Chapter XXX: Section 9: (1) Sequestrated property may be confiscated by the

competent agency (Section 12) for the benefit of the German
Reich if the public welfare, particularly the defense of the
Reich, or the strengthening of Germanism, so requires.”
(_1665-PS_).

The spoliation of Soviet territory and resources and the barbarous treatment inflicted on Soviet citizens were the result of plans long made and carefully drawn up by the Nazis before they launched their aggressive war on the Soviet Union. The Nazis planned to destroy the industrial potential of the northern regions occupied by their armies and to administer the production of food in the south and southeast, which normally produced a surplus of food, in such a way that the population of the northern region would inevitably be reduced to starvation because of diversion of such surplus food to the German Reich. The Nazis also planned to incorporate Galicia and all 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. Their plans were to Germanize or destroy. (_See Chapter XIII on Germanization and Spoliation._)

By 29 April 1941, seven weeks prior to the invasion of the Soviet Union, it appears that Hitler had entrusted Goering with the over-all direction of the economic administration in the area of operations and in the areas under political administration. It further appears that Goering had set up an economic staff and subsidiary authorities to carry out this function. (_1157-PS_)

The form of organization thus created by Goering and the duties of its various sections appear more clearly in a set of directives “for the operation of the economy in the newly occupied territories” issued by Goering, as Reich Marshal of the Greater German Reich in July 1941. By the terms of these directives, it is stated “The Orders of the Reich Marshal cover all economic fields, including nutrition and agriculture. They are to be executed by the subordinate economic offices.” An “Economic Staff, East” was charged with the execution of orders transmitted to it from higher authority. One subdivision of this staff, entitled “Group La”, was charged with the following 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_; _1743-PS_.)

As appears from the foregoing documents, it was a subdivision of the economic organization set by Goering, the Economic Staff, East, Agricultural Group, which rendered a top secret report on 23 May 1941, containing a set of policy directives for the exploitation of Soviet agriculture. These directives contemplated abandonment of all industry in the food deficit regions, with certain exceptions, and the diversion of food from the food surplus regions to German needs, even though millions of people would inevitably die of starvation as a result. (_EC-126_)

Minutes of a meeting at Hitler’s Headquarters on 16 July 1941, kept by Bormann, disclose Hitler’s announcement that the Nazis never intended to leave the countries then being occupied by their Armies. The Fuehrer further declared that although the rest of the world was to be deceived on this point, nevertheless, “this need not prevent us taking all necessary measures—shooting, desettling, etc.—and we shall take them,” and he discussed making the Crimea and other parts of Russia into German colonies. Goering was present and participated in this conference. (_L-221_)

As a final illustration, it appears from a memorandum dated 16 September 1941 that Goering presided over a meeting of German military officials concerned with the “better exploitation of the occupied territories for the German food economy” and that in discussing this topic, Goering said:

“It is clear that a graduated scale of food allocations is
needed.

“First in line are the _combat troops_, then the remainder of
troops in _enemy territory_, and then those _troops stationed at
home_. The rates are adjusted accordingly. The supply of the
_German_ non-military population follows and only then comes the
_population of the occupied territories_.

“In the occupied territories on principle only those people are
to be supplied with an adequate amount of food who work for us.
Even if one _wanted_ to feed all the other inhabitants, one
_could not_ do it in the newly occupied eastern areas. It is,
therefore, wrong to funnel off food supplies for this purpose,
if it is done at the expense of the Army and necessitates
increased supplies from home.” (_EC-3_)

C. _CRIMES AGAINST HUMANITY._

(1) _Murder, Extermination, Enslavement, Deportation, and other Inhumane Acts Committed against Civilian Populations before and during the War._ In 1936, Himmler became Chief of the German Police. Goering was thereafter able to devote his attention chiefly to the tasks of creating the German Air Force and preparing the nation economically for aggressive war. As was inevitable from his position, however, Goering continued to be concerned from time to time with the institutions of his creation, such as the Gestapo and the concentration camps. For example, on 14 February 1944, he sent the following teletype to Himmler:

“I received your request to form another squadron of air force
group for special purposes 7 (Z.B.V.7) and ordered examination
by the air force operational staff [_Luftwaffenfuerungstab_]. At
the same time I ask you to put at my disposal as great a number
of concentration camp [K Z—] convicts as possible for air
armament, as this kind of manpower proved to be very useful
according to previous experience. The situation of the air war
makes subterranean transfer of industry necessary. For work of
this kind concentration camp [K Z—] convicts can be especially
well concentrated at work and in the camp. Such installations
are necessary in order to secure production of the now fully
developed most modern airplanes. The Fuehrer upon his visit in
Insterburg has attached great value to these airplanes.
Intermediate negotiations have already been held between my and
your departments. I would be especially grateful for your
support in carrying out this task.” (_1584-I-PS_)

On 9 March 1944 Himmler replied to the foregoing teletype as follows:

“Most honored Reichsmarshal:

“Following my teletype letter of the 18 February 1944 I herewith
transmit a survey on the employment of prisoners in the aviation
industry.

