Archive/File: imt/tgmwc/tgmwc-06/tgmwc-06-56.02
Last-Modified: 1997/11/09

The Operational Staff of the O.K.W., meticulously following
Hitler's directive regarding a cruel and rapid destruction
of Yugoslavia, speedily worked out a detailed plan for co-
ordinated operations of the German and Italian Armies. It
was issued as an official operational directive dated 28th
March, 1941. I consider it essential to re-read three lines
of this document, already submitted to the Tribunal under
the same document, 1746-PS. You will find it on Page 352 of
the document book. I read paragraph 4 of this document into
the record.

     "The German task is to attack Yugoslavia with the
     greatest possible concentration of forces, to smash its
     Army and destroy it as a State."
     
I cannot but remind the Tribunal of the terminology used by
Hitler and the other Fascist conspirators. Hitler said:

     "There can be no question of sparing Poland."
     
He demanded:

     "Yugoslavia is to be eliminated as a State, ruthlessly
     and with lightning speed."
     
Mercilessness, ruthlessness, extermination of peoples and
States: such was the style and meaning of the actions of the
Fascist conspirators.

The aggression against Czechoslovakia, the attack on Poland,
the desire to destroy Yugoslavia, all these were links in
the same chain. But the chain does not end with these links.

The task of the next representative of the U.S.S.R.
prosecution will be to show your Honors that the fundamental
purpose of these criminals, the main link in the center of
all of the Hitlerite conspiracies was the attack on the
U.S.S.R.

The documents relating to the crimes against Yugoslavia will
prove that, in attacking that country, the Fascist
conspirators strictly followed their customary methods. Even
in detail they repeated their earlier crimes perpetrated
against Poland, Austria, and Czechoslovakia. Even in case we
did not know who actually organized the attack on
Yugoslavia, the very nature of the facts, the sequence of
events, the manner in which the crimes were perpetrated,
would unmistakably indicate the culprits.

I turn to Exhibit USSR 36, under which number I offer in
evidence the official report of the Yugoslav Government.

                                                  [Page 225]

The first section, entitled "The Systematic Preparation of
the Conspiracy for the Enslavement and the Destruction of
Yugoslavia," contains a series of valuable information. I
wish to cite that excerpt from this document which you will
find on Page 353 of the document book. Sub-paragraph 1 on
Page 3 of the Russian text (third paragraph from the top)
reads:

     "The Government of the Third Reich and the Hitlerite
     Party secretly organized the German minority. Settled
     in Yugoslavia by the Austrian emperors over a century
     ago, the Germans enjoyed as brothers full rights and a
     cultural autonomy. They had their own schools and their
     representatives in parliaments as well as in the local
     government. They numbered half a million (that is about
     3 per cent. of the total population).
     
     From 1920 they had their mass organisation -- the
     Swabian-German Cultural Union ('Kulturbund' for short).
     And out of this very organisation and through it, as
     well as out of all the Germans in Yugoslavia, the Nazi
     Party created a political and military organ for the
     destruction of Yugoslavia."
     
I believe I can skip several lines without loss and quote
further:

     "In Yugoslavia, the Nazi `Gaue' were secretly formed
     and `Gauleiter' appointed. Under the guise of various
     physical training and sport associations, Hitlerite
     units were organized half a million strong. Numerous
     'tourists,' 'travellers,' 'business men,' and
     'relatives' came from the Reich -- in reality they were
     Nazi instructors and organizers."
     
I omit a number of details which can be disregarded, and
pass to the second paragraph of the same section on Page 4,
that would be Page 356 in your document book, where the
manner is described in which the Fifth Column was further
strengthened. I now shall read into the record paragraph 2,
beginning with the second sub-paragraph:

     "...The Hitlerites drew into their orbit all the
     separatist and Chauvinistic elements, as, for instance,
     Pavelic's `Ustashi,' the `Zbor,' a movement headed by
     Ljotic; the V.M.R.O. (the Macedonian Fascist movement),
     headed by Vancia Mihajlovic, and organized them as
     terrorist organisations with headquarters in Berlin. On
     the other hand, acting through their agents, Prince
     Paul, Stojadinovic, Cvetcovic, and Cincar-Marcovic,
     they attracted the Pan-Serbian centralists and turned
     them into a terrorist group which, from the vantage
     points of governmental authority, was 'peacefully' to
     deliver Yugoslavia into slavery by adhering to the
     Tripartite Pact."
     
