A Baltic civilization from Bolshevism.
For the rest, the solution concerns Greater Germany, and it must be settled on those lines."
it was hoped would be achieved thereby. However, on 23th June, 20th of April.
One might almost think he had so meticulously this prosecution.
evidence as Exhibit U.S.A. 146. To me the most interesting things about this report are its disclosures concerning the number of these defendants who worked with and assisted Rosenberg in the planning and preparation for this phase of the aggression and the extent to which practically all of the ministries and offices of both the State and the Party are shown to have been involved in this operation. The report was found in the Defendant Rosenberg's files and, although it is rather long, it is of sufficient importance in implicating persons, groups and organizations that it must, I believe, be read in full in order that it may be made part of the record. It is headed "Report on the Preparatory Work in Eastern European Questions."
"Immediately after the notification of individual Supreme Reich offices regarding the Fuehrer's decree of 20.4.41 a conference with the Chief of the OKW (Armed Forces High Command) took place" -that is the defendant Keitel. "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 Major General Warlimont. The negotiations which then commenced relative in all questions of the Eastern Territory" -- relative to, I suppose it is-- "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 the 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 conference 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" -- the Defendant 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 East. In this connection I had conferences with General Thomas, State Secretary 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 the decision of the Fuehrer. In principle I declared that I in no way intended to found an economic department in my office, economics would rather be handled substantially and practicably by the Reichsmarschall" -- that is the defendant Goering --" and the persons appointed by him. However, the two responsible department heads, namely Ministerial Director, Dr. Schlotterer, for industrial economies 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 with other persons for such coordinating work, depending on later" -- that must be a mistranslation -- "depending on later and for work (political leadership of labor unions, construction, et cetera)."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. Seibbrandt) 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," or Kommissars.
"The Propaganda Ministry" -- that is Goebbels -
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, et cetera, 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', 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 Reichsm inister Frick" -- that is the defendant Frick--" (State Secretary Stuckart) in detailed form on the assignment of numerous necessary officials for the Kommissariats. According to the present estimate there will be four Reich 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 Kommissariats (24), Main Kommissariats (about 80), and Regional Kommissariats (over 900). A General Kommissariat would correspond to a former General government; a Main Kommissariat to a Maingovernment.
"A Regional Kommissariat contains three or four 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."
THE PRESIDENT: Mr. Alderman, I don't understand why it is necessary to read this document in full. You have already shown that there was a plan for dividing Russia up into a number of Kommissariats.
MR. ALDERMAN: Yes, sir.
THE PRESIDENT: This is merely a detailed report on that.
MR. ALDERMAN: Quite true. I should like merely to point out two or three other individual defendants who are referred to in this document and as to whom the document shows that they were in immediate complicity with this whole scheme. The first of those about three paragraphs further down, the Reich Youth Leadership. What is the Defendant Baldur von Schirach. Then of course Gruppenfuehrer SS Heydrich, about the next paragraph -
THE PRESIDENT: Well, be is not a defendant.
MR. ALDERMAN: No, sir. His organization is, however, if the Tribunal please, charged as a criminal organization. to work under Goebbels. summarize the individual implication in this fashion. Those of the individual defendants now on trial which this report personally involves are Keitel, Jodl, Raeder, Funk, Goering, Ribbentrop, Frick, Schirach, and Fritsche. The organizations involved by this report include the following: OKW, OKH, OKM, Ministry of Economy, Reich Foreign Ministry, Propaganda Ministry Ministry of Labor, Ministry of the Interior, Ministry of Communications, Reich Physicians Leader, Ministry of Munitions and Armaments, Reich Youth Leadership, Reich Organizational Leader, German Labor Front, the SS, the SA, and the Reich Press Chief. ask the Tribunal to consider that that document with which I have just been dealing be considered a part of the record to the extent that it involves these individuals.
THE PRESIDENT: I think you can treat it as all being in evidence.
MR. ALDERMAN: At a later stage in the trial and in other connections evidence will be introduced concerning the manner in which all of this planning and preparation for the elimination of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics as a political factor was 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.
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. The text of this statement has already been called to the Tribunal's attention by my British colleagues, and I should like merely to refer to it in passing here by quoting therefrom this one sentence.