“This survey indicates that at the present time about _36,000
prisoners_ are employed for the purposes of the air force. An
increase to a total of _90,000 prisoners_ is contemplated.

“The production is being discussed, established and executed
between the Reich Ministry of Aviation and the chief of my
Economic-Administrative Main Office, SS-Obergruppenfuehrer and
General of the Waffen-SS, Pohl respectively.

“We assist with all forces at our disposal.”

There follows a report on the use of concentration camp prisoners in the aviation industry. (_1584-III-PS_)

In Chapter XI on Concentration Camps and Chapter XV, section 5, on the SS, reference is made to medical experiments performed on humans at the concentration camp in Dachau. On 20 May 1942, Field Marshal Milch, Secretary of State and Deputy to Goering as Air Minister, wrote to SS-Obergruppenfuehrer Wolff the following letter:

“Dear Wolffy:

“In reference to your telegram of 12 May our sanitary inspector
reports to me that the altitude experiments carried out by the
SS and Air Force at Dachau have been finished. Any continuation
of these experiments seems essentially unreasonable. However,
the carrying out of experiments of some other kind, in regard to
perils at high seas, would be important. These have been
prepared in immediate agreement with the proper offices; Major
(M.C.) Weltz will be charged with the execution and Capt. (M.C.)
Rascher will be made available until further orders in addition
to his duties within the Medical Corps of the Air Corps. A
change of these measures does not appear necessary, and an
enlargement of the task is not considered pressing at this time.

“The low-pressure chamber would not be needed for these
low-temperature experiments. It is urgently needed at another
place and therefore can no longer remain in Dachau.

“I convey the special thanks from the supreme commander of the
Air Corps to the SS for their extensive cooperation.

“I remain with best wishes for you and in good comradeship and
with

Heil Hitler!
Always yours
/s/ E. Milch” (_343-PS_).

That Milch kept informed of the progress of the experiments may be seen from the following letter which he sent to Himmler on 31 August 1942:

“Dear Mr. Himmler:

“I thank you very much for your letter of the 25 Aug. I have
read with great interest the reports of Dr. Rascher and Dr.
Romberg. I am informed about the current experiments. I shall
ask the two gentlemen to give a lecture combined with the
showing of motion pictures to my men in the near future.

“Hoping that it will be possible for me to see you at the
occasion of my next visit to Headquarters I remain with best
regards and

Heil Hitler!
/s/ yours
E. Milch” (_343-PS_).

Thus it is clear that the highest circles in the Air Ministry, of which Goering was the head, were interested in these experiments.

(2) _Persecution of the Jews._ As was to be expected from his position as Number 2 Nazi, Goering took an active part in the waging of the Nazi program of persecution, the ultimate purpose of which was the extermination of all Jews. To quote from Goering’s own book:

“The solution of the Jewish question has not yet been reached.
Whatever has happened so far has been done in a state of
necessity, in the interest of our own people; it was a reaction
against the ruin which this race has brought upon us.”
(_3461-PS_)

In 1935, Goering, as President of the Reichstag, in a speech urging that body to pass the Nurnberg race laws, said:

“God has created the races. He did not want equality and
therefore we energetically reject any attempt to falsify the
concept of race purity by making it equivalent with racial
equality. * * * This equality does not exist. We have never
accepted such an idea and therefore we must reject it in our
laws likewise and must accept that purity of race which nature
and providence have destined for us.” (_3458-PS_)

Again, on 26 March 1938, Goering said in a speech in Vienna:

“I must direct a serious word to the City of Vienna. Today
Vienna cannot rightly claim to be a German City. One cannot
speak of a German City in which 300,000 Jews live. This city has
an important German mission in the field of culture as well as
in economics. For neither of these can we make use of the Jews.”
(_3460-PS_)

In the late fall of 1938, using as an excuse the murder of von Rath, Secretary of the German Legation in Paris, the Nazi conspirators, acting within the frame-work of economic preparation for aggressive war, began the complete elimination of Jews from economic life, preparatory to their physical annihilation. Goering as head of the Four-Year Plan, was in active charge of this phase of the persecutions. The first step in his campaign was a law requiring registration of all Jewish-owned property. In April 1938 Goering and Frick signed such a law (_1406-PS_). Armed with the information thus secured, the Nazi conspirators were fully prepared to take the next step. The killing of von Rath in Paris on 9 November 1938 was made the pretext for widespread “spontaneous” riots, which included the looting and burning of many Jewish synagogues, homes, and shops, all of which were carefully organized and supervised by the Nazi conspirators. Goering was fully informed of measures taken. (_3051-PS_; _3058-PS_)

Immediately after these riots, on 12 November 1938, Goering acted as Chairman of a meeting at the Reich Ministry of Air, on the “Jewish question,” attended by Funk, Goebbels, Heydrich, and others (_1816-PS_). Goering made the purpose of the meeting clear at the outset. He said:

“Today’s meeting is of a decisive nature. I have received a
letter written on the Fuehrer’s orders by the Stabsleiter of the
Fuehrer’s deputy, Bormann, requesting that the ‘Jewish Question
be now, once and for all, coordinated and solved one way or
another. And yesterday, once again did the Fuehrer request by
‘phone for me to take coordinated action in the matter’.

