Thirtieth Day:
Wednesday, January 9th, 1946
[Page 118]
MR. WALTER W. BRUDNO: May it please the Tribunal, in
connection with the case against the defendant Rosenberg, I
wish to offer the document book designated as Exhibit USA
EE. This book contains the English translation of all the
documents which I will offer into evidence, as well as the
English translation of those documents previously offered to
which I will refer. The documents are arranged by series in
the order of C, L, R, PS and EC, and they are arranged
numerically within each series.
Your Honours will note that on the first four pages of the
document book there appears a descriptive list of documents.
This list is a tabulation of all the documents directly
implicating Rosenberg, including those previously offered
and those which I will offer into evidence. Those previously
offered are keyed to the transcript page of the Record, and
to their exhibit numbers. The list is included in the
document books
THE PRESIDENT: Will you go a little bit slower.
MR. BRUDNO: Certainly, your Honour. The list is included in
the document books made available to the defence. This list
will gather together in one place all references to the
defendant Rosenberg, which are in the record up to this
point. In order to avoid repetition, I will not refer to a
great many of the documents previously introduced.
The Indictment at Page 29 charges the defendant Rosenberg
under all four Counts of the Indictment. In the presentation
which follows, I will show that as charged in Count One,
Section IV, subparagraph (D), Rosenberg played a
particularly prominent role in developing and promoting the
doctrinal techniques of the conspiracy; in developing and
promoting beliefs and practices incompatible with Christian
teaching, in subverting the influence of the Churches over
the German people, in pursuing the programme of relentless
persecution of the Jews, and in reshaping the educational
system in order to make the German people amenable to the
will of the conspirators, and to prepare the people
psychologically for waging an aggressive war.
I will also show that Rosenberg played an important role in
preparing Germany for the waging of aggressive war through
the direction of foreign trade, as charged in Count One,
subparagraph (E), Page 6 of the Indictment, and that his
activities in the field of foreign policy contributed
materially toward the preparation for the aggressions
charged in subparagraph (F), Pages 7 to 10 in the
Indictment, and the Crimes against Peace, as charged in
Count Two.
Finally, I will show that Rosenberg participated in the
planning and direction of the War Crimes, and Crimes against
Humanity, as specified in paragraph (G), Page 10 of Count
One of the Indictment. Particularly, he participated in the
[Page 119]
The political career of the defendant Rosenberg embraced the
entire history of National Socialism, and permeated nearly
every phase of the conspiracy with which we are concerned.
In order to obtain a full conception of his influence upon
and participation in the conspiracy, it is necessary to
review briefly his political history, and to consider each
of his political activities in their relation to the thread
of the conspiracy which stretches from the inception of the
Party in 1919 to the defeat of Germany in 1945.
It is both interesting and revealing to note that for
Rosenberg the 30th November, 1918, marked the "Beginning of
political activities with a lecture about the 'Jewish
Problem.'" That statement is found at line 2 of the
translation of Document 2886-PS, which is an excerpt from a
book entitled, "The Work of Alfred Rosenberg," a biography,
and I offer this book as Exhibit USA 591.
From the Document 3557-PS, which has excerpts from an
official pamphlet entitled, "Dates in the History of the
N.S.D.A.P.," and which I offer as Exhibit USA 592, we learn
that Rosenberg was a member of the German Labour Party,
afterwards the National Socialist German Workers' Party, in
January, 1919, and that Hitler joined forces with Rosenberg
and his colleagues in October of the same year. Thus
Rosenberg was a member of the National Socialist movement
even before Hitler himself.
Now I wish to offer Document 3530-PS, which is an extract
from "Das Deutsche Fuehrer Lexikon," the year of 1934-35,
and I offer it as Exhibit USA 593. In this document we
obtain additional biographical data on Rosenberg as follows:
With this general background information in mind, the first
phase of proof will deal with Rosenberg as official National
Socialist ideologist. The proof, which I will present, will
show the nature and scope of the ideological tenets he
expounded, and the influence he exerted upon the unification
of German thought, a unification which was an essential part
of the conspirators' programme for seizure of power and
preparation for aggressive war.
Rosenberg wrote extensively on, and actively participated
in, virtually every aspect of the National Socialist
programme. His first publication was the "Nature, Basic
Principles and Aims of the N.S.D.A.P." This publication
appeared in 1922. Rosenberg spoke of this book in a speech
which we have seen and heard delivered in the motion picture
previously introduced as Exhibit USA 167, on Page 2, Part 1,
of the transcription of the speech, which is our Document
3054-PS, Rosenberg stated as follows:
[Page 120]
THE PRESIDENT: Do you want to break off here for a recess?
MR. BRUDNO: Yes, your Honour.
(A recess was taken.)
THE PRESIDENT: I have an announcement to make to the
defendants' counsel. In view of the applications which were
made to the Tribunal this morning, I immediately ordered, on
behalf of the Tribunal, that an investigation should be made
of the complaints made by defendants' counsel about the
delay in the delivery of the transcript of the shorthand
notes; and such delay will be remedied at once. The
investigation shows that transcripts of the sessions up to
and including the 20th December can be completed by this
afternoon. The transcripts for the sessions held since the
resumption of the trial will be
[Page 121]
MR. BRUDNO: If your Honour pleases, when the Court rose I
had just read it quotation of Rosenberg, in which he
expressed his views on Christianity.
