Archive/File: imt/nca/nca-02/nca-02-16-responsibility-20-01
Last-Modified: 1997/06/16

   Nazi Conspiracy and Aggression, Volume Two, Chapter XIV


                                                 [Page 1014]

A. POSITIONS AND HONORS HELD BY VON NEURATH.

He was a member of the Nazi Party from 30 January 1937 until
1945, and vas awarded the Golden Party Badge on 30 January
1937.

He was General in the SS. He was personally appointed
Gruppenfuehrer by Hitler in September 1937, and was promoted
to Obergruppenfuehrer on 21 June 1943.

He was Reich Minister of Foreign Affairs under the
Chancellorship of von Papen from 2 June 1932, and under the
Chancellorship of Hitler from 30 January 1933 until he was
replaced by von Ribbentrop on 4 February 1938.

He was Reich Minister from 4 February 1938 until May 1945.

He was President of the Secret Cabinet Council, to which he
was appointed on 4 February 1938.

He was a member of the Reich Defense Council.

He was Reichs Protector for Bohemia and Moravia from 18
March 1939 until he was replaced by Frick on 25 August 1943.

He was awarded the Adlerorden by Hitler at the time of his
appointment as Reich Protector. Ribbentrop was the only
other German to receive this decoration.

These facts are collected in a document signed by von
Neurath and his counsel (2972-PS). Von Neurath comments on
certain of these matters. He says that the award of the
Golden Party Badge was made on 30 January 1937 against his
will and without his being asked. Yet he not only refrained
from repudiating

                                                 [Page 1015]
                                                            
the allegedly unwanted honor, but after receiving it
attended meetings at which wars of aggression were planned,
actively participated in the forcible annexation of Austria,
and tyrannized over Bohemia and Moravia.

He also contends that his appointment as SS Gruppenfuehrer
was also against his will and without his being asked. But
in this connection, his wearing of the SS uniform, his
receipt of the further promotion to Obergruppenfuehrer, and
the actions against Bohemia and Moravia must be considered.
In addition, von Neurath says that his appointment as
Foreign Minister was by Reichspresident von Hindenburg. Yet
President von Hindenburg died in 1934, and von Neurath
continued as Foreign Minister until 1938, under the
chancellorship first of von Papen and then of Hitler. He
further claims that he was an inactive Minister from 4
February 1938 until May 1945. His activities in this
connection will be mentioned below, particularly with regard
to Bohemia and Moravia.

Von Neurath next alleges that the Secret Cabinet Council
never sat or conferred. This Council, of which von Neurath
was president, has been authoritatively described as a
select committee of the Cabinet for the deliberation of
foreign affairs, directly subordinated to the Fuehrer for
counsel and assistance (1774-PS):

"A Privy Cabinet Council, to advise the Fuehrer in the basic
problems of foreign policy, has been created by the decree
of 4 February 1938 *** This Privy Cabinet Council is under
the direction of Reich-Minister v. Neurath, and includes the
Foreign Minister, the Air Minister, the Deputy Commander for
the Fuehrer, the Propaganda Minister, the Chief of the Reich-
Chancellery, the Commanders-in-Chief of the Army and Navy
and the Chief of the Supreme Command of the Armed Forces.
The Privy Cabinet Council constitutes a select staff of
collaborators of the Fuehrer which consists exclusively of
members of the Government of the Reich; thus, it represents
a select committee of the Reich Government for the
deliberation on foreign affairs." (1774-PS)

The formal composition of this body is shown in 201-PS. Von
Neurath held himself out as a member of this body by
communicating with the British Ambassador on Secret Cabinet
Council stationery. (3287-PS)

Von Neurath, finally, objects that he was not a member of
the Reich Defense Council. This Council was set up soon
after Hitler's accession to power, on 4 April 1933 (2261-
PS). In an affidavit by Frick (2986-PS), this Council is
described as follows:

                                                 [Page 1016]
                                                            
     "*** We were also members of the Reich Defense Council,
     which was supposed to plan preparations in case of war
     which later on were published by the Ministerial
     Council for the Defense of the Reich." (2986-PS)

The membership of this Council included the Minister for
Foreign Affairs, who was then von Neurath. This is shown by
a document giving the composition of the Reich Defense
Council, and including among permanent members the Minister
for Foreign Affairs (EC-177). That document is dated
"Berlin, 22 May 1933," which was during von Neurath's tenure
of that office.

The functioning of the Reich Defense Council, with a
representative of von Neurath's ministry, von Beulow,
present, is shown by the minutes of the 12th meeting on 14
May 1936 (EC-407). Under the secret law of 4 September 1938
von Neurath was a member of the Reich Defense Council by
virtue of his presidency of the Secret Cabinet Council. This
fact is shown by the enclosure of a copy of that law in a
letter addressed to von Neurath as Reich Protector for
Bohemia and Moravia on 6 September 1939 (2194-PS). It is
curious that the Reich Protector for Bohemia and Moravia
denies his membership in the Council when the letter
enclosing the law is one addressed to him. This law
describes the tasks of the Council as follows:

     "The task of the Reich Defense Council consists, in
     peacetime, of the decision on all measures for the
     preparation of Reich defense, and the gathering
     together of all forces and means of the nation
     according to the- directions of the Leaders and Reich
     Chancellor. The tasks of the Council in wartime will be
     especially determined by the Leader and Reich
     Chancellor." (2194-PS)

The law also lists the permanent members of the Council, and
the seventh one is the President of the Secret Cabinet
Council, who was von Neurath.

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