Chapter LXVI: Section 2: , sub-section 2, if the property were required “for the public

welfare, particularly in the interests of Reich defense or the strengthening of Germanism.” By section 9 of the decree, confiscation of sequestrated property was authorized “if the public welfare, particularly the defense of the Reich, or the strengthening of Germanism, so requires.” However, Section 1, sub-section 2, provided that property of German nationals was not subject to sequestration and confiscation; and section 13 provided that sequestration would be suspended if the owner of the property asserted that he was a German. The decree, on its face, clearly indicates a purpose to strip Poles, Jews, and dissident elements of their property. It was, moreover, avowedly designed to promote Germanism.

Apparently some question arose at one point as to whether the decree required that a determination be made in each case involving the property of a Pole that the property was required “for the public welfare, particularly in the interests of Reich defense or the strengthening of Germanism.” The answer supplied by the conspirators was firm and clear: In _any_ case in which the property of a Pole was involved, the “strengthening of Germanism” required its seizure. On 15 April 1941, on paper bearing the letterhead of the Reich Leader SS, Commissioner for the Consolidation of German Nationhood, instructions were given “for internal use on the application of the law concerning property of the Poles of 17 September 1940.” The following is an excerpt:

“The conditions permitting seizure according to section II,
sub-section 2, are always present if the property belongs to a
Pole. For the Polish real estate will be needed without
exception for the consolidation of the German nationhood.”
(_R-92_)

In the Government-General, Frank promulgated a decree on 24 January 1940, authorizing sequestration “in connection with the performance of tasks serving the public interest”, and liquidation of “anti-social or financially unremunerative concerns.” The decree is embodied in the _Verordnungsblatt_ of the Government-General, No. 6, 27 January 1940, page 23. The undefined criteria in this decree clearly empowered Nazi officials in the Government-General to engage in wholesale seizure of property.

The magnitude of the conspirators’ confiscation program in Poland was staggering. The Nazis’ own statistics show that as of 31 May 1943, a total of 693,252 estates, comprising 6,097,525 hectares, had been seized, and 9,508 estates, comprising 270,446 hectares had been confiscated by the Estate Offices Danzig-West Prussia, Poznan, Zichenau, and Silesia (_R-92_). This, it will be noted, represented the seizures and confiscations which were effected by only four offices. Figures are not available at this time for other offices maintained by the conspirators for these purposes.

2. CZECHOSLOVAKIA

The conspirators had given much thought to their plans to Germanize Bohemia and Moravia. Three plans, each characterized by severity, were discussed, and finally the Fuehrer decided on plan (_c_), which involved the assimilation of about one-half the Czech population by the Germans and the extermination of the other half. Moreover, this plan envisaged a large influx into Czechoslovakia of Germans whose loyalty to the Fuehrer was unquestioned.

These matters appear from a top secret report dated 15 October 1940, written by General Friderici, Deputy General of the Wehrmacht in Bohemia and Moravia. On the face of the document, it appears that only four copies were made. The original document bears the handwritten letters “K” and “J” on the first page on the left side, and the handwriting is unquestionably that of Keitel and Jodl. The report states:

“On 9 October of this year the office of the Reich Protector
held an official conference in which State Secretary SS Lt.
General K. H. Frank spoke about the following: [SS
Gruppenfuehrer K. H. Frank was Secretary of State under Von
Neurath, who at the date of this report was the Protector of
Bohemia and Moravia].

“Since creation of the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia,
Party agencies, industrial circles, as well as agencies of the
central authorities of Berlin have had difficulties about the
solution of the Czech problem.

“After ample deliberation, the Reich Protector expressed his
views about the various plans in a memorandum. In this way,
three ways of solution were indicated:

“_a._ German infiltration of Moravia and reduction of the Czech
nationality to a residual Bohemia. This solution is considered
unsatisfactory, because the Czech problem, even if in a
diminished form, will continue to exist.

“_b._ Many arguments can be brought up against the most radical
solution, namely, the deportation of all the Czechs. Therefore,
the memorandum comes to the conclusion that it cannot be carried
out within a reasonable period of time.

“_c._ Assimilation of the Czechs, i.e., absorption of about half
of the Czech nationality by the Germans, insofar as this is of
importance by being valuable from a racial or other standpoint.
This will take place, among other things, also by increasing the
_Arbeitseinsatz_ of the Czechs in the Reich territory (with the
exception of the Sudeten-German border district), in other
words, by dispersing the closed Czech nationality.

