
still a few general considerations which possess validity for
all Reich Commissars.” (_1030-PS_)

The fifth paragraph presents an interesting rationalization of a contemplated robbery:

“The German people has achieved, in the course of centuries,
tremendous accomplishments in the Eastern European area. Nearly
its entire real estate property was confiscated without
indemnification, hundreds of thousands (in the South, on the
Volga) starved or were deported or, like in the Baltic
territories, were cheated out of the fruits of their cultural
work during the past 700 years. The German Reich will now have
to proclaim the principle, that after the occupation of the
Eastern Territories, the former German assets have become
property of the people of Greater Germany, irrespective of the
consent of the former individual proprietors where the German
Reich may reserve the right (assuming that it has not already
been done during resettlement) to arrange a just settlement. The
manner of compensation and restitution of this national
property, will be subject to different treatment by each Reich
Commissariat.” (_1030-PS_)

“An Instruction for a Reich Commissar in the Baltic Countries and White Russia” (_1029-PS_) is typical of the directives issued to each of the appointed commissioners. This order is amazingly frank in outlining the intentions of the Nazi conspirators toward the country they intended to occupy in the course of their aggression. It begins:

“All the regions between Narva and Tilsit have, constantly been
in close relationship with the German people. A 700 year old
history has moulded the inner sympathies of the majority of the
races living there in a European direction, and has added this
region to the living space of Greater Germany.

“The aim of a Reich Commissar for Esthonia, Latvia, Lithuania
and White Russia [last words added in pencil] must be to strive
to achieve the form of a German Protectorate, and then transform
the region into part of the Greater German Reich by germanizing
racially possible elements, colonizing Germanic races and
banishing undesirable elements. The Baltic Sea must become a
Germanic inland sea under the guardianship of Greater Germany.

“For certain cattle-raising products, the Baltic region was a
land of surplus, and the Reich Commissar must endeavor to make
this surplus once more available to the German people, and, if
possible, to increase it. With regard to the process of
germanizing or resettling, the Esthonian people are strongly
germanized to the extent of 50% by Danish, German and Swedish
blood and can be considered as a kindred nation. In Latvia, the
section capable of being assimilated is considerably smaller
than in Esthonia. In this country stronger resistance will have
to be reckoned with and banishment on a larger scale will have
to be envisaged. A similar development may have to be reckoned
with in Lithuania, for here too the emigration of racial Germans
is called for in order to promote very intensive Germanization
(on the East Prussian border).”

* * * * * *

“The task of a Reich Commissar with his seat of office in Riga
will therefore largely be an extraordinarily positive one. A
country which 700 years ago was captured by German Knights built
up by the Hanseatic League, and by reason of a constant influx
of German blood, together with Swedish elements, was a
predominantly Germanized land, is to be established as a mighty,
German borderland. The preliminary cultural conditions are
available everywhere, and the German Reich will be able to
guarantee the right to a later emigration to all those who have
distinguished themselves in this war, to the descendants of
those who gave their lives during the war, and also to all who
fought in the Baltic campaign never once lost courage, fought on
in the hour of despair and delivered Baltic civilization from
Bolshevism. For the rest, the solution of the colonization
problem is not a Baltic question, but one which concerns Greater
Germany, and it must be settled on these lines.” (_1029-PS_)

These two directives are sufficiently typical of the lot to show the extent of the planning and preparation for this phase of the aggression as well as the political purpose it was hoped would be achieved thereby. They are reinforced by a later report of Rosenberg’s. On 28 June 1941, less than a week after the invasion, Rosenberg himself prepared a full report of his activities since his appointment on the 20th of April (_1039-PS_). This report makes disclosures concerning the number of conspirators who worked with and assisted Rosenberg in the planning and preparation for this phase of the aggression and the extent to which practically all the ministries and offices of both the State and the Party were involved in this operation. The report was found in Rosenberg’s files and, although it is rather long, it is of sufficient importance in implicating persons, groups and organizations to justify quotation in full:

“_Report on the Preparatory Work in Eastern European Questions_

“Immediately after the notification of individual Supreme Reich
offices regarding the Fuehrer’s decree of 20.4.1941 a conference
with the Chief of the OKW [Armed Forces High Command] took
place. After presentation of the various political aims in the
proposed Reichskommissariats and presentation of personal
requirements for the East, the Chief of the OKW explained that a
deferment (_OK-stellung_) would be too complicated in this case
and that this matter could be carried out best by direct
cancellation (_Abkommandierung_) by command of the Chief of the
OKW. Generalfeldmarschall Keitel then issued an appropriate
command which established the basis for the coming requirements.
He named as deputy and liaison officer General Jodl and Maj.
Gen. Warlimont. The negotiations which then commenced relative
in all questions of the Eastern Territory were carried on by the
gentlemen of the OKW in collaboration with officials of my
office.

“A conference took place with Admiral Canaris to the effect that
under the given confidential circumstances my office could in no
way deal with any representatives of people of the East-European
area. I asked him to do this insofar as the Military
intelligence required it, and then to name persons to me who
could count as political personalities over and above the
military intelligence in order to arrange for their eventual
commitment later. Admiral Canaris said that naturally also my
wish not to recognize any political groups among the emigrants
would be considered by him and that he was planning to proceed
in accordance with my indications.

“Later on I informed Generalfeldmarschall von Brauchitsch and
Grossadmiral Raeder about the historical and political
conceptions of the Eastern problem. In further conferences we
agreed to appoint a representative of my office to the Supreme
Commander of the Army, respectively to the chief quartermaster
and to the army groups for questions relative to political
configuration and requests of the OKW. In the meantime this has
been done.

“Already at the outset there was a discussion with Minister of
Economy (_Reichswirtschaftsminister_) Funk, who appointed as his
permanent deputy Ministerialdirektor Dr. Schlotterer. Almost
daily conferences were then held with Dr. Schlotterer with
reference to the war-economic intentions of the Economic
Operational Staff (_Wirtschaftsfuehrungsstab_) East. In this
connection I had conferences with General Thomas, State
Secretary (_Staatssekretaer_) Koerner, State Secretary Backe,
Ministerial Director Riecke, General Schubert and others.
Far-reaching agreement was reached in the eastern questions as
regards direct technical work now and in the future. A few
problems regarding the relationship of the proposed Reich
ministry toward the four-year plan are still open and will be
subject, after submission, to a decision of the Fuehrer. In
principle I declared that I am in no way intended to found an
economic department in my office, economics would rather be
handled substantially and practically by the Reichsmarschall and
the persons appointed by him, however the two responsible
department heads, namely Ministerial Director Dr. Schlotterer
for industrial economics and Ministerial Director Riecke for
food economies, would be placed in my office as permanent
liaison men, to coordinate here political aims with the economic
necessities, in a department which would have to unite yet other
persons for such coordinating work, depending on later and for
work (political leadership of labor unions, construction etc.).
After notification of the Reich foreign minister, the latter
appointed Geheimrat Grosskopf as permanent liaison man to my
office. For the requested representation in the political
department of my office (headed by Reichsamtsleiter Dr.
Leibbrandt) the foreign ministry released General Counsel Dr.
Braeutigam, who is known to me for many years, speaks Russian,
and worked for years in Russia. Negotiations which if necessary
will be placed before the Fuehrer are under way with the foreign
office regarding its wishes for the assignment of its
representatives to the future Reich commissioners.

