Chapter X: Section 1: High treason89 Hochverrat

Article 80

Whoever undertakes to incorporate, by violence or by threat of violence, the German territory [Reichsgebiet] in its entirety or in part into a foreign state, or to detach from the Reich any territory belonging to the Reich, will be punished by death.

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Article 81

Whoever undertakes to deprive the Reich President, the Reich Chancellor or any other member of the Reich government of his constitutional power, or to force or prevent such a person by violence or threat of violence or perpetration of a crime or offense, from exercising his constitutional rights altogether or in a certain sense, will be punished by death or hard labor for life or hard labor of not less than 5 years.

Article 82

Whoever conspires with another person in a treasonable act (articles 80, 81) is subject to punishment by death, hard labor for life or hard labor of not less than 5 years.

Whoever contacts a foreign power for the purpose of the preparation of a treasonable act or misuses his official authority or recruits men or trains them in the use of arms will be liable to the same penalty. If the perpetrator contacts a foreign government in a written declaration, the crime is considered accomplished once this declaration has been sent off.

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Article 83

Whoever publicly solicits, and incites to, an undertaking of high treason shall be punished by hard labor up to 10 years.

Whoever prepares an undertaking in any other way shall be liable to the same penalty.

The death penalty or hard labor for life or hard labor for not less than 2 years will be inflicted--

1. If the act aimed at establishing or maintaining an organized structure for the preparation of high treason; or

2. If the act was directed toward making the armed forces or police unfit for the execution of their duty to protect the stability of the German Reich from internal or external attack; or

3. If the act was directed toward influencing the masses by composing or distributing writings, recordings and pictures, or by the installation of radio, telegraph, or telephone; or

4. If the act was committed abroad or in such a manner that the perpetrator undertook to import writings, recordings or pictures from abroad for the purpose of distribution within the country.

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Article 87

Undertakings, within the meaning of the criminal code, embrace both completion and attempt.