“The other half of the Czech nationality must be deprived of its
power, eliminated and shipped out of the country by all sorts of
methods. This applies particularly to the racially mongoloid
part and to the major part of the intellectual class. The latter
can scarcely be converted ideologically and would represent a
burden by constantly making claims for the leadership over the
other Czech classes and thus interfering with a rapid
assimilation.

“Elements which counteract the planned Germanization ought to be
handled roughly and should be eliminated.

“The above development naturally presupposes an increased influx
of Germans from the Reich territory into the Protectorate.

“After a discussion, the Fuehrer has chosen solution (_c_)
(Assimilation) as a directive for the solution of the Czech
problem and decided that, while keeping up the autonomy of the
Protectorate on the surface, the Germanization will have to be
carried out in a centralized way by the office of the Reich
Protector for years to come.

“From the above no particular conclusions are drawn by the armed
forces. This is the direction which has always been represented
from here. In this connection, I refer to my memorandum which
was sent to the Chief of the Supreme Command of the Armed
Forces, dated 12 July 1939, file number 6/39, top secret,
entitled: “The Czech Problem.” (Attached as annex.)

“The Deputy General of the Armed Forces with the Reich Protector
in Bohemia and Moravia.”

“(Signed) FRIDERICI
Infantry Lt. General.” (_862-PS_)

Solution (_a_), as outlined in the foregoing report, would have called for German infiltration into Moravia and the forcible removal of the Czechs from that area to Bohemia. Moravia lies between Bohemia and Slovakia. Thus, solution (_a_) would have involved the erection of a German state between Bohemia and Slovakia, and would have prevented effective inter-communications between the Czechs and the Slovaks. In this manner, the historic desire for unity of these two groups of people and the continued existence of their Czechoslovakian State would have been frustrated. Solution (_a_) was rejected because the surviving Czechs, even though compressed into a “residual Bohemia,” would have remained to plague the conspirators.

Solution (_b_), which involved the forcible deportation of all Czechs, was rejected, not because its terms were deemed too drastic but rather because a more speedy resolution of the problem was desired.

Solution (_c_) was regarded as the most desirable, and was adopted. This solution first provided for the assimilation of about one-half of the Czechs. This meant two things: (_a_) enforced Germanization for those who were deemed racially qualified, and (_b_) deportation to slave labor in Germany for others. “Increasing the _Arbeitseinsatz_ of the Czechs in the Reich territory”, as stated in the report, meant, in reality, slave labor in Germany.

Solution (_c_) further provided for the elimination and deportation “by all sorts of methods” of the other half of the Czech population, particularly intellectuals and those who did not meet Nazi racial standards. Czech intellectuals, as the conspirators well know, had a conspicuous record of resistance to the Nazi ideology. They were, therefore, to be exterminated. That section of the report which stated, “elements which counteract the planned Germanization are to be handled roughly and should be eliminated,” meant that intellectuals and other dissident elements were either to be thrown in concentration camps or immediately exterminated.

In short, the provisions of solution (_c_) were simply a practical application of the conspirators’ philosophy as expressed in Himmler’s speech referred to above:

“Either we win over any good blood that we can use for ourselves
* * * or we destroy this blood.” (_L-70_)

3. THE U. S. S. R.

(The Chief Prosecutor for the Soviet Union has assumed the task of introducing detailed evidence showing the results of the execution of this program. The American prosecution confined itself to showing the plan.)

The evidence, individual items of which will be discussed hereafter, shows the following:

A. The conspirators planned to remove to Germany all foodstuffs and raw materials from the south and southeast of the Soviet Union, over and above the needs of the Nazi invading forces and the absolute minimum necessary to supply the bare needs of the people in these particular regions who produced the materials which were to be removed to Germany. This region had previously supplied the northern area of the Soviet Union, which the conspirators called the “Forest Zone”. The latter zone embraced some of the leading industrial areas of the Soviet Union, including Moscow and Leningrad.

B. They deliberately and systematically planned to starve millions of Russians. Starvation was to be accomplished by the following means:

(1) As indicated under A above, products from the south and southeast of the Soviet Union which ordinarily were sent to the industrial regions of the north were to be forcibly diverted to Germany. Moreover, all livestock in the industrial regions was to be seized for use by the _Wehrmacht_ and the German civilian population. The necessary consequence was that the population of the northern regions would be reduced to starvation.