“The propaganda ministry appointed State Secretary Gutterer as
permanent liaison man, and a complete agreement was reached to
the effect that the decisions on all political and other essays,
speeches, proclamations, etc. would be made in my office; a
great number of substantial works for propaganda would be
delivered and the papers prepared by the propaganda ministry
would be modified here if necessary. The whole practical
employment of propaganda will undisputedly be subject to the
Reich ministry of public enlightenment and propaganda. For the
sake of closer cooperation the propaganda ministry assigns yet
another person directly to my department ‘Enlightenment and
Press’ (_Aufklaerung und Presse_) and in addition appoints a
permanent press liaison man. All these activities have been
going on for some time, and without attracting attention to my
office in any way, this agreement on contents and terminology
takes place continually every day.

“Thorough discussions took place with Reichsminister Ohnesorge
concerning future transmission of communication and setting up
of all technical necessities in future occupied territories;
with Reichsminister Seldte on the supply of labor forces, with
Reichsminister Frick (State Secretary Stuckart) in detailed form
on the assignment of numerous necessary officials for the
commissariats. According to the present estimate there will be
four Reichs Kommissariats, as approved by the Fuehrer. I shall
propose to the Fuehrer for political and other reasons to set up
a suitable number of General Commissariats (24) Main
Commissariats (about 80) and Regional (_Gebiet_) Commissariats
(over 900). A General Commissariat would correspond to a former
Generalgovernment, a Main Commissariat to a Maingovernment. A
Regional Commissariat contains 3 or 4 Districts (_Kreise_). In
view of the huge spaces that is the minimum number which appears
necessary for a future civil government and/or administration. A
portion of the officials has already been requested on the basis
of the above-named command of the Chief of the OKW.

“In the same manner conferences have taken place with the Reich
Physicians Leader (_Reichsaerztefuehrer_) Dr. Conti, the
Inspector of the Army Veterinary Service, and all specialists
belonging thereto. The difficulties of medical and veterinary
supply were thoroughly discussed and the measures were
previewed, in order to insure well-prepared employment of the
forces mentioned after the end of the operations. A conference
with Reichsminister Dr. Todt resulted in the assignment first of
all of 4 higher leaders of the Construction Service, whereupon
Dr. Todt proposed to unite administratively under one leadership
the whole Construction Service.

“Discussions took place with Reich Leader Amann and his chief of
staff Rienhardt regarding the publication of four German
newspapers in the Reich Commissariats to start with. Furthermore
a number of newspapers in the prospective native tongues were
considered. According to the latest information the technical
forces, for this work are already at the border and may be
committed at any time to determine whether the prerequisites for
printing shops are present.

“Discussions are also under way with Corpsleader
(_Korpsfuehrer_) Huehnlein and with the Reich youth leadership
to assure a necessary and suitable mobilization. Intensive talks
also took place with the Chief of Staff (_Stabschef_) of the SA.
He was asked to make available a number of the most reliable SA
leaders for this gigantic territory, which he agreed to do. The
personnel suggestions together with other suggestions will be
submitted to the Fuehrer. The same agreement has been reached
with the Reich organizational leader
(_Reichsorganisationsleiter_), who has instructed the commander
of Kroessinsee, Gohdes, to carry out the swelling channelling of
requested persons, to admit them into Kroessinsee for schooling
and instruction on the whole problem and prepare them in the
best manner for commitment. On the orders of Dr. Ley party
member Marrenbach was then employed in order to take over
already now the leadership of Russian labor unions in connection
with the Wehrmacht. That appeared as an eminently important
problem, particularly also in connection with the economic
leadership, because the labor unions undoubtedly have been a
powerful support of the Soviets and especially have the
commitment of the German Labor Front appeared necessary under
certain conditions.

“Lengthy discussions regarding the relationship of the Police to
the new order in the East have taken place. Certain proposed
changes thereto have been suggested by the Reichsfuehrer SS and
on his order by Gruppenfuehrer [SS Lt Gen] Heydrich which do not
appear supportable to me for the complete authority of the
German Reich government in the East. Also the documents of this
problem will have to be laid before the Fuehrer for decision.

