Admiral Canaris about the supplying of Polish uniforms to Heydrich, and it will be noticed in the last paragraph of the note that Admiral Canaris is against the war, and Keitel argues in favor of it. And Keitel made the prophecy that Great Britain would not enter the war.
I submit that Keitel's vital part, again, in the preparation for the aggression against Poland, is clearly established beyond possibility of dispute. August, as seen in his diary entry, 1780-PS, where he says that he is recalled to take charge of the operations staff. He says -- 1780-PS-received order from armed forces high command to proceed to Berlin and take over position of chief of armed forces executive office." And then: "1100 hours to 1330 hours--discussion with chief of armed forces high command. X-Day has been announced for the 26th of August. Y-Time has been announced for 0430 hours." And I submit that the Tribunal can infer the importance of Jodl to this conspiracy from the fact that on the eve of the war he is recalled to Berlin to take his place at the head of the operational staff of the supreme command. just point out that, according to the evidence of General Lahousen, if the Tribunal accepts it on this point, Keitel and Jodl were in the field with Hitler on the 10th of September, 1939. That is a shorthand note, page 617 and 18. I don't suppose there will be any dispute that the head of the high command and the chief of his operationsl staff were in the field.
My Lord, I pass now to Norway and Denmark. So far as both are concerned, we see from C-54, GB 86, that on the 12th of December, 1939, Keitel and Jodl were both present at Hitler's conference with Raeder, when the invasion of Norway was discussed, and Keitel's direct responsibility to those operations is shown, in my submission, by C-63, GB 87, in which Keitel says that the operations against Norway will be under my direct and personal guidance.
And he sets up a planning staff of OKW for the carrying out of those operations.
Jodl's knowledge and complicity, in my submission, is clearly shown also from the entries in his own diary--1809-PS. That is the second part of his diary. And the Tribunal will remember the entry of the 13th of March, 1940, in which he records that the Fuehrer was still looking for an excuse for the Weser" operations. That is the 13th of March, My Lord, 1809-PS.
THE PRESIDENT: Yes. The date I have got is the 3rd.
MR. ROBERTS, K.C.: Page 5 of that actual Exhibit of 13th of March, according to my copy.
THE PRESIDENT: Yes, I see.
MR. ROBERTS, K.C.: The Duehrer does not give the order yet for "Weser". He is still looking for an excuse.
And then, on the 14th of March, "Fuehrer has not yet decided what reason to give for "Weser" exercise, which, in my submission, if I may be allowed to make a short comment, shows up in a lurid light the code of honor of the military leaders of Germany--still looking for an excuse.
lying excuses were given. my submission, is clearly shown by the documents to have been controlled and directed by Keitel with Jodl's assistance. The Tribunal already have a note of the conference in May of the lands to be occupied, L-79, C-62, GM-106. This is a directive, signed Hitler, on the 9th of October, 1939, and another directive, signed Keitel, on the 10th of October.
THE PRESIDENT: What letter?
MR. ROBERTS K.C.: My Lord, C-62.
THE PRESIDENT: C-62.
MR ROBERTS: Which comprises two documents, the 9th of October and 15th of October, two directives, one signed Hitler, and one signed Keitel, both giving orders for the occupation of Holland and Belgium.
My Lord, C-10, GB-108, dated the 8th of November, are Keitel's operation orders for the 7th Parachute Division to make an airborne landing in the middle of the Hague. directive for the invasion of Holland and Belgium. ll signed by Keitel, 7 signed by Jodl: The Fuehrer is postponing A-Day because of the weather.