(2) They established the following order of priority in which food produced by the Russians would be allocated:

First, the combat troops.

Second, the remainder of troops in enemy territory.

Third, troops stationed in Germany.

Fourth, the German civilian population, and

Lastly, the population of the occupied countries.

Thus, even Russians in the food-surplus area of the Ukraine, who were not essential to the production of products for the German war machine, were systematically to be starved.

C. They planned the permanent destruction of all industry in the northern area of the Soviet Union in order that the remnants of the Russian population would be completely dependent upon Germany for consumer goods.

D. They planned to incorporate a part of Galicia and all of the Baltic countries into Germany and to convert the Crimea, an area north of the Crimea, the Volga territory, and the district around Baku, into German colonies.

By a directive issued by Goering’s office for “The Operation of the Economy in the newly-occupied Eastern Territories,” there was established the Economic Executive Staff, East, which was directly responsible to Goering, under which was created the Economic Staff, East. The Economic Staff, East, in turn was subdivided into four groups: the Chief of the Economic Staff, Group LA, Group W, and Group M. The functions of Group LA were stated to be as follows:

“Group LA. (Functions: nutrition and agriculture, the economy of
all agricultural products, provision of supplies for the Army,
in cooperation with the Army groups concerned.)” (_EC-472_)

A report was made on 23 May 1941 (which was before the invasion of the Soviet Union) on the subject, “Economic Policy Directives for Economic Organization, East, Agricultural Group.” (_EC-126_). It was prepared by the Economic Staff, East, Group LA, the Agricultural Group, which (as shown by _EC-472_) was an important part of the organization which Goering had established to formulate plans for the economic administration of Russia. The report begins by a recitation of figures pertaining to the production of agricultural products in the Soviet Union. It states that the grain surplus of Russia is determined by the level of domestic consumption and that this fact affords the basis upon which the planners must predicate their actions and economic policy. The report continues:

“The surplus territories are situated in the black soil district
(that is in the south and southeast) and in the Caucasus. The
deficit areas are principally located in the forest zone of the
north. Therefore, an isolation of the black soil areas must, in
any case, place greater or lesser surpluses in these regions at
our disposal. The consequences will be cessation of supplies to
the entire forest zone, including the essential industrial
centers of Moscow and St. Petersburg.”

* * * * * *

“This (the cessation of supplies) means:

“1. All industry in the deficit area, particularly the
manufacturing industries in the Moscow and Petersburg regions as
well as the Ural industrial regions will be abandoned. It may be
assumed that these regions today absorb an annual five to ten
million tons from the food production zone.

“2. The Trans-Caucasian oil district will have to be excepted,
although it is a deficit area. This source of oil, cotton,
manganese, copper, silk, and tea must continue to be supplied
with food in any case, for special political and economic
reasons.

“3. No further exceptions with a view to preserving one or the
other industrial region or industrial enterprise must be
permitted.

“4. Industry can only be preserved so far as it is located in
the surplus region. This applies, apart from the above-mentioned
oil field regions in the Caucasus, particularly to the heavy
industries in the Donets district (Ukraine). Only the future
will show to what extent it will prove possible to maintain in
full these industries, and in particular the Ukrainian
manufacturing industries, after the withdrawal of the food
surpluses required by Germany.

“The following consequences result from this situation, which
has received the approval of the highest authorities, since it
is in accord with the political tendencies (preservation of the
small Russians, preservation of the Caucasus, of the Baltic
provinces, of White Russia, to the prejudice of the Great
Russians).

“I. _For the forest belt_:

“_a._ Production in the forest belt (the food-deficit area) will
become ‘naturalized,’ similar to the events during the World War
and the Communistic tendencies of the war, etc., namely:
agriculture in that territory will begin to become a mere ‘home
production.’ The result will be that the planting of products
destined for the market such as, in particular, flax and hemp,
will be discontinued, and the area used therefor will be taken
over for products for the producer (grain, potatoes, etc.)
Moreover, discontinuance of fodder for that area will lead to
the collapse of the dairy production and pig producing in that
territory.