"I have therefore today decided to give the fate of Europe again into the hands of our soldiers". the plans darkly conceived almost a full year before and secretly and continuously developed since then, had new been brought to fruition. These conspirators, having carefully and completely prepared this war of aggression now proceeded to initiate and wage it. Before going into the positive reasons, I should like first to point out that not only was Germany bound by a solemn covenant not to attack the USSR, 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 territories of the Reich, General Thomas, for example, points out in his draft of "Basic Facts for a History of the German War and Armaments Economy," which is our Document 2353 PS and which I put in evidence earlier as Exhibit USA No. 35, 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. quickly and well, and since the food and raw materials 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 complying with their obligations under that agreement. At page 315 of his book, Thomas says, and I read from page 9 of the English translation:
"Later on the urgency of the Russian deliveries diminished, as preparations for the campaign in the East were already under way," By that, clearly he speaks of German deliveries to Russia, not as to what the Russians delivered.
"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."
forcefully when he states, and I shall read the first paragraph on page 14 of the English translation:
"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
THE PRESIDENT: Are you reading now from a document?
MR. ALDERMAN: Yes.
THE PRESIDENT: Where is that?
MR. ALDERMAN: It is page 14 of the English translation of these notes.
THE PRESIDENT: Thank you.
MR. ALDERMAN: "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." with Germany but the evidence shows that she had no aggressive intentions toward German territory. Our Document No. C-170, which is in evidence as Exhibit USA No.136, is, as I have previously stated, 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.
The entries in this file demonstrate conclusively the point I have just stated. It will, I think, be sufficient to read to the Tribunal a few entries which include reports from the German ambassador in Moscow as late as June 1941. I shall read the first entry 165 on page 21 of the English translation. That is 4 June.
"Outwardly, no change in the relationship Germany-Russia, Russian deliveries continue to full satisfaction. Russian government is endeavouring to do everything to prevent a conflict with Germany".
In entry 167, on page 22 of the English translation, it says:
"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 quietely - as far as can be recognized only defensive. Russian policy still strives as before to produce the best possible relationship to Germany as good."
"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". Now, that is the German ambassador talking to you. Union could not have been self-denfense or treaty breaches. In truth, 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 USSR.
All of them, however, appear to blend into one grand motif of Nazi policy. The pattern into which these varied reasons impelling the decision to attack may be said to fall, is the traditional Nazi ambition for expansion to the East at the expense of the USSR. This Nazi version of an earlier imperial, imperative "Drang Nach Osten" or the drive to the East had been a cardinal principle of the Nazi 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 country to the East, which might constitute a threat to German ambitions, and acquisitions of Lebensraum, while on the economic side magnificent opportunities for the plunder of vast quantities of food, raw materials, and other supplies, going far beyond any legitimate exploitation under the Geneva Convention principles for military purposes. 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. Kampf, where he stated: I quote from page 641 of the Houghton Mifflin, English edition, as follows:
"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 movements 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." in the stated purposes of the organization which the defendant Rosenberg set up to administer the occupied Eastern Territories. I have already discussed this material and need repeat it now. In a speech, however, which he delivered, two days before the attack, to the people most interested in the problem of the East, Rosenberg restated in his usual somewhat mystic fashion the political basis for the campaign and its interrelationship with the economic goal. I should like to read a short extract from that speech, which is Document number 1058-PS and which I now offer in evidence as Exhibit USA No. 147. The part I read is from page 9 of the German text:
"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 neans 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." Britain had served to further strengthen them in their belief of the political necessity of eliminating the Soviet Union as a European factor before Germany could completely achieve her role as the master of Europe.
in our discussion of the organization set-up under Goering and General Thomas to carry out the economic exploitation of the territory they occupied. The purely materialistic basis far the attack was unmistakable and 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 horrible consequences such robbery would entail, that doubt is dispelled by a memorandum which bears our No. 2718-PS and which I introduced earlier during my opening statement as Exhibit USA No. 32, showing clear and conscious recognition that these Nazi plans would no doubt result in starving to death millions of people by robbing them of their food. randum in which he stated that General Keitel had confirmed to him Hitler's present conception of the German Economic policy concerning raw material. This policy expressed the almost unbelievable heartless 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 is our Document No. 1456PS, and I offer it in evidence as Exhibit USA 148. I should like to read the first two paragraphs.
THE PRESIDENT: Perhaps we better do that after the adjournment.
(Whereupon, at 1255 hours the hearing of the Tribunal recessed to reconvene at 1400 hours.)