My Lord, Jodl's diary is also eloquent on that subject. That is 1809-PS. Several entries, perhaps I need not refer to again, relating to these forthcoming operations, culminating with the one on the 8th of May, which perhaps the Tribunal will remember, when Jodl says: "Alarming information from Holland," and he expresses righteous indignation that the wicked Dutchmen should erect roadblocks and take mobilization preparations.
there is copious and overwhelming evidence that these two men were in charge of the military operations which made those invasions possible. Yugoslavia. PS-1541, GB-117, dated 13 December 1940, Hitler's order fear Marita, the operation against Greece, signed by Hitler, and a copy to Keitel, namely, OKW. the Greek operation. at the conference with Hitler, Mussolini and others when the operations against Greece and Yugoslavia are discussed. are filled in by Keitel. Jodl present, that the decision to attack and destroy Yugoslavia is announced, and the Fuehrer said: "I am determined to destroy Yugoslavia. I shall use unmerciful harshness to frighten other neutrals"; and these two soldiers were present when that was said. aggression is amply proved.
My Lord, I pass to Barbarossa. 446-PS, U.S.A. 131, dated 18 December 1940, Hitler's order for the Barbarossa operation, initialed by Keitel and Jodl. Hitler says, the Tribunal will remember, that he intends to overthrow Russia in a single rapid campaign.
872-PS, U.S.A. 134, 3rd of February, 1941 a discussion with Hitler, Keitel and Jodl, re Barbarossa and Sonnenblume, North African suggestions. Hitler said: "When Barbarossa commences, the world will hold its breath and make no comments."
Then, 447-PS, U.S.A. 135, dated 13th of March, 1941, that is an operation order signed by Keitel, re the administration of the areas which are to be occupied, showing again that Keitel was more than a mere soldier; this is civil administration.
C-39, U.S.A. 138, 6th of June, 1941 timetable for Barbarossa, signed by Keitel, and Jodl gets a sixth copy.
C-79, U.S.A. 139, 9th of June, 1941, is Hitler's order to Keitel and Jodl to attend the pre-Barbarossa conference on the 14th of June, 1941, eight days before the operation. fendants, again I respectfully submit their participation in this aggression is overwhelmingly proved. of Japan to commit an aggression against the United States of America. My Lord, there are two key documents, and both Keitel and Jodl are implicated by both of them. My Lord, the first is C-75, U.S.A. 151, dated 5th of March, 1941. It is an OKW order signed by Keitel, copy to Jodl. "Japan must be drawn actively into the war" is a quotation from it. Keitel and Jodl -- Japan to seize Singapore. That is the relevant extract on that. I submit that the case against these two men is overwhelming. It is clear, in my submission, that there could be no defense open to them except that they were obeying the orders of a superior. That defense is not open to them under this charter. No doubt all these wicked schemes germinated in the wicked brain of Hitler, but he could not carry them out alone. He wanted men nearly as wicked and nearly as unscrupulous as himself. crimes against humanity. My Lord, it has already been proved that Keitel signed the Nacht and Nebel decrees, committing persons to incarceration in Germany where all trace of them is lost. That is L-90, U.S. 503.
There is one fresh document that I desire to put in. Col. Telford Taylor put in C-50, Keitel's order as to ruthless action in the Barbarossa campaign. There is one complementary document to that, and that is C-51, which Your Lord ships will find -- I beg your pardon, this is GB-162 -- this is Keitel's order dated the 27th of July, 1941:
"In accordance with the regulations concerning classified material the following offices will destroy all copies of the Fuehrer's decree of 13 May 1941" - that is C-50, the Barbarossa decree -- "issued in the communication mentioned above:
"a) All offices upwards to the rank of 'General Commands' inclusive"-- My Lord, that means that Corps commanders downwards could destroy, copies.
"b) Group commands of the armoured troops" -- that again means offices of the armed corps below the rank of Corps commanders could destroy.
"c) Army commands and offices of equal rank, if there is an inevitable danger that they might fall into the hands of unauthorized persons," to them, should destroy these documents rather than there should be any chance of them being captured.
"The validity of the decree is not affected by the destruction of the copies. In accordance with paragraph III it remains the personal responsibility of the commanding officers to see to it that the offices and legal advisors are instructed in time, and that only these sentences are confirmed which correspond to the political intentions of the High Command.
