Fourth Day:
Friday, 23rd November, 1945
Immediately following their accession to power, the Nazi
conspirators instituted a determined programme for wholesale
Organisation of the masses by seizing control of all
vehicles of public expression. The widespread use of
propaganda by the political machine thus created became a
key device in establishing control over all phases of the
German economy, public and private. They conceived that the
proper function of propaganda was:-
[Page 122]
The recruiting of people for enlistment in the Party and
supervised organisations was the primary objective in the
years preceding and immediately following the seizure of
power. After the rise to power, this task was broadened to
include the enlistment of the people as a whole for the
active support of the regime and its policies. As the Reich
Propaganda Leader of the Party and Reich Minister for
Propaganda, Goebbels stated:-
As you will note from the charts, there were three separate
levels of control within the German Reich. The first level
was the Party Controls, which are represented on the chart
by the top block. And you will see that the Party through
its Examining Commission controlled the books and magazines,
and issues of books and magazines setting forth the ideology
of the Party.
The second block, the Press Leader Division, supervised all
publishers, and headed the Party newspapers and book
publishers.
The third block, Press Chief - this office controlled the
Press Political Office, the Press Personnel Office, and
supervised the Party treatment of the Press and treatment of
Party affairs in the Press.
The centre block, the Office of Propaganda Leader, had under
its control not only the Press, but Exhibits, Affairs,
Speaker's Bureau, Films, Radio, Culture, and other means of
expression, and dissemination of the ideology of the Party
and its purposes.
The next block, Ideology, was devoted exclusively to the
ideology of the Party headed by the defendant Rosenberg. It
supplied all the training periodicals, prepared for the
schools, and the indoctrination of the people into the
ideology of the Party. On that same level is Youth
Education, presided over by the defendant Schirach, who had
under his control the Hitler Jugend; and then there were the
University Students and Teachers Division of the Party
Control.
On the next level you have the controls that were exercised
by the State, and reading from left to right you have the
Propaganda Co-ordination, Foreign Co-ordination, and Co-
operation.
Radio, which was under the control of the defendant
Fritzsche, Film, Literature, the German Press, Periodicals,
Theatre, Arts, Other Cultural Things, and the Ministry for
Education.
Then, in the last, there is what is known as the Corporate
Controls. These were under a semi-official control of both
the Party and the State. These are the so-called Cultural
Chambers. Their purpose was to have full control over the
personnel engaged in the various arts and cultures, and
engaged in the preparation and dissemination of news. First
the Press. All reporters and writers belonged to that
section. The next section was Fine Arts, Music, Theatre,
Film, Literature, Radio, and then going over into the
Educational Branch the organisation which the
[Page 123]
By means of this vast network of propaganda machinery, the
Nazi conspirators had full control over the expression and
dissemination of all thought, cultural activities, and
dissemination of news within the Reich. Nothing was or could
be published in Germany that did not have the approval,
express or implied of the Party and State. The defendant
Schacht in his personal notes explains the effect of the
killing of a piece of news in a totalitarian dictatorship.
As he states it, it has never become publicly known that
there have been thousands of martyrs in the Hitler regime.
They have all disappeared in the cells or graves of the
concentration camps, without ever having been heard of
again; and he goes on to say, "what is the use of martyrdom
in the fight against terror if it has no chance of becoming
known and thus serving as an example for others."
I would . . .
THE PRESIDENT: What were you reading from then? From what
document were you reading when you quoted Schacht?
MAJOR WALLIS: I am afraid . . .
THE PRESIDENT: You can tell us later on.
MAJOR WALLIS: I will tell you later on, Sir. I would now
like to turn your attention . . .
THE PRESIDENT: Before you pass from this subject, there is a
note on the documents which shows that certain documents are
missing. What does that mean?
MAJOR WALLIS: Those documents are in the process of being
reproduced and will be furnished to the Court, I hope,
before the close of the day, Sir. They have been added to
that book and, as yet, have not been completed in their
process of reproduction.
THE PRESIDENT: Thank you. Have they been translated ?
MAJOR WALLIS: Yes, Sir, they have been translated, and the
translations are in the process of being reproduced.
THE PRESIDENT: Are the documents in their original form in
German?
MAJOR WALLIS: Yes, I believe they are, Sir.