“Aside from these negotiations I received the responsible
deputies of the entire propaganda, namely Ministerial Director
Fritsche, Ambassador Schmidt, Reich Superintendent of
Broadcasting Glasmeier, Dr. Grothe OKW, and others. Without
going into details of political objectives I instructed the
above-named persons in confidence about the necessary attitude,
with the request to tone down the whole terminology of the
press, without issuing any statements.

“The works for substantial coverage of the Eastern question
prepared long ago appeared in my office, which I turned over to
the propaganda deputies. I enclose a few samples thereof. These
pamphlets, which may later be turned over to the press for
development, deal with the whole structure and organization of
the USSR, the economic possibilities of the East, Agriculture,
the peoples of the Soviet Union, the work of the Komintern since
1889, the Jews in the Soviet Union since 1933, statistical
results of the poll taken among the Germans in Russia, the
history of the Ukraine, of the Caucasus, of Turkestan. Extensive
works are in preparation for the foundation of legal
administration: German law in the Ukraine, German art in the
Ukraine, influence of the German language on the Ukrainian
language, the Ukrainians from the viewpoint of the Germans. In
addition a number of articles are being prepared in Russian
language which have the purpose of enlightening the people of
the Soviet Union about true conditions in Germany. These
articles are also suitable as the basis for newspaper articles
in the newly occupied territories. Finally, after extensive
work, an ethnological map of the East based on the most recent
statistical reports has been printed in great number and made
available to all offices. This map can be used as the basis of
eventual fixing of boundaries in the north as well as in the
south, and offers points of departure for fixing the boundaries
of the future Reich Commissariats.

“As a result of these conferences, conducted for the most part
by myself, continuous consultation and organizational
preparation is under way through my office and through those of
the liaison men delegated from the other offices of the Party
and the State. I may say that all the work, inasmuch as it is at
all possible under present condition, is in full swing. Aside
from the General and Chief commissariats more than 900 Regional
Commissariats are planned, which must all be manned by political
leaders, representatives of the department and officials of the
Reich Ministry of the Interior. The work in the East differs
basically from the conditions in the West. Whereas we can count
on every technical installation and a cultured population here
in the big cities, that is not the case in the East. There
literally everything will have to be prepared and taken along,
additionally for the gigantic spaces—not only an auto park but
a great number of typewriters, office material, above all
medical supplies and much more down to the bed sheets. It does
not appear possible to accomplish such a project suddenly in 14
days, therefore all these arrangements had to be set in full
motion already now on my responsibility on the basis of the
Fuehrer’s decree.

“The structure of my office itself is temporarily organized as
follows in carrying out the Fuehrer’s order. I have requested
Gauleiter and Reichsstatthalter Dr. Meyer as my permanent
representative. He has negotiated personally and thoroughly,
through the whole time with all pertinent offices, in order to
develop all aspects down to the details. A political department
has been founded for the execution of the substantial work,
under my co-worker of many years Dr. Leibbrandt (deputy General
Consul Dr. Braeutigam), who prepares the various books and
pamphlets for information. A great number of propaganda leaflets
have been composed by him which will then have been scattered
over the Russian front in huge numbers by the armed forces. Also
for a specific time other leaflets are ready which are addressed
directly to the individual races. I do not care to decide on
this date for myself, and will lay these originals before the
Fuehrer at the first opportunity with the request to check the
contents and determine the time of the eventually approved
appeals. The political department is also undertaking a thorough
investigation of all those, with the exception of Russians, who
eventually can be used as advisors for the administration of the
various nationalities. Continuous discussions about this subject
are under way with representatives of the OKW, the propaganda
ministry, etc. Secondly a department of economic—political
cooperation has been founded under direction of
Oberbereichsleiter Malletke. A department of ‘Law, Finance, and
Administration’ has been taken over by Regierungspraesident
Runte. A department for Culture and Science is as yet unoccupied
since the development of this question does not appear urgent.
Also the department ‘Enlightenment and Press’. It is occupied by
Major of the Air Force Carl Cranz, deputy Job Zimmermann.
Integrated here are co-workers who command the Russian,
Ukrainian, and other languages. The wishes of the Reich Press
Chief (_Reichspressechef_) for setting up one press chief for
each Reichskommissar are under discussion in order to decide
them in that sense if possible.