"This order will be destroyed together with the copies of the Fuehrer's decree." by Keitel, to destroy that, I suggest that an illegal order, a barbarous order, and that anxiety is significant. document in the bundle, UK-20, My Lordship will find it flagged at the end of the bundle. It is from the Fuehrer's headquarters, 26th of May, 1943. It says:
"Ref: Treatment of supporters of do Gaulle who fight for the Russians, "French airmen serving in the Soviet air forces have been shot down on the Eastern Front for the first time.
The Fuehrer has ordered that employment of French troops in the Soviet forces is to be counteracted by the strongest means.
"It is therefore ordered: -
"1) Supporters of de Gaulle who are taken prisoner on the Eastern Front will be handed over to the French government for proceedings in accordance with OKW order."
And then I read paragraph 3:
"Detailed investigations are to be made in appropriate cases against are resident in the occupied area of France.
If the investigation re France then severe measures are to be taken."
the next document in the bundle, and is UK-57, GB-164. This is the last document, I think, in the bundle.
My Lord, it is from the Ausland Abwehr OKW and it is signed the 4th of January, 1944, My Lord, the heading is:
"Re counter-action to Kharkov show trial." Paragraph 2 is all that I read:
"The documents referred to 'Comandos' have been collected by the Reich Security HQ and thoroughly investigated.
In five cases members of the British Armed Forces have been arrested as participants.
In accordance with the order of the Fuehrer they were thereupon shot.
The the way of the courts.
Up to the present no breaches of international law can be proved against the Commando participants".My Lord, Keitel's comments are to be found in the top left hand corner of that document:
"We want documents on the basis of which we can institute similar proceedings.
They are reprisals which have no connection with battle actions."
The the translation sayw: "Legal indications are superfluous."
My Lord, I am told the German word is "justification", "legal justifications are superfluous."
I think the original has been handed in, has it not?
Perhaps that can be checked by one of the court translators.
I am told that "indications" is wrong and that it should be "justifica tions".
THE PRESIDENT: Is that not at the top signed by Keitel?
MR. ROBERTS: It is typewritten in the office copy which is the
THE PRESIDENT: There is no actual signature.
MR. ROBERTS: No.
MR. BIDDLE: How does it connect with Keitel then?
MR. ROBERTS: Wehrmacht Chief OKW, that is note of the Chief of OKW.
Now, that is the first minute. My Lord, the second minute, it is on large red Keitel "K" initialed on the top of this letter, showing that he got it.
My Lord, the first paragraph deals with two officers who were then at Eichstadt Camp in Bavaria.
My Lord, there is no importance in The second paragraph:
"Attempted attacks on the battleship Tirpitz.
"At the end of October '42 a British Commando that had come to Tirpitz in Drontheim Fjord by means of a two-man torpedo.
The action the stormy sea.
From amongst the crew consisting of 6 Englishmen and 4 Swedish border.
However, only the British seaman Robert Paul Evans, born 14 Jan '22 at London, could be arrested, the others escaped into Sweden.
"Evans had a pistol pouch in his possession such as are used to carry weapons under the arm-pit and also a knuckle-duster.
Violence, representing a breach of international law, could not be proved.
He has made extensive statements about the operation.
In accordance with the Fuehrer's order he was shot on 19 January," That should be "43". The original says "43"; the copy is wrong.
Again I submit, that is murder. Violence representing a breach of My Lord, then the third paragraph:
"Blowing up of the Glomfjord Power Station.
"On 1* Sept '42, 10 Englishmen and 2 Norwegians landed on the installations in the power station GLOMFJORD on 21 Sept '42.
The German that they would be chloroformed should they resist.
For this purpose the Englishmen were equipped with morphia syringes.
Several of the partici Those arrested are:
They were shot on 30 October '42" law.
They were British seamen and they were in uniform.
Then paragraph 4:
"The sabotage attack against German ships of Bordeaux.
"On 12 December '42, a number of valuable German ships of Bordeaux were seriously damaged by explosives below water-level.
The adhesive mines had been fixed by 5 English sabotage gangs working from canoes.