Tribunal, in the matter of: The United States of
THE PRESIDENT: I understand that the defendant Kaltenbrunner is now in Court.
Will you stand up, please. (Whereupon the defendant Kaltenbrunner stands up in the Defendants' box). In accordance with Article Twenty-four of the Charter, you must now plead either guilty or not guilty.
THE DEFENDANT KALTENBRUNNER: I am not believe that I have made myself guilty. I don't believe that I have made myself guilty.
THE PRESIDENT: That is all of you. Mr. Alderman.
MR. ALDERMAN: May it please this Tribunal. I had just put into evidence document 1456-PS as exhibit USA-148. I now read from this document on page one:
"The following is the new conception of the Fuehrer, which confirmed later on by Field Marshal Keitel:
Paragraph 1.
autarkical endeavors. It is impossible, to try and or other measures.
For instance, it is impossible, to entirely depend on it.
All these autarkical endeavors impossible to provide it.
One has to choose another way.
What one does not have, but needs, one must conquer. The running of the synthetic factories in question.
The aim "interest to us for the war economy, by conquering "At the time the 4-year-plan was established, I issued the be too great.
Nevertheless, my solution was always to economic alliances."
aggression. We have seen the Nazi conspirators as they planned, prepared, and finally initiated their wanton attack upon the Soviet Union. Others will carry on the tale and describe the horrible manner in which they waged this war of aggression, and the countless crimes they committed in its wake. When I consider the solemn pledge of non-aggression; the base and sinister motives involved; the months of secret planning and preparation; and the unbelievable suffering intentionally and deliberately wrought -- when I consider all of this I feel fully justified in saying that never before - and God help us never again - in the history of relations between Sovereign nations has a blacker chapter been written than the one which tells of the Nazi conspirators' unprovoked invasion of the territory of the Soviet Union. For those responsible, and they are here before you, the defendants in this case - it might be just to let the punishment fit the crime. aggressive war case, German collaboration with Italy and Japan, and aggressive war against the United States. The relevant portions of the indictment are set forth in subsection 7 under Section IV (F) of Count 1, appearing at pages nine and ten of the printed English text of the indictment. The materials relating to this unholy alliance of the three fascist powers, and to the aggressive war against the United States have been fathered together in a document book, marked with the letter "Q", which I now submit to the Tribunal.
collaboration, I should like to invite the attention of the Tribunal to the significance of this phase. In the course of the joint presentation by the British and American prosecution in the past several days, we have seen the swastika carried forward by force of arms from a tightly controlled and remilitarized Germany to the four corners of Europe. The elements of a conspiracy I am now about to discuss project the Nazi plan upon a universal screen, involving the "Older World" of Asia, and the "New World" of the United States of America. As a result, the wars of aggression that were planned in Berlin, and launched across the frontiers of Poland ended some six years later, almost to the day, in surrender ceremonies upon a United States battleship riding at anchor in the Bay of Tokyo.
The first formal alliance between Hitler's Germany and the Japanese Government was the Anti-Comintern Pact signed in Berlin on 25 November 1936. This agreement, on its face, was directed against the activities of the Communist International. It was subsequently adhered to by Italy on 6 November 1937. state documents, in accordance with Article twenty-one of the Charter. The German text of these treaties 00 the original German-Japanese Anti-Comintern Pact, and the subsequent Protocol of Adherence by Italy -are to be found in volumes four and five of the Dokumente der deutschen Politik, respectively. The English translation of the German-Japanese Anti-Comintern Pact of 25 November 1936 is contained in our Document No. 2508-PS; the English translation of the Protocol of Adherence by Italy of 6 November 1937, is contained in our Document No. 2506-PS. Both of these documents are included in the Document Books which have just been handed up to the Tribunal.
shall submit regarding the defendant Ribbentrop's active participation in collaboration with the Japanese, that Ribbentrop signed the Anti-Comintern Pact for Germany, at Berlin, even though at that time, November 1936, Ribbentrop was not the German Foreign Minister, but simply Hitler's Special Ambassador Plenipotentiary. was signed, and one year after the initiation of war in Europe, the German, Italian and Japanese Governments signed another pact at Berlin a ten year military-economic alliance. Again I note that the defendant Ribbentrop signed for Germany, this time in his capacity as Foreign Minister. The official German text of this pact, as well as the Japanese and Italian texts, together with an English translation, is contained in our Document No. 2643-PS, which has been certified by the signature and seal of the United States Secretary of State. I now offer document No. 2643-PS as Exhibit No. USA-149. and collaboration with each other in the establishment of a "new order" in Europe and East Asia. I should like to read into the record parts of this far-reaching agreement.