Further, the report emphasizes the fact that, while
organizing numerous branches of the Fifth Column, the
Hitlerites continually gave newer and more perfidious
assurances about their ostensibly friendly intentions with
regard to Yugoslavia. This is discussed in paragraph 3 on
Page 5 of the Russian text; our Document USSR 36. You will
find this passage, Your Honors, on Page 357 of the document
book:

     "3. At the time when both the Hitlerite Government and
     the Party were so thoroughly and with such versatility,
     preparing their conspiracy to invade and occupy
     Yugoslavia, Hitler seized every opportunity to declare
     to the whole world, on behalf of the same Government,
     the Party, and the whole of Germany, that Yugoslavia
     could count on them as devoted friends."
     
On 17th January, 1938, i.e., some weeks before the
occupation of Austria, Hitler had a meeting with the then
Prime Minister of Yugoslavia at which the defendants Goering
and von Neurath were present. The original document from
which I shall quote certain passages was submitted to the
Tribunal as Document  92-TC. The extract which I shall quote
further on as documentary evidence, is dated the 4th
December, 1945. You will find it on Page 411 of the document
book.

                                                  [Page 226]
                                                            
On 4th December, 1945, a printed collection of German
documents dealing with the conflict with Yugoslavia and
Greece was offered to you in evidence. In the listing of
documentary evidence it is referred to as Document  92-TC.

On Page 68, and you will find it, as I have already stated,
on Page 411 in your document book (as Document  28 of that
collection), we have a transcript of the conversations which
took place during the conference of 17th January, 1938. I
consider there is no need to read the entire document into
the record. I shall limit myself to the following three
remarks made by Hitler on that occasion:

     "As regards Yugoslavia, Germany is highly interested in
     the existence of a strong Yugoslavia."
     
Somewhat later in the course of the same conversation:

     "What ever may happen there, Yugoslavia's present
     boundary will remain as inviolable as the border on the
     Brenner is to-day."
     
In addition Hitler, at this meeting, made the following
statement,

     "The German nationality group in Yugoslavia was loyal
     to the Yugoslav Government."
     
On 30th January, 1939 -- some weeks before the occupation of
the Czechoslovak Republic -- Hitler made the following
declaration about Yugoslavia in his speech before the
Reichstag -- this quotation is to be found on Page 412 in
your document book:

     "A state which since the Great War has more and more
     attracted the attention of our people is Yugoslavia.
     The respect which the German soldier felt for that
     valiant people in the past has grown ever stronger and
     developed into sincere friendship."
     
The Fascist conspirators considered it useful to include
this speech, as Document No. 32, in the book from which I
just have quoted and presented to the Tribunal as Document
92-TC.

On 1st June, 1939, i.e., before the Fascist attack on
Poland, Prince Paul of Yugoslavia, whom the official report
of the Yugoslav Government calls a Hitlerite agent, paid a
visit to Hitler. On this occasion, Hitler stated in Berlin -
- you will find the passage on Page 412 in your document
book:

     "Germany's friendship with the Yugoslav nation did not
     spring up suddenly. It was deepened and strengthened by
     the tragic complications of the World War."
     
Then, after having made a few more statements which are of
no interest to the Tribunal, he continued:

     "I am all the more confident that now when, as a result
     of the historic events, we have become neighbors with
     common frontiers established for ever, the friendly
     relations between Germany and Yugoslavia, trustful and
     steadfast, will not only secure lasting peace between
     both our peoples, but, moreover will serve as a calming
     element for our nervous, excitable continent."

I repeat once more that I quote from the book, Document 92-TC.

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