From amongst the 10 participants the following were arested after a few days."
enant, a petty officer, a sergeant and three Marines. A seventh soldier names Moffett was found drowned; the remainder apparently escaped into Spain stream into the mouth of the River Gironde.
They were wearing olive grey special uniforms. After effecting the explosions they sank the beats, and attempted to escape into Spain in civilian clothes, and with the assistance of the French civilian population. No special criminal actions during the flight have been discovered. All the arrested, in accordance with orders were shot on 23 March 1943. Keitel initialed that document. That document was read by my learned leader and colleague, Sir David. Maxwell-Fyfe, in Document No. 735-PS, and quoting Keitel as saying, "I am against legal procedure. It does not work out."
THE PRESIDENT: Would you read the page five which follows that?
MR. ROBERTS, KC: If it will please the Tribunal, that is what I shall do. Page five, the Fuehrer's headquarters, 9 January 1944. The Chief of OKW has handed the Deputy Chief, that ought to be OFST, that is Jodl, enclosed letter with the following account. It is, I know, impossible to prove breaches of International Law in a documentary fashion. What is important, however, is connection of material which can be used for the presentation of a short trial from a propaganda point of view. To show the trial as such, it is, therefore, not amiss to take first a merely propaganda presentation of cases with a breach of the International Law by enemy soldiers who will be mentioned by name, and who have already either to be punished with death for their crimes, or awaiting the death penalty. The Chief of OKW asked the Chief of Foreign Department, the Admiral Canaris, to bring with him corresponding document for his next visit to the Fuehrer's headquarters, as the Tribunal heard from my learned friend, Sir David Maxwell-Fyfe, when he read Document 735-PS, earlier today, and Keitel said, "I am against legal procedure. It does not work out." my submission is cold blooded murder of brave men, brave soldiers and sailors who were fighting for their country, and although this trial has a record of the death of brave men, of the murder of brave men, which are mere poignant than is shown in the documents to which I have just referred.
against Jodl. So far as Jodl's part in the war crimes and crimes against humanity are concerned, he figures much less than Keitel. Of course, he had no power of giving orders or directives, but we see that he at any rate signed and circulated an infamous order of the Fuehrer saying that Commandos and saying they ought to be shot and are not to be treated as prisoners of war at all. overwhelming and their conviction is demanded by the civilized world.
Your Lord, Mr. Walter W. Brudno of the American Delegation will present the case against Alfred Rosenberg.
MR. WALTER W. BRUDNO: May it please the Tribunal, in connection with the case against the defendant Rosenberg, I wish to offer the document Book designated as US Exhibit EE. This book contains the English translation of, all the documents which I will offer into evidence , as well as the English translation of those documents previously offered to which I will refer at length. The documents are arranged by series in the order of C, L, R, PS and EC, and they are arranged numerically within each series. Book there appears a descriptive list of documents. These lists are a tabulation of all the documents directly implicating Rosenberg, including those previously offered and those which I will offer into evidence. Those previously offered are keyed to the transcript page of the record, and to their exhibit numbers. The list is included in the document books -
THE PRESIDENT: Will you go a little bit slower, just a little bit slower.
MR. BRUDNO: Certainly, your Honor. The list is included in the document books made available to the defense. This list will gather together in one place all references to the defendant Rosenberg, which are in the Record up to this point. In order to avoid repitition, I will not refer to a great many of the documents previously introduced. four counts of the Indictment. In the presentation which follows, I will show that as charged in Count One, that it is charged, in Count One, Main Section, Roman Numeral IV, subparagraph Capital "D", Rosenberg played a particularly prominent role in developing and promoting the doctrinal technique of the conspiracy; in developing and promoting beliefs and practices incompatible with Christian teaching, in subverting the influence of the Churches over the German people, in pursuing the program of relentless persecution of the Jews, and in reshaping the educational system in order to make the German people amenable to the will of the conspirators, and to prepare the people psychologically for waging an aggressive war.