THE PRESIDENT: Very well.
MAJOR WALLIS: I would now like to direct the Court's
attention to the militarisation of Nazi-dominated
organisations during this pre-war period, and for that
purpose I offer Exhibit USA J, which consists of a document
book with English translations, and I present to the Court
also a brief which accompanies this portion of the case.
Throughout this pre-war period, and while the Nazi
conspirators were achieving and consolidating their
totalitarian control of Germany, they did not lose sight of
their main objective-aggressive war. Accordingly, they
placed a considerable number of their dominated
organisations on a progressively militarised footing, with a
view to the rapid transformation of these organisations
whenever necessary, as instruments of war. These
organisations were the SS, the SA, the Hitler Jugend, the
NSKK or National Socialist Motor Corps, the NSFK (the
National Socialist Aviation Corps), the RAD (Reich Labour
Service), and the OT, the Todt Organisation.
The manner in which the militarisation was accomplished is
detailed in part in the documents, which have been presented
to us, and will be detailed further when the particular
organisations are taken up and discussed and their
criminality established at subsequent stages in the case. At
this time, I would like to call the Court's attention to a
chart, and while the chart is physically being placed on the
board, I would offer exhibits USA 22 and 23, I beg your
pardon--exhibit 22, which is document 2899-PS, and is a
reproduction of Page 15 of the book entitled, "History of
the Nazi Party". You will note that on the left lower corner
of the chart placed oil the board, there are some papers
attached. The top paper is an affidavit which reads as
follows: "I certify that the above enlargement is a true
[Page 124]
This chart visualises, as vividly as possible, just how this
militarisation took place in Germany. The chart is entitled,
"The Organic Incorporation of German Nationals into the
National Socialist System, and the Way to Political
Leadership".
Starting at the bottom of the chart, you see the young folk,
between the ages of 10 and 14. The arrows point both right
and left. The arrow to the right is the Adolf Hitler School,
for youth between the ages of 12 and 18. Both from the
School and from the young folk, they proceed to the Hitler
Jugend. At 18 years of age, they graduate from the Hitler
Jugend into the various party formations, the SA, SS, the
NSKK, and the NSFK. At the age of 20 they continue from
these party formations into the Labour Service, and from the
Labour Service, after they have served their period of time
there, back again to the party formations, of the SA, the
SS, NSKK, and NSFK, until they reach the age of 21. Then
they proceed into the Army, serve in the Army from the ages
of 21 to 23, and then back again into the party formations
of SA, SS, etc.
And from that group, the select move to be Political Leaders
(Leiter) of the Nazi Party, and from that group are selected
the cream of the crop who go to the Nazi Party Special
Schools and from these schools, as is represented on the top
of the chart, graduate the political Fuehrers of the People.
I would emphasise again to the Court that this chart is not
anything that was prepared by counsel in this case. It was
prepared by the Nazi Party people and it comes from their
own history.
Thus, by the end of the pre-war period, the Nazi
conspirators had achieved one of the first major steps in
their grand conspiracy. All phases of German life were
dominated by Nazi doctrine and practice and mobilised for
the accomplishment of their militant aims. The extent to
which this was accomplished can be no better expressed than
by the words of Hitler when he spoke to the Reichstag on
20th February, 1938. I refer to document 2715-PS. He said:
In this Reich, anybody who has a responsible position is
a National Socialist. . . . Every institution of this
Reich is under the orders of the supreme political
leadership. . . . The Party leads the Reich politically,
the armed
[Page 125]
COLONEL STOREY: If the Tribunal please ...
DR. SEIDL (Counsel for defendant Frank): Mr. President, may
I make a few short remarks in this connection? The
defendants were given, along with the Indictment, a list of
the documents, which is introduced as follows:
DR. SEIDL (continuing):
COLONEL STOREY: If the Tribunal please, in the first place
practically every document referred to by Major Wallis is a
document of which the Court would take judicial knowledge.
