Reich Regent [Reichsstatthalter] in Vienna Head Office Teleprint Department 1/1 Ballhausplatz 2, U-24-5-20
' 28 May 1942
TELEPRINT LETTER 1087
COPY
Reichsstatthalter Vienna No. 1087, 28.5.1942, 20.35 hours.
To Reichsleiter Bormann. .
Berlin,
Party Chancellery
Express—Urgent—Immediate attention Dear Martin Bormann,
I request that the following be submitted to the Fuehrer: Knowing the Czechoslovak population and its attitude in Vienna as well as in the Protectorate, I would draw your attention to the following:
The enemy powers and the British cliques round Benesch have for a long time felt bitterly regarding the loyalty to be observed generally among the Czechoslovak workers and their contribution to German war economy. They are seeking for a means to play oif the Czechoslovak population and the Reich against each other. The attempt on Heydrich was without doubt planned in London. The British arms of the assailant point to parachuted agents. London hopes by this attempt to induce the Reich to take draconian measures for the purpose of creating a resistance movement among Czechoslovak workers. In order to prevent the world thinking that the population of the Protectorate is in opposition to Hitler, these acts must immediately be branded as of British authorship. A sudden and violent air attack on a British cultural town would be the most efficacious and the world would have to be informed thereof under the headline "Revenge for Heydrich". That alone should induce Churchill to desist immediately from plotting the outrages which have begun to occur in Prague. The
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3877—PS
Reich retaliates for the attack at Prague by a counterattack on world public opinion.
It is proposed to give the following information to the Press tomorrow :
Regarding the attempt on Heydrich's life Investigations have shown that the attempt on Heydrich was not made by Czechoslovak terrorists but by British agents. Parachutes and murderous weapons discovered were of British origin. It apparently involves four British parachutists who set out from London. One of these was injured on landing and was arrested. The authorities are on the track of the others.
Heil Hitler.
. Your [Dein]
SCHIRACH
Sent: Rsthalter Vienna/Kloss,
Received: 28/5 2045 No. 1087 (45 zl) rvst bln/manczak [stamp:] Reported and forwarded to:
(1) Regierungspraesident
(2) Reference.......................
(3) Local Government
(4) Central office
on 9.15.1942 by: KS. 177 Z.
Letter to Martin Bormann (for submission to Hitler) proposing an air attack on a British "cultural town" in revenge for the attack on Heydrich (which Schirach blames on British agents)
Authors
Baldur Schirach, von (Nazi youth leader; governor of Vienna)
Baldur von Schirach*
German Nazi politician and convicted war criminal (1907-1974)
- Born: 1907-05-09 (Berlin)
- Died: 1974-08-08 (Kröv)
- Country of citizenship: Germany
- Occupation: autobiographer; politician; screenwriter
- Member of political party: Nazi Party
- Member of: Sturmabteilung
- Military branch: Wehrmacht
- Position held: member of the Reichstag of Nazi Germany; member of the Reichstag of the Weimar Republic
Date: 28 May 1942
Defendant: Baldur Schirach, von
Total Pages: 2
Language of Text: English
Source of Text: Nazi conspiracy and aggression (Office of United States Chief of Counsel for Prosecution of Axis Criminality. Washington, D.C. : U.S. Government Printing Office, 1946.)
Evidence Code: PS-3877
Citation: IMT (page 10374)
HLSL Item No.: 453112
Document Summary
PS-3877: Telegram from Schirach to Rormann re: retaliatory measures to be taken as revenge for the assassination of Heydrich
PS-3877: Teletype from Schirach to Bormann, 28 May 1942: an aerial attack upon a British cultural center is proposed as retribution for the alleged planning in London of the attempt on Heydrich’s life