Nazi Conspiracy & Aggression D. Secret Rearmament
The program of rearmament and the objectives of
circumventing and breaching the Versailles Treaty are
forcefully shown in a number of Navy documents, showing the
participation and operation of the German navy in this
rearmament program which was secret at first. When it was
deemed safe to say so, the Navy openly acknowledged that it
had always been its object to break the Versailles Treaty.
In 1937 the Navy High Command (OKM) published a secret book
entitled, "The Fight of the Navy Against Versailles, 1919 to
1935", written by Sea Captain Schussler (C-156). The preface
refers to the fight of the navy against the unbearable
regulations of the peace treaty of Versailles. The table of
contents includes a variety of navy activities, such as
saving of coastal guns from destruction as required by
Versailles; independent armament measures behind the back of
the government and behind the back f the legislative bodies;
resurrection of the U-boat arm; economic rearmament; and
camouflaged rearmament from 1933 to the freedom from the
restrictions in 1935. (C-156).
[Page 422]
This book points out the significant effect of seizure of
power by the Nazis in 1933 on increasing the size and
determining the nature of the rearmament program. It also
refers to the far-reaching independence in the building and
development of the navy, which was only hampered insofar as
concealment of rearmament had to considered in compliance
with the Versailles Treaty (C-156). With the restoration of
what was called the military sovereignty of the Reich in
1935 -- the reoccupation of the demilitarized zone of the
Rhineland -- the external camouflage of rearmament was
eliminated.
This book of the German navy bears the symbol of the Nazi
Party, the Swastika, in the spread eagle on the cover sheet,
and it is headed "secret", underscored (C-156). Raeder has
identified this book in an interrogation and explained that
the Navy tried to fulfill the letter of the Versailles
Treaty and at the same time to make progress in naval
development. The following are pertinent extracts from the
book:
"The object and aim of this memorandum under the
heading 'Preface', is to draw a technically reliable
picture based on documentary records and the evidence
of those who took part in the fight of the Navy against
the unbearable regulations of the peace treaty of
Versailles. It shows that the Reich navy after the
liberating activities of the Free Corps and of Scapa
Flow did not rest, but found ways and means to lay with
unquenchable enthusiasm, in addition to the building up
of the 15,000-man navy, the basis for a greater
development in the future, and so create by work of
soldiers and technicians the primary condition for a
later rearmament. It must also distinguish more clearly
the services of these men, who, without being known in
wide circles, applied themselves with extraordinary
zeal in responsibility in the service of the fight
against the peace treaty; thereby stimulated by the
highest feeling of duty, they risked, particularly in
the early days of their fight, themselves and their
position unrestrainedly in the partially self-ordained
task. This compilation makes it clearer, however, that
even such ideal and ambitious plans can be realized
only to a small degree if the concentrated and united
strength of the whole people is not behind the
courageous activity of the soldier. Only when the
Fuehrer had created the second and even more important
condition for an effective rearmament in the
coordination of the whole nation and in the fusion of
the political, financial and spiritual power, could the
work of the soldier find its fulfillment. The framework
of this peace treaty, the
[Page 423]
most shameful known in world history, collapsed under the driving power of this united will. [signed] The Compiler". (C-156)
The summary of the contents indicated in the chapter titles
is significant:
"I. First, defensive action against the execution of
the Treaty of Versailles (from the end of the war to
the occupation of the Ruhr, 1923).
"1. Saving of coastal guns from destruction to removal
of artillery equipment and ammunition, hand and machine
weapons. ***
"3. Limitation of destruction in Heligoland.
"II. Independent armament measures behind the back of
the Reich Government and of the legislative body (from
1923 to the Lomann case in 1927).
"1. An attempt to increase the personnel strength of
the Reich Navy.
"2. Contributing to the strengthening of patriotism
among the people.
"3. Activities of Captain Lohmann.
"4. Preparation for the resurrection of the German U-
boat -arm.
"5. Building up of the air force.
"6. Attempt to strengthen our mine arm (Die Mine).
"7. Economic rearmament.
"8. Miscellaneous measures.
"a. The Aerogeodetic, and;
"b. Secret evidence.
"III. Planned armament work countenance by the Reich
government but behind the back of the legislative body
from 1927 to the seizure of power, 1933.
"IV. Rearmament under the leadership of the Reich
Government in camouflage (from 1933 to the freedom from
restrictions, 1935)."'(C-156)
The following is a passage from Chapter IV:
"The unification of the whole nation which was combined
with the taking over of power on 30 January 1933 was of
the decisive influence on the size and shape of further
rearmament.
"While the second chamber, Reichsrat, approached its
dissolution and withdrew as a legislative body, the
Reichstag assumed a composition which could only take a
one-sided
[Page 424]
attitude toward the rearmament of the armed forces. The
government took over the management of the rearmament
program upon this foundation.
"Development of the Armed Forces."
"This taking over of the management by the Reich
Government developed for the armed forces in such a
manner that the War Minister, General von Blomberg, and
through him the three branches of the armed forces,
received farreaching powers from the Reich Cabinet for
the development of the armed forces. The whole
organization of the Reich was included in this way. In
view of these powers the collaboration of the former
inspecting body in the management of the secret
expenditure was from then on dispensed with. There
remained only the inspecting duty of the accounting
office of the German Reich.
"Independence of the Commander in Chief of the Navy"
"The commander-in-chief of the Navy, Admiral Raeder,
honorary doctor, had received the help of a far-
reaching independence in the building and development
of the navy. This was only hampered insofar as the
previous concealment of rearmament had to be continued
in consideration of the Versailles Treaty. Besides the
public budget there remained the previous special
budget, which was greatly increased in view of the
considerable credit for the provision of labor, which
was made available by the Reich. Wide powers in the
handling of these credits were given to the Director of
the Budget Department of the navy, up to 1934 Commodore
Schussler, afterwards Commodore Foerster. These took
into consideration the increased responsibility of the
Chief of the Budget.
"Declaration of Military Freedom"
"When the Fuehrer, relying upon the strength of the
armed forces executed in the meanwhile, announced the
restoration of the military sovereignty of the German
Reich, the last mentioned limitation on rearmament
works namely, the external camouflage, was eliminated.
Freed from all the shackles which have hampered our
ability to move freely on and under water, on land and
in the air for one and a half decades, and carried by
the newly-awakened fighting spirit of the whole nation,
the armed forces, and as part of it, the navy, can lead
with full strength towards its completion the
rearmament already under way with the goal of securing
for the Reich its rightful position in the world." (C-156)
The
original plaintext version
of this file is available via
ftp.
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Volume
I Chapter IX
Preparation for Aggression
1933-1936
(Part 5 of 14)