Secondly, a list of documents was filed in the Defendants'
Information Centre on 1st November. I am not sure as to
whether all of these or a part of them were included. Each
attorney presenting each segment of the case sends down to
the Defendants' Information Centre a list of the documents
which he proposes to offer in evidence Upon his
presentation. Thirdly, I wonder if the Tribunal and defence
counsel realise the physical problems that are imposed? I am
informed that copies of these documents in English as well
as copies of the briefs, were delivered either last night or
this morning in Defendants' Information Centre. Lastly,
other presentations that follow, we will abide by the
Tribunal's request, namely, that, prior to the presentation
the Court will be furnished with these documents books, with
these briefs, and defence counsel will also be furnished
with them in advance. The week-end will permit us to do
that.
THE PRESIDENT: The Tribunal thinks that the trial must now
continue without any adjournment, but that in future as soon
as possible the defendants' counsel will be furnished with
copies of the documents which are to be put in evidence.
DR. SERVATIUS (Counsel for defendant Sauckel): I should like
to present the following: The documents are presented to the
Court also in an English translation. An examination of
these translations should be made available to the defence.
I point out particularly that the translation of technical
terms could possibly lead to misunderstandings. Moreover,
the documents are provided with an introductory remark and a
table of contents. The defence should also have opportunity
to read through this table of contents and examine it.
[Page 126] [
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(Part 2 of 7)
During this period one of the strongest weapons of the
conspirators was propaganda. From the outset they
appreciated the urgency of the task of inculcating the
German masses with the National Socialist principles and
ideology. The early utterances of Hitler and his fellow
conspirators evidenced full recognition of the fact that
their power could endure only if it rested on general
acceptance of their political and social views.
"To prepare the ground psychologically for political
action and military aggression, and to guarantee popular
support of a system which was based on a permanent and
steadily intensified application of terror and
aggression, both in the sphere of domestic politics and
foreign relations."
To attain these objectives, propaganda was used to create a
specific thought pattern designed to make the people
amenable to the aims and programme of the
"Propaganda, the strongest weapon in the conquest of the
State, remains the strongest weapon in the consolidation
and building up of the State."
The methods which they used to control this strongest
weapon in the power of the State are set forth in a chart
which I would like to call to the Court's attention at this
time, and would like to introduce in evidence as exhibit USA
21.
"Only now have we succeeded in setting before us the
great tasks and in possessing the material things which
are the prerequisites for the realisation of great
creative plans in all fields of our national existence.
Thus, National Socialism has made up with a few years
for what centuries before it had omitted. . . . National
Socialism has given the German people that leadership
which as Party not only mobilises the nation but also
organises it, so that on the basis of the natural
principle of selection, the continuance of a stable
political leadership is safeguarded forever . . .
National Socialism . . .possesses Germany entirely and
completely since the day when, five years ago, I left
the house in Wilhelmsplatz as Reich Chancellor. There is
no institution in this State which is not National
Socialist. Above all, however, the National Socialist
Party in these five years not only has made the nation
National Socialist, but has given itself the perfect
organisational structure which guarantees its permanence
for all future. The greatest guarantee of the National
Socialist revolution lies in the complete domination of
the Reich and all its institutions and organisations,
internally and externally, by the National Socialist
Party. Its protection against the world abroad, however,
lies in its New National Socialist armed forces. . . .
"Every one of the defendants is hereby being informed
that the prosecution will use several or all the
documents listed in the enclosure..."
THE PRESIDENT (interposing): You must speak more slowly.
"...in order to implement the points enumerated in the
Indictment."
Now, the Chief Prosecutor introduced in Court this morning
about twelve documents and a check of that list revealed
that not a single one of the documents is mentioned. Thus,
already now, at the very beginning of the trial, we are
confronted with the fact that documents are presented to the
Court with the contents of which the defendant is
unacquainted and, further, that documents which are not even
listed are being used as documentary evidence.
Not a single one of these documents is mentioned in the
list, and I must confess that an adequate defence is
altogether impossible under these circumstances. I therefore
move:
(1) That the Tribunal supply the prosecution with a list of
all documents available, which are to be placed before the
Court as evidence.
THE PRESIDENT: Colonel Storey, or counsel for the
prosecution, will you say what answer you have to make to
this objection?
(2) To instruct the prosecution to make available to the
defence and their counsel - at the latest on the day when
documents are being presented to the Court - a copy of the
German text; and
(3) That the main proceedings be suspended until the
prosecution will be in a position to comply with these
requests. Otherwise I, at least, will not be able to proceed
with the defence.