paring Germany for the waging of aggressive war through the direction of foreign trade, as charged in Count One, subparagraph Capital E, page six of the Indictment, and that his activities in the field of foreign policy contributed materially toward the preparation for the aggressions charged in subparagraph Capital "F", page seven to ten in the Indictment, and the Crimes against Peace, as charged in Count Two. and direction of the war crimes, and crimes against humanity, as specified in paragraph "G", page ten of Count One of the Indictment. Particularly, in the planning and directing of the spoliation of art treasures in the Western Countries, and in the numerous crimes committed in that part of the Eastern Countries formerly occupied by the USSR. history of National Socialism, and permeated nearly every phase of the conspiracy with which we are concerned. In order to obtain a full conception of his influence upon and participation in the conspiracy, it is necessary to review his political history, and to consider each of his political activities in their relation to the thread of the conspiracy which stretches from the inception of the party in 1919 to the defeat of Germany in 19475. the 30th of November 1918 marked the "Beginning of political activities with a lecture about the 'Jewish Problem'." That statement is found at line two of the translation of Document 2886-PS, which is an excerpt from a book entitled, "The Work of Alfred Rosenberg", a biography, and I offer this book as USA Exhibit No. 591.
pamphlet entitled, "Dates in the History of the NSDAP" I offer as USA Exhibit 592, we learn that Rosenberg was a member of the German Labor Party, afterwards the National Socialist German Workers Party, in January, 1919, and that Hitler joined forces with Rosenberg and his colleagues in October of the same year. Thus Rosenberg was a member of the National Socialist movement even before Hitler himself.
Now I wish to offer document 3530-PS, which is an extract from "Das Deutsch Fuehrer Lexikon", the year of 1934-35, and I offer it as USA Exhibit 593. In this document we obtained additional biographical data on Rosenberg as follows:
"From 1921 until the present, Editor of the Voelkische Beobachter; Publisher of the N. S. Monatshefte; 1930, member of the Reichstag and spokesman of foreign affairs for the party;NSDAP; then designated as Reichsleiter; January 1934 deputized the NSDAP, the German labor front and all related organizations."
Socialist ideologist. The proof which I will present will show the unification which was an essential part of the conspirators' program virtually every aspect of the National Socialist program.
His first publication was the "Nature, Basic Principles and Aims of the NSDAP."
This publication appeared in 1922. Rosenberg spoke of this picture previously introduced as USA Exhibit No. 167, and on page 2, No. 3054-PS, Rosenberg states as follows.
"During this time, that is, during the early phase of
THE PRESIDENT: Will you go a little bit slower.
MR. BRUDNO: I am sorry, sir.
"During this time, that is, during the early phase of significant in the history of the NSDAP.
It was always being to be interpreted.
Therefore I wrote the principal program and and friends within the Reich."
the party program was the Defendant Rosenberg. Without attempting to and broad scope of the ideological program which he championed.
It Rosenberg wrote the "Myth of the Twentieth Century," published in 1930.
This book has already been offered as USA Exhibit No. 352.
THE PRESIDENT: 3553?
MR. BRUDNO: 3553, your Honor.
THE PRESIDENT: Yes.
MR. BRUDNO: Rosenberg wrote the "Myth of the Twentieth Century," "The essence of the contemporary world revolution but on the whole planet.
This awakening is the organized counter and national consciousness."
motivation, the dynamic impulse behind Germany's waging of aggressive war.
In his journal, the "National Socialist Monatshefte," for May, 1932, which I offer as USA Exhibit No. 594, our document No. 2-777-PS, he wrote at page 199:
"The understanding that the German nation, if it is not the German foreign policy for centuries."
the National Socialist State in the "Myth of the Twentieth Century," additional excerpts from which are cited in document 2891-PS; at page 215 of the "Myth" he wrote as follows.
"We recognize today that the central maximum values of them (these forces), and must let themselves be re-evaluated in the sense of a Germanic Christianity.
That is the thought behind today's religious searching."
THE PRESIDENT: Do you want to drop off here for a recess.
MR. BRUDNO: Yes, your Honor.
(A recess was taken from 15.20 to 15.40.)