“Since the problem is mainly an economic one, it is from an
economic angle that it shall have to be tackled. Naturally a
number of legal measures shall have to be taken which fall into
the sphere of the Minister for Justice and into that of the
Minister of the Interior; and certain propaganda measures shall
have to be taken care of by the office of the Minister for
Propaganda. The Minister for Finance and the Minister for
Economic Affairs shall take care of problems falling into their
respective resorts.” (_1816-PS_)

Goering then said that it was not sufficient to have demonstrations and to burn down Jewish property. In such cases the real loss usually fell on German insurance companies. He continued:

“I should not want to leave any doubt, gentlemen, as to the aim
of today’s meeting. We have not come together merely to talk
again but to make decisions, and I implore the competent
agencies to take all measures for elimination of the Jews from
German economy and to submit them to me, as far as it is
necessary.

“The fundamental idea in this program of elimination of the Jew
from German economy, is first, the Jew being ejected from the
economy transfers his property to the State. He will be
compensated. The compensation is to be listed in the debit
ledger and shall bring a certain percentage of interest. The Jew
shall have to live out of this interest. It is a foregone
conclusion, that this aryanizing, if it is to be done quickly,
cannot be made in the Ministry for Economy in Berlin. That way,
we would never finish * * *.

“It is my lot, so that the damage will not be greater than the
profit, which we are striving for.

“It is obvious, gentlemen, that the Jewish stores are for the
people, and not the stores. Therefore, we must begin here,
according to the rules previously laid down.

“The Minister for Economic Affairs shall announce which stores
he’ll want to close altogether. These stores are excluded from
aryanizing at once. Their stocks are to be made available for
sale in other stores; what cannot be sold, shall be processed
through the “Winterhilfe” or taken care of otherwise. However,
the sales values of these articles shall always be considered,
since the State is not to suffer but should profit through this
transformation. For the Chain and Department stores—I speak now
only of that, which can be seen, certain categories have to be
established, according to the importance of the various
branches.

“The trustee of the State will estimate the value of the
property and decide what amount the Jew shall receive.
Naturally, this amount is to be set as low as possible. The
representative of the State shall then turn the establishment
over to the “Arian” proprietor, that is, the property shall be
sold according to its real value.

“There begins the difficulties. It is easily understood that
strong attempt will be made to get all these stores to Party
members and to let them have some kind of compensations. I have
witnessed terrible things in the past; little chauffeurs of
Gauleiters have profited so much by these transactions that they
have now about half a million. You, gentlemen, know it. Is that
correct?” (_1816-PS_)

Specific measures to effect the “Arianization” of Jewish businesses were then discussed. A representative of German insurance companies was called in to assist in solving the difficulties created by the fact that most of the Jewish stores and other property destroyed in the rioting were in fact insured, in some cases ultimately by foreign insurance companies. All present were agreed that it would be unfortunate to pass a law which would have the effect of allowing foreign insurance companies to escape from liability, and that moreover, so far as the insurance companies were concerned, they had made a bargain and should stand by it. The defendant Goering then suggested a solution:

“Goering: No. I don’t even dream of refunding the insurance
companies the money. The companies are liable. No, the money
belongs to the State. That’s quite clear. That would indeed be a
present for the insurance companies. You make a wonderful
Petidum there. You’ll fulfill your obligations, you may count on
that.” (_1816-PS_)

It is impossible here to quote further from the extensive discussion of all phases of persecution of the Jews which took place at this meeting. It is sufficient to point out that on the same day Goering, over his own signature, promulgated three decrees putting into effect the most important matters decided at the meeting. In the first of these decrees, a collective fine of 1,000,000,000 RM was placed on all German Jews (_1412-PS_). The second decree, entitled “A Decree on Elimination of Jews from German Economic Life”, barred Jews from trades and crafts (_2875-PS_). The third decree took care of the insurance question raised in the morning’s meeting, by providing that insurance due to Jews for various losses sustained by them was to be collected by the State.

For other examples, the energetic manner in which Goering took part in driving the Jews from economic life at this period, see: _069-PS_; _1208-PS_.

As the German armies moved into other countries, the anti-Jewish laws were extended, often in a more stringent form, to the occupied territories. Many of the decrees were not signed by Goering himself, but were issued on the basis of decrees signed by Goering and introducing the Four-Year Plan in the occupied territories. For example, reference is made to the:

Order Concerning the Introduction of the Four-Year Plan in the
Eastern Territories, 30 October 1939. 1939 Reichsgesetzblatt,