Nazi Conspiracy & Aggression [Page 769]
of doubt: the hour had struck. Aircraft were first
reported in the east. At five o'clock came news of the
bombing of two Netherlands aerodromes, the violation of
the Belgian frontier, the landing of German soldiers at
the Eben-Emael Fort, the bombing of the Jemelle
station."
"At 8:30 the German Ambassador came to the Ministry of
Foreign Affairs. When he entered the Minister's room,
he began to take a paper from his pocket. M. Spaak"
[Belgian Foreign Minister] "stopped him 'I beg your
pardon, Mr. Ambassador. I will speak first.' And in an
indignant voice, he read the Belgian Government's
protest: 'Mr. Ambassador, the German Army has just
attacked our country. This is the second time in twenty-
five years that Germany has committed a criminal
aggression against a neutral and loyal Belgium. What
has just happened is perhaps even more odious than the
aggression of 1914. No ultimatum, no note, no protest
of any kind has ever been placed before the Belgian
Government. It is through the attack itself that
Belgium has learned that Germany has violated the
undertakings given by her on 13 October 1937, and
renewed spontaneously at the beginning of the war. The
act of aggression committed by Germany, for which there
is no justification whatever, will deeply shock the
conscience of the world. The German Reich will be held
responsible by history. Belgium is resolved to defend
herself. Her cause, which is the cause of Right, cannot
be vanquished'."
*******
"The Ambassador was then able to read the note he had
brought: 'I am instructed by the Government of the
Reich,' he said, 'to make the following declaration: In
order to forestall the invasion of Belgium, Holland,
and Luxembourg, for which Great Britain and France have
been making preparations clearly aimed at Germany, the
Government of the Reich is compelled to ensure the
neutrality of the three countries mentioned by means of
arms. For this purpose, the Government of the Reich
will bring up an armed force of the greatest size, so
that resistance of any kind will be useless. The
Government of the Reich guarantees Belgium's European
and colonial territory, as well as her dynasty, on
condition that no resistance is offered. Should there
be any resistance, Belgium will risk the destruction of
her country and loss of her independence. It is
therefore, in the interests of Belgium that the
population be called upon to cease all resistance and
[Page 770]
that the authorities be given the necessary
instructions to make contact with the German Military
Command."
*******
"In the middle of this communication, M. Spaak, who had
by his side the Secretary-General of the Department,
interrupted the Ambassador: 'Hand me the document', he
said. 'I should like to spare you so painful a task.'
After studying the note, M. Spaak confined himself to
pointing out that he had already replied by the protest
he had just made. ***" (TC-58)
The so-called ultimatum, which was delivered some hours
after the invasion had started, read in part as follows:
"The Reich Government has for a long time had no doubts
as to what was the chief aim of the British and French
war policy. It consists of the spreading of the war to
other countries, and of the misuse of their peoples as
auxiliary and mercenary troops for England and France.
"The last attempt of this sort was the plan to occupy
Scandinavia with the help of Norway, in order to set up
a new front against Germany in this region. It was only
Germany's last minute action which upset the project.
Germany has furnished documentary evidence of this
before the eyes of the world.
"Immediately after the British-French action in
Scandinavia miscarried, England and France took up
their policy of war expansion in another direction. In
this respect, while the retreat in flight of the
British troops from Norway was still going on, the
English Prime Minister announced that, as a result of
the altered situation in Scandinavia, England was once
more in a position to go ahead with the transfer of the
full weight of her navy to the Mediterranean, and that
English and French units were already on the way to
Alexandria. The Mediterranean now became the center of
English-French war propaganda. This was partly to gloss
over the Scandinavian defeat and the big loss of
prestige before their own people and before the world,
and partly to make it appear that the Balkans had been
chosen for the next theater of war against Germany.
"In reality, however, this apparent shifting to the
Mediterranean of English-French war policy had quite
another purpose. It was nothing but a diversion
manoeuvre in grand style, to deceive Germany as to the
direction of the next English-French attack. For, as
the Reich Government has long been aware, the true aim
of England and France is the
[Page 771]
carefully prepared and now immediately imminent attack
on Germany in the West, so as to advance through
Belgium and Holland to the region of the Ruhr.
"Germany has recognized and respected the inviolability
of Belgium and Holland, it being of course understood
that these two countries in the event of a war of
Germany against England and France would maintain the
strictest neutrality. "Belgium and the Netherlands have
not fulfilled this condition." (TC-57).
The so-called ultimatum goes on to complain of the hostile
expressions in the Belgian and the Netherlands Press, and to
allege attempts by the British Intelligence to bring a
revolution into Germany with the assistance of Belgium and
the Netherlands. Reference is made to military preparation
of the two countries, and it is pointed out that Belgium has
fortified the Belgian frontier. A complaint was made in
regard to Holland, that British aircraft had flown over the
Netherlands country. Other charges were made against the
neutrality of these two countries, although no instances
were given (TC-57). The document continued:
"In this struggle for existence forced upon the German
people by England and France, the Reich Government is
not disposed to await submissively the attack by
England and France and to allow them to carry the war
over Belgium and the Netherlands into German territory.
It has therefore now issued the command to German
troops to ensure the neutrality of these countries by
all the military means at the disposal of the Reich."
(TC-57)
It is unnecessary, in view of the documents previously
adverted to, to emphasize the falsity of that statement. It
is now known that for months preparations had been made to
violate the neutrality of these three countries. This
document is merely saying, "The orders to do so have now
been issued."
A similar document, similar in terms altogether, was handed
to the representative of the Netherlands Government; and a
memorandum was sent to the Luxembourg Government, which
enclosed with it a copy of the document handed to the
Governments of Belgium and the Netherlands. The second
paragraph of the latter declared:
"In defense against the imminent attack, the German
troops have now received the order to safeguard the
neutrality of these two countries ***". (TC-60)
The protest of the Belgium Government against the crime
which was committed against her is contained in TC-59.
The
original plaintext version
of this file is available via
ftp.
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Volume
I Chapter IX
Aggression Against Belgium, The Netherlands, and Luxembourg
(Part 4 of 6)