THE PRESIDENT: I have an announcement to make to the defendants' counsel. In view of the applications which were made to the Tribunal this morning, I have immediately ordered on behalf of the Tribunal that an investigation should be made of the complaints made by defendants' counsel about the delay in delivery of transcript of the shorthand notes and such delay will be remedied at once. The investigation shows that transcripts of the sessions up to aid including the 20th of December can be completed by this afternoon. The transcripts for the sessions held since the resumption of the trial will be distributed, up to and including the 8th of January, by tomorrow evening. Hereafter, the German transcripts will be regularly distributed to the defense counsel within a period of forty-eight hours after the session.
MR. BRUDNO: If your Honors please, when the Court rose I just read a quotation of Rosenberg, in which he expressed his views on Christianity. the neo-pagan myth of the blood. At page 114 in the "Myth of the Twentieth Century" he stated as follows:
"Today, a new faith is awakening-- the Myth of the Blood, the belief that the divine being of mankind generally is to be defended with the blood. The faith embodied by the fullest realisation, that the Nordic blood consititutes that mystery which has supplanted and overwhelmed the old sacraments."
Rosenberg's attitudes on religion were accepted as the only philosophy compatible with National Socialism. In 1940, the defendant Bormann wrote to Rosenberg in document 098-PS, which has been previously introduced as USA Exhibit 350, and I quote:
"The churches cannot be conquered by a compromise between National Socialism and Christian teachings, but only through a new ideology, whose coming you, yourself, have announced in your writings." church influence. The defendant Bormann frequently wrote Rosenberg in this regard, furnishing him information as to proposed action to be instituted against the churches, and, when necessary, requesting that action be taken by Rosenberg's department. I refer to documents introduced in connection with the case against the Leadership Corps, such documents as 070-PS, USA Exhibit 349, which deals with abolution of religious services in the schools; document 072-PS, USA 357, dealing with confiscation of religious property; 064-PS, USA 359, which deals with the inadequacy of anti-religious material being circulated to the soldiers; document 089-PS, USA Exhibit 360, dealing with curtailment of the publication of Protestant periodicals; and document 122-PS, which is USA Exhibit 362, dealing with the closing of theological faculties.
"Jewish Question". He set the keynote for its activities and indicated the direction which the exploration was to take. I would like to quote from document 2889-PS, which I offer as USA Exhibit 595. This is an excerpt from the Voelkischer Beobachter, 29th of March 1941. This is a statement made by Rosenberg on the occasion of the opening of the institute.
"For Germany the Jewish Question is only then solved when the last Jew has left the Greater German space.
"Since Germany with its blood and its nationalism has now broken for always this Jewish dictatorship for all Europe and has seen to it that Europe as a whole will become free from the Jewish paratism once more, we may, I believe, also say for all Europeans: For Europe the Jewish question is only then solved when the last Jew has left the European continent." to put these anti-Semitic beliefs into practice. Your Honours will recall that in document 001-PS, which was introduced as USA Exhibit 282 in connection with the case on Persecution of the Jews, Rosenberg recommended that instead of executing one hundred Frenchmen as retaliation for attempts on lives of members of the Wehrmacht, there be executed one hundred Jewish bankers, lawyers, etc. The recommendation was made with the avowed purpose of awakening the anti-Jewish sentiment. Maxwell-Fyfe as Exhibit GB-159, discloses that Rosenberg had called an Anti-Semitic Congress in June 1944, although this Congress was cancelled due to military events. Rosenberg called for elimination of the Versailles Treaty and cast aside any thought of revision of that Treaty.
In his book "The Nature, Principles and Aims of the NSDAP", written by Rosenberg in 1922, he expressed his opinions regarding the Treaty of Versailles. Excerpts from this book are translated in document 2433-PS, and I offer the book as USA Exhibit 596. He stated as follows:
"The National Socialists reject the popular phrase of the 'Revision of the Peace of Versailles' as such a revision might perhaps bring a few numerical reductions in the so-called 'obligations'; but the entire German people would still be, just as before, the slave of other nations."