“_b._ Germany is not interested in the maintenance of the
productive power of these territories, except for supplying the
troops stationed there. The population, as in the old days, will
utilize arable land for growing its own food. It is useless to
expect grain or other surpluses to be produced. Only after many
years can these extensive regions be intensified to an extent
that they might produce genuine surpluses. The population of
these areas, in particular the urban population, will have to
face most serious distress from famine. It will be necessary to
divert the population into the Siberian spaces. Since rail
transport is out of the question, this too, will be an extremely
difficult problem.

“_c._ In this situation, Germany will only draw substantial
advantages by quick, nonrecurrent seizure, that is, it will be
vitally necessary to make the entire flax harvest available for
German needs, not only the fibers but also the oleaginous seeds.

“It will also be necessary to utilize for German purposes the
livestock which has no fodder base of its own, that is, it will
be necessary _to seize livestock holdings_ immediately, and to
make them available to the troops not only for the moment, but
in the long run, and also for exportation to Germany. Since
fodder supplies will be cut off, pig and cattle holdings in
these areas will of necessity drastically decline in the near
future. If they are not seized by the Germans at an early date,
they will be slaughtered by the population for its own use,
without Germany getting anything out of it.”

* * * * * *

“It has been demanded by the Fuehrer that the reduction in the
meat ration should be made good by the fall. This can only be
achieved by the most drastic seizures of Russian livestock
holdings, particularly in areas which are in a favorable
transport situation in relation to Germany.”

* * * * * *

“In future, southern Russia must turn its face toward Europe.
Its food surpluses, however, will only be paid for if it
purchases its industrial consumer goods from Germany, or Europe.
Russian competition from the forest zone must, therefore, be
abolished.

“It follows from all that has been said that the German
administration in these territories may well attempt to mitigate
the consequences of the famine which undoubtedly will take
place, and to accelerate the return to primitive agricultural
conditions. An attempt might be made to intensify cultivation in
these areas by expanding the acreage under potatoes or other
important food crops giving a high yield. However, these
measures will not avert famine. Many tens of millions of people
in this area will become redundant and will either die or have
to emigrate to Siberia. Any attempt to save the population there
from death by starvation by importing surpluses from the black
soil zone would be at the expense of supplies to Europe. It
would reduce Germany’s staying power in the war, and would
undermine Germany’s and Europe’s power to resist the blockade.
This must be clearly and absolutely understood.”

* * * * * *

“I. Supplies for the Army

“Germany’s food situation in the third year of war demands it
imperatively that the _Wehrmacht_, in all its provisioning, must
not live off Greater German territory or that of incorporated or
friendly areas from which this territory receives imports. This
minimum aim, the provisioning of the _Wehrmacht_ from enemy
territory in the third year, and if necessary in later years,
must be attained at any price. This means that one-third of the
_Wehrmacht_ must be fully provisioned by French deliveries to
the army of occupation. The remaining two-thirds (and even
slightly more in view of the present size of the Wehrmacht) must
without exception be provisioned from the Eastern _space_.”

* * * * * *

“Thus it is not important, under any circumstances, to preserve
what has existed, but what matters is a deliberate turning away
from the existing situation and introducing Russian food
resources into the European framework. This will inevitably
result in an extinction of industry as well as a large part of
the people in what so far have been the food-deficit areas.

“It is impossible to state an alternative in sufficiently hard
and severe terms.”

* * * * * *

“Our problem is not to replace intensive food production in
Europe through the incorporation of new space in the East, but
to replace imports from overseas by imports from the East. The
task is twofold:

“1. We must use the eastern spaces for overcoming the food
shortages during and after the war. This means that we must not
be afraid of drawing upon the capital substance of the East.
Such an intervention is much more acceptable from the European
standpoint than drawing upon the capital substance of Europe’s
agriculture.”

* * * * * *

“2. For the future new order, the food-producing areas in the
East must be turned into a permanent and substantial
complementary source of food for Europe, through intensified
cultivation and resulting higher yields.

“The first-named task must be accomplished at any price, even
through the most ruthless cutting down of Russian domestic
consumption, which will require discrimination between the
consuming and producing zones.” (_EC-126_)

It is submitted that this document discloses, on its face, a studied plan to murder millions of people through starvation. It reveals a program of premeditated murder on a scale so vast as to stagger human imagination. This plan was the logical culmination of general objectives clearly announced by Adolf Hitler in _Mein Kampf_. (See Section 6 of