"The Governments of Germany, Italy and Japan consider it as a the world be given its own proper place.
They have therefore prosperity and welfare of the peoples there.
Furthermore, "the world as are inclined to give to their endeavors a direction peace as the ultimate goal may thus be realized.
Accordingly, the Governments of Germany, Italy and Japan have agreed as follows:
Article 1: Japan recognizes and respects the leadership of Germany Article 2: Germany and Italy recognize and respect the leadership Article 3: Germany, Italy and Japan agree to cooperate in their efforts on the aforesaid basis.
They further undertake to assist conflict."
"The present Pact shall come into force immediately upon signature and force."
the world that the fascist leaders of Germany, Japan and Italy had cemented a full military alliance to achieve world domination, and to establish the "new order" presaged by the Japanese invasion of Manchuria in 1931, the Italian conquest of Ethiopia in 1935, and the Nazi overflow into Austria early in 1938. Secretary of State of the United States at the time of the signing of the Tripartite Pact. This statement appears in the official U. S. Publication, "Peace and War, U. S. Foreign Policy, 1931-1941" which has already been offered as Exhibit No. U.S.A.-122. Mr. Hull's statement is No. 184 therein. It is also our Document No. 2944-PS, and both the English text and a German translation thereof are included in the document books. I now quote statement by the Secretary of State, September 27, 1940:
"The reported agreement of alliance does not, in the view of the which has existed for several years.
Announcement of the called attention.
That such an agreement has been in process of termining -- in the determining of this country's policies."
I shall not --- that is the end of the quotation. I shall not attempt here to trace the relationships and negotiations leading up to the Tripartite Pact of 27 November 1940. I shall note, however, one example of the type of German-Japanese relationship existing before the formalization of the Tripartite Pact. This is the record of conversation of 31 January 1939 between Himmler and General Oshima, Japanese Ambassador at Berlin, which was referred to by the U.S. Chief of Counsel in his opening address. This document, which is signed by Himmler in crayon, is our Document No. 2195-PS. I offer it in evidence as Exhibit No. USA-150.
I now quote the file memorandum:
"Today I visited General Oshima. The conversation ranged over the following subjects:
"1) The Fuehrer speech, which pleased him very much, especially "2) We discussed conclusion of a treaty to consolidate the triangle Germany/Italy/Japan into an even firmer mold.
He also told me that, together with German counter-espionage (abwehr), he was Russia and emanating from the Caucasus and the Ukraine.
However, "3) Furthermore, he had succeeded up to now to send 10 Russians with bombs across the Caucasian frontier.
These Russians had the mission to kill Stalin.
A number of additional Russians, whom he had also sent across, had been shot at the frontier."
the Nazi conspirators, once their military and economic alliance with Japan had been formalized, exhorted the Japanese to aggression against those nations with whom they were at war, and those with whom they contemplated war.
In this the Nazi conspirators pursued a course strikingly parallel to that followed in their relationship with the other members of the European Axis. On 10 June 1940, in fulfillment of her alliance with Germany, Italy had carried out her "Stab in the back" by declaring war against France and Great Britain. The nazi conspirators set about to induce similar action by Japan on the other side of the world. tion was aimed, at various times, were the British Commonwealth of Nations, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, and the United States of America. I shall deal with each of these nations in the order named. available to us -- the Nazi conspirators undertook to exploit their alliance with Japan by exhortations to commit aggression against the British Commonwealth. Again the figure of the defendant Ribbentrop appears. On that date, 23 February 1941, he held a conference with General Oshima, the Japanese Ambassador to Berlin, at which he urged that the Japanese open hostilities against the British in the Far East as soon as possible. against the Soviet Union as Exhibit No. USA-129. A part of it has already been read into the record and I now intend to read another portion. I shall again come back to this document when dealing with the German-Japanese collaboration as regards the United States. on 2 March, sent copies of an extract of the record of this conference to his various ambassadors and ministers for their strict confidential and purely personal information, with the further note that -- and I quote: "These statements are of fundamental significance for orientation with the general political situation facing Germany in early spring 1941." 1834-PS, to the end of the first paragraph on that page, and then skip to the last three sentences of the second paragraph: