Archive/File: imt/nca/nca-02/nca-02-15-criminality-02-09 Last-Modified: 1996/12/28 [Page 59] A memorandum by Reichsleiter Bormann of a conference called by-Hitler at his headquarters on 16 July 1941 (L-221), states, in part, as follows with respect to the maintenance of order in the occupied Eastern areas: "The Crimea has to be evacuated by all foreigners and to be settled by Germans only *** We have now to face the task of cutting up the giant cake according to our needs in order to be able first, to dominate it, second, to administer it, and third, to exploit it. The Russians have now ordered partisan warfare behind our front. This partisan war *** has some advantage for us; it enables us to eradicate everyone who opposes us. *** Our iron principle is and has to remain: we must never permit anybody but the Germans to carry arms***." According to the above memorandum, the foregoing conference attended by Reichsleiter Rosenberg, Reich Minister Lamer, Field Marshal Keitel, Reich Marshal Goering, and Bormann, lasted about 20 hours. The memorandum states that discussion occurred with respect to the annexation by Germany of various parts of conquered Europe. The memorandum also states that a long discussion took place with respect to the qualifications of Gauleiter Lohse, who was proposed by Rosenberg at the conference as governor of the Baltic country. Discussion also occurred with respect to the qualifications of other Gauleiter and commissioners for the administration of various areas of occupied Russia. Goering stated that he intended to appoint Gauleiter Terboven for the "exploitation of the Kola Peninsula; the Fuehrer agrees." With respect to the security of the German administration in the eastern areas, the memorandum states: "This giant area would have to be pacified as quickly as possible; the best solution was to shoot anybody who looked sideways *** Field Marshal Keitel emphasizes the inhabitants themselves ought to be made responsible for their things because it was, of course, impossible to put a sentry in front of every shed or railway station. The inhabitants had to understand that anybody who did not perform their duties properly would be shot, and that they would be held responsible for each offense." (L-221) (d) Subversion of Christian Church and Persecution of the Clergy. The evidence relating to the systematic effort of the conspirators to eliminate the Christian churches in Germany is discussed in Section 6 of Chapter VII. The evidence hereinafter limited to proving the responsibility of the Leadership [Page 60] Corps and its members for participation in illegal activities against the Christian church and clergy. Bormann, who was a Reichsleiter and Chief of the Nazi Party Chancellery, issued a secret decree addressed to all Gauleiter, entitled "Relationship of National Socialism and Christianity" (D-75). In this decree Reichsleiter Bormann flatly declared that National Socialism and Christianity are incompatible and that the influence of the churches in Germany must be eliminated: "National Socialist and Christian concepts are irreconcilable. *** Our National Socialist ideology is far loftier than the concepts of Christianity, which, in their essential points, have been taken over from Jewry. For this reason also, we do not need Christianity. *** If, therefore, in the future our youth learns nothing more of this Christianity, whose doctrines are far below ours, Christianity will disappear by itself. *** It follows from the irreconcilability of National Socialist and Christian concepts that a strengthening of existing confessions and every demand of originating Christian confessions is to be rejected by us. A differentiation between the various Christian confessions is not to be made here. For this reason, also, the thought of an erection of an Evangelical National Church by merger of the various Evangelical churches has been definitely given up, because the Evangelical Church is just as inimicable to us as the Catholic Church. Any strengthening of the Evangelical Church would merely react against us. *** "For the first time in German history, the Fuehrer consciously and completely has the leadership of the people in his own hand. With the Party, its components, and attached units, the Fuehrer has created for himself, and thereby the German Reich leadership, an instrument which makes him independent of the Church. All influences which might impair or damage the leadership of the people exercised by the Fuehrer, with the help of the NSDAP, must be eliminated. More and more the people must be separated from the churches and their organs, the pastors. Of course, the churches must and will, seen from their viewpoint, defend themselves against this loss of power. But never again must an influence on leadership of the people be yielded to the churches. This influence must be broken completely and finally. "Only the Reich Government and, by its direction, the Party, its components and attached units have a right to leadership [Page 61] of the people. Just as the deleterious influences of astrologers, seers and other fakers are eliminated and suppressed by the State, so must the possibility of Church influence also be totally removed. Not until this has happened, does the State leadership have influence on the individual citizens. Not until then are people and Reich secure in their existence for all the future." (D-75) On 25 April 1941 a letter was issued from Bormann's office to Rosenberg in his capacity as the Fuehrer's Representative for the Supervision of the Entire Mental and Ideological Training and Education of the NSDAP (070-PS). In this letter Bormann's office stated that measures had been taken leading to the progressive cancelation of morning prayers and other religious services and their substitution by Nazi mottos and slogans: "We are inducing schools more and more to reduce and abolish religious morning services. Similarly the confessional and general prayers in several parts of the Reich have already been replaced by national socialist mottos. I would be grateful to know your opinion on a future national socialist morning service instead of the present confessional morning services which are usually conducted once per week ***. (070-PS) In a letter from Reichsleiter Bormann to Reichsleiter Rosenberg, dated 22 February 1940, Bormann declared to Rosenberg that the Christian religion and National Socialism are incompatible (098-PS). Bormann cited, as examples of hostile divergence between Naziism and the churches, the attitude of the latter on the racial question, celibacy of the priests, monasteries and nunneries, etc. Bormann further declared that the churches could not be subjugated through compromise, but only through a new philosophy of life as prophesied in Rosenberg's writings. In this letter, Bormann proposed the- creation of a National Socialist catechism, in order to give that part of the German youth which declines to practice confessional religion, a moral foundation, and lay a moral basis for National Socialist doctrines, which were eventually to supplant the Christian religions. Bormann suggested that some of the Ten Commandments could be merged with the National Socialist Catechism and stated that a few new Commandments should be added, such as: Thou shalt be courageous; thou shalt not be cowardly; Thou shalt believe in God's presence the living nature, animals, and plants; Thou shalt keep thy blood pure; etc. Deputy of the Fuehrer Bormann concluded that considered the problem so important that it should be dis- [Page 62] cussed with the members of the Reich Directorate, comprising the top leaders of the Leadership Corps of the Nazi Party, as soon as possible. (098-PS) At one point in this letter, Bormann stated: "Christianity and National Socialism are phenomena which originated from entirely different basic causes. Both differ fundamentally so strongly, that it will not be possible to construct a Christian teaching which would be completely compatible with the point of view of the National Socialist ideology; just as the communications of Christian faith would never be able to stand by the ideology of National Socialism in its entirety ***." (098-PS) After discussing various proposals for the formulation of a Nazi religious credo for instruction in the German school system, Bormann stated: "The-Fuehrer's deputy finds it necessary that all these questions should be thoroughly discussed in the near future in the presence of the Reich Leaders [Reichsleiter] who are especially effected by them ***." (098-PS) In a circular letter, dated 17 June 1938, addressed by Bormann as Reichsleiter and Deputy of the Fuehrer to all Reichsleiter and Gauleiter, there was enclosed a copy of rules prepared by Reichsleiter Hierl, setting forth certain restrictive regulations with respect to participation of the Reich Labor Service in religious celebrations (107-PS). Pertinent portions of the directives issued by Reichsleiter Hierl read as follows: "The Reich Labor Service is a training school in which the German youth should be educated to national unity in the spirit of National Socialism ***. "What religious beliefs a person has is not a decisive factor, but it is decisive that he first of all feels himself a German. "Every religious practice is forbidden in the Reich Labor Service because it disturbs the comrade-like harmony of all working men and women. "On this basis, every participation of the Reich Labor Service in churchly, that is religious, arrangements and celebrations is not possible." (107-PS) The position of Bormann as Deputy of the Fuehrer and chief of the Nazi Party Chancellery, and the position of Rosenberg as the Fuehrer's Representative for the Whole Spiritual and Philosophical Education of-the Nazi Party, give to the foregoing views on religion and religious policy the highest official backing. The anti-Christian utterances and policies of these two conspirator- [Page 63] defendants reveal a community of mind and intention amongst the most powerful leaders of the party which was amply confirmed by the actual treatment of the churches since 1933 and throughout the course of the conspiracy. An excerpt from page 514 of "The Myth of the 20th Century," written by Rosenberg, reads as follows: "The idea of honor -- national honor -- is for us the beginning and the end of our entire thinking and doing. It does not admit of any equal-valued center of force along side of it, no matter of what kind, neither Christian love, nor the Free-Masonic humanity, nor the Roman philosophy." (249-PS)
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