“Thus I hope that when, after preliminary conclusion of the
military action the Fuehrer has the possibility for a report
from me, I shall be able to report to the Fuehrer far-reaching
preparations, up to those points of special and personal nature
which the Fuehrer alone can decide.” (_1039-PS_)

(As a part of the case to be presented by the Soviet prosecuting staff, it will be shown how all this planning and preparation for the elimination of the U.S.S.R. as a political factor were actually carried out. The planned execution of intelligentsia, and other Russian leaders was, for example, but a part of the actual operation of the program to destroy the Soviet Union politically and make impossible its early resurrection as a European Power.)

Having thus elaborately prepared on every side for the invasion of the Soviet Union, the Nazi conspirators proceeded to carry out their plans and on 22 June 1941 hurled their armies across the borders of the U.S.S.R. In announcing this act of perfidy to the world, Hitler issued a proclamation on the day of the attack, which declared: “I have therefore today decided to give the fate of Europe again into the hands of our soldiers.”

This announcement told the world that the die had been cast; that the plans darkly conceived almost a full year before and secretly and continuously developed since then, had now been brought to fruition. The Nazi conspirators, having carefully and completely planned and prepared this war of aggression, now proceeded to initiate and wage it.

F. _The Motives for the Attack._

It should first be pointed out that not only was Germany bound by solemn covenant not to attack the U.S.S.R., but throughout the entire period from August 1939 to the invasion in 1941, the Soviet Union was faithful to its agreements with Germany and displayed no aggressive intentions toward the territories of the German Reich. General Thomas, for example, points out in his draft of “Basic Facts for a History of the German War and Armaments Economy” (_2353-PS_), that insofar as the German-Soviet trade agreement of 11 August 1939 was concerned, the Soviets carried out their deliveries thereunder up to the very end. Thomas points out that deliveries by the Soviets were usually made quickly and well, and since the food and raw material being thus delivered was considered essential to the German economy, efforts were made to keep up their side too. However, as preparations for the campaign proceeded, the Nazis cared less about maintaining their obligations. At page 315 of his book Thomas says:

“Later on the urgency of the Russian deliveries diminished, as
preparations for the campaign in the East were already under
way.

“The Russians carried out their deliveries as planned, right up
to the start of the attack; even during the last few days,
transports of India-rubber from the Far East were completed by
Express transit trains.” (_2353-PS_)

Again at page 404, Thomas brings this point out even more forcefully:

“In addition to the Italian negotiations, until June, 1941, the
negotiations with Russia were accorded a great deal of
attention. The Fuehrer issued the directive that, in order to
camouflage German troop movements, the orders Russia has placed
in Germany must be filled as promptly as possible. Since the
Russians only made grain deliveries, when the Germans delivered
orders placed by the Russians, and since in the case of
individual firms these deliveries to Russia made it impossible
for them to fill orders for the German armed forces, it was
necessary for the Wi Rue office to enter into numerous
individual negotiations with German firms in order to coordinate
Russian orders with those of the German from the standpoint of
priority. In accordance with the wishes of the Foreign Office,
German industry was instructed to accept all Russian orders,
even if it were impossible to fill them within the limits of the
time set for manufacture and delivery. Since in May especially,
large deliveries had to be made to the Navy, the firms were
instructed to allow the equipment to go through the Russian
Acceptance Commission, then, however, to make such a detour
during its transportation as to make it impossible for it to be
delivered over the frontier prior to the beginning of the German
attack.” (_2353-PS_)

Not only was the Soviet Union faithful to its treaty obligations with Germany, but she had no aggressive intentions toward German territory. A file on Russo-German relations found in the files of the Naval High Command, covering the entire period from the treaty to the attack (_C-170_), demonstrates this point conclusively. It will be sufficient to quote a few entries, which include reports from the German ambassador in Moscow as late as June 1941. Entry 165 reads:

“165 A 22.29 4 June

“Outwardly, no change in the relationship Germany-Russia.
Russian deliveries continue to full satisfaction. Russian
government is endeavoring to do everything to prevent a conflict
with Germany.” (_C-170_)

Entry 167 reads:

“167 A 22.53 6 June

“Ambassador in Moscow reports * * * Russia will only fight if
attacked by Germany. Situation is considered in Moscow much more
serious than up to now. All military preparations have been made
quietly—as far as can be recognized only defensive. Russian
policy still strives as before to produce the best possible
relationship to Germany as good.” (_C-170_)

Entry 169 also reiterates this point:

“169 A 22.65 7 June

“From the report of the Ambassador in Moscow * * *. All
observations show that Stalin and Molotov, who alone are
responsible for Russian foreign policy, are doing everything to
avoid a conflict with Germany. The entire behavior of the
Government, as well as the attitude of the press, which reports
all events concerning Germany in a factual, indisputable manner,
support this view. The loyal fulfillment of the economic treaty
with Germany proves the same thing.” (_C-170_)

The reasons, therefore, which led to the attack on the Soviet Union could not have been self-defense or treaty breaches. No doubt, as has been necessarily implied from the materials presented on planning and preparation, more than one motive entered into the decision of the Nazi conspirators to launch their aggression against the U.S.S.R. All of them, however, appear to blend into one grand motif of Nazi policy. The pattern into which these varied reasons fall is the traditional Nazi ambition for expansion to the East at the expense of the U.S.S.R. This Nazi version of an earlier imperial imperative, “_Drang Nach Osten_,” had been a cardinal principle of the Party almost since its birth, and rested on the twin bases of political strategy and economic aggrandizement. Politically, such action meant elimination of the powerful force to the East, which might constitute a threat to German ambition, and acquisition of _Lebensraum_. Economically, it offered opportunities for the plunder of vast quantities of food, raw materials, and other supplies. Undoubtedly the demands of the German War economy for food and raw material served to revive the attractiveness of the economic side of this theory while the difficulties Germany was experiencing in defeating England reaffirmed for the Nazi conspirators the temporarily forgotten Nazi political imperative of eliminating, as a political factor, their one formidable opponent on the continent.

As early as 1923 Hitler outlined this theory in some detail in _Mein Kampf_, where he stated, at page 641 of the Houghton Mifflin English edition:

“There are two reasons which induce me to submit to a special
examination the relation of Germany to Russia:

“1. Here perhaps we are dealing with the most decisive concern
of all German foreign affairs; and

“2. This question is also the touchstone for the political
capacity of the young National Socialist movement to think
clearly and to act correctly.”

Again, at page 654 of the same edition:

“And so we National Socialists consciously draw a line beneath
the foreign policy tendency of our pre-war period. We take up
where we broke off six hundred years ago. We stop the endless
German movement to the south and west, and turn our gaze toward
the land in the east. At long last we break off the colonial and
commercial policy of the pre-war period and shift to the soil
policy of the future.

“If we speak of soil in Europe today, we can primarily have in
mind only Russia and her vassal border states.”

The political portion of this dichotomy of purpose is clearly reflected in the stated purposes, previously discussed, of the organization which Rosenberg set up to administer the occupied Eastern Territories. In a speech which Rosenberg delivered, two days before the attack, to the people most interested in the problem of the East, he restated in his usual somewhat mystic fashion the political basis for the campaign and its interrelationship with the economic goal (_1058-PS_). A short extract from that speech reads as follows:

“The job of feeding the German people stands, this year, without
a doubt, at the top of the list of Germany’s claims on the East;
and here the southern territories and the northern Caucasus will
have to serve as a balance for the feeding of the German people.
We see absolutely no reason for any obligation on our part to
feed also the Russian people with the products of that surplus
territory. We know that this is a harsh necessity, bare of any
feelings. A very extensive evacuation will be necessary, without
any doubt, and it is sure that the future will hold very hard
years in store for the Russians. A later decision will have to
determine to which extent industries can still be maintained
there (Wagon Factories, etc.). The consideration and execution
of this policy in the Russian area proper is for the German
Reich and its future a tremendous and by no means negative task,
as might appear, if one takes only the harsh necessity of the
evacuation into consideration. The conversion of Russian
dynamics towards the East is a task which requires the strongest
characters. Perhaps, this decision will also be approved by a
coming Russia later, not in 30 but maybe in a 100 years. For the
Russian soul has been torn in the struggle of the last 200
years. The original Russians are excellent artistic craftsmen,
dancers and musicians. They have certain hereditary talents, but
these talents are different from these of the Western people.
The fight between Turgenjew and Dostejewsky was symbolic for the
nation. The Russian soul found no outlet, either way. If we now
close the West to the Russians, they might become conscious of
their own inborn, proper forces and of the area to which they
belong. An historian will maybe see this decision in a different
light, in hundreds of years than it might appear to a Russian
today.” (_1058-PS_)

As has been indicated, the failure of the Nazi conspirators to defeat Britain had served further to strengthen them in their belief in the political necessity of eliminating the Soviet Union as a European factor before Germany could completely achieve her role as the master of Europe.

The economic motive for the aggression was disclosed in the previous discussion of the organization set up under Goering and General Thomas to carry out the economic exploitation of the territory to be occupied. The purely materialistic basis for the attack was unmistakable. If any doubt existed that at least one of the main purposes of the invasion was to steal the food and raw material needed for the Nazi war machine, regardless of the consequences to the Russian people which such robbery would entail, that doubt is dispelled by a memorandum showing clear and conscious recognition by the Nazis that their plans would no doubt result in starving to death millions of people. (_2718-PS_)

On 20 June 1941 General Thomas wrote a memorandum along a similar line, in which he stated that Keitel had confirmed to him Hitler’s present conception of the German economic policy concerning raw materials (_1456-PS_). This policy expressed the theory that less manpower would be used in the conquest of sources of raw materials than would be necessary to produce synthetics in lieu of such raw materials. This memorandum reads, in part:

“The following is the new conception of the Fuehrer, which
Minister Todt has explained to me and which has been confirmed
later on by Field Marshal Keitel:

“1. The course of the war shows that we went too far in our
autarchical endeavors. It is impossible to try and manufacture
everything we lack, by synthetic procedures, or other measures.
For instance, it is impossible to develop our motor fuel economy
to a point where we can entirely depend on it. All these
autarchical endeavors ask for a tremendous amount of manpower,
and it is simply impossible to provide it. One has to choose
another way. What one does not have, but needs, one must
conquer. The commitment of men which is necessary one single
time, will not be as great as the one that is currently needed
for the running of the synthetic factories in question. The aim
must also be to secure all territories, which are of special
interest to us for the war economy, by conquering them.

“At the time the 4-year-plan was established, I issued the
statement where I made it clear that a completely autarchical
economy is impossible for us, because the need of men will be
too great. Nevertheless, my solution was always to provide the
necessary reserves for missing stocks respectively to secure the
delivery in wartime through economic alliances.” (_1456-PS_)

On this macabre note the story of this aggression comes to an end. In view of the solemn pledge of nonaggression; the base and sinister motives involved; the months of secret planning and preparation; and the suffering intentionally and deliberately wrought; it may perhaps not be too much to say that in the history of relations between sovereign nations, a blacker chapter has never been written than the one which tells of the Nazi conspirators’ unprovoked invasion of the territory of the Soviet Union.

* * * * *

LEGAL REFERENCES AND LIST OF DOCUMENTS RELATING TO AGGRESSION AGAINST
THE USSR