In the place of traditional Christianity, Rosenberg sought
to implant the neo-pagan myth of the blood. At Page 114 in
the "Myth of the Twentieth Century" he stated as follows:
Rosenberg was particularly avid in his pursuit of what he
called the "Jewish Question." On the 28th March, 1941, on
the occasion of the opening of the Institute for the
Exploration of the Jewish Question, he set the keynote for
its activities and indicated the direction which the
exploration was to take. I would like to quote from Document
2889-PS, which I offer as Exhibit USA 595. This is an
excerpt from the "Volkischer Beobachter," 29th March, 1941.
This is a statement made by Rosenberg on the occasion of the
opening of the institute:
Since Germany with its blood and its nationalism has now
broken for ever this Jewish dictatorship for all Europe
and has seen to it that Europe as a whole will become
free from the Jewish parasitism once more, we may, I
believe, also say for all Europeans: for Europe the
Jewish Question will be solved only when the last Jew
has left the European continent." [Page 122]
In the realm of foreign policy, in addition to demanding
Lebensraum, Rosenberg called for elimination of the
Versailles Treaty, and cast aside any thought of revision of
that Treaty. In his book "The Nature, Principles and Aims of
the N.S.D.A.P.," written by him in 1922, he expressed his
opinions regarding the Treaty of Versailles. Excerpts from
this book are translated in Document 2433-PS, and I offer
the book as Exhibit USA 596. He stated as follows:
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(Part 7 of 10)
[MR. ROBERTS continues]
"From 1921 until the present, he was editor of the
'Volkische Beobachter'; editor of the N.S.
'Monatshefte'; in 1930 he became member of the Reichstag
and representative of foreign policies for the Party;
after April, 1933, he was leader of the foreign
political office of the N.S.D.A.P.; was then designated
as Reichsleiter; in January, 1934, appointed deputy by
the Fuehrer for the spiritual and philosophical
education of the N.S.D.A.P., the German labour front and
all related organisations."
Document 2886-PS, which I have just referred to, offered as
Exhibit USA 591, adds that in July, 1941, Rosenberg was
appointed Reichsminister for the Occupied Eastern
Territories.
"During this time, that is, during the early phase of
the Party, a short thesis was written, which
nevertheless is significant in the history of the
N.S.D.A.P." - this is Rosenberg speaking - "It was
always being asked what points of programme the
N.S.D.A.P. had, and how they were to be interpreted.
Therefore, I wrote the principal programme and aims of
the N.S.D.A.P., and this writing made the first
permanent connection
We thus see that the original draftsman of, and spokesman
on, the Party programme was the defendant Rosenberg. Without
attempting to survey the entire ideological programme
advanced by Rosenberg in his various writings and speeches -
they are very numerous - I wish to offer into evidence
certain of his statements as an indication of the nature and
broad scope of the ideological programme which he
championed. It will be seen that there was not a single
basic tenet of the Nazi philosophy which was not given
authoritative expression by Rosenberg. He wrote the "Myth of
the Twentieth Century," published in 1930. This book has
already been offered as Exhibit USA 352. At Page 479, which
your Honour will find on the second page of Document 2553-
PS, Rosenberg wrote on the race question as follows:
"The essence of the contemporary world revolution lies
in the awakening of the racial type; not in Europe alone
but on the whole planet. This awakening is the organic
counter movement against the last chaotic remnants of
the liberal economic imperialism, whose object of
exploitation, out of desperation, has fallen into the
snare of Bolshevic Marxism, in order to complete what
democracy had begun, the extirpation of the racial and
national consciousness."
Rosenberg expounded the "Lebensraum" idea, which was the
chief motivation, the dynamic impulse behind Germany's
waging of aggressive war. In his journal, the National
Socialist "Monatshefte," for May, 1932, which I offer as
Exhibit USA 594, our Document 2777-PS, he wrote at Page 199:
"The understanding that the German nation, if it is not
to perish in the truest sense of the word, needs ground
and soil for itself, and its future generations, and the
second sober perception that this soil can no more be
conquered in Africa, but in Europe and first of all in
the East - these organically determine the German
foreign policy for centuries."
Rosenberg expressed his theory as to the place of religion
in the National Socialist State in his "Myth of the
Twentieth Century," additional excerpts from which are cited
in Document 2891-PS; at Page 215 of the "Myth" he wrote as
follows:
"We now realise that the central supreme values of the
Roman and the Protestant Church as negative Christianity
are not suited to our soul, that they hinder the organic
powers of the people designated as a Nordic race, that
they must give way to them, that they have to be
remodelled to conform with Germanic Christianity.
Therein lies the meaning of to-day's religious
searching."
In the place of traditional Christianity, Rosenberg sought
to implant the neo-pagan myth of the blood.
"To-day, a new faith is awakening - the myth of the
blood, the belief that the divine being of mankind
generally is to be defended with the blood. The faith
embodied by the fullest realisation, that the Nordic
blood constitutes that mystery which has supplanted and
overwhelmed the old sacraments."
Rosenberg's attitudes on religion were accepted as the only
philosophy compatible with National Socialism. In 1940, the
defendant Bormann wrote to Rosenberg in Document 098-PS,
which has been previously introduced as Exhibit USA 350, and
I quote:
"The churches cannot be conquered by a compromise
between National Socialism and Christian teachings, but
only through a new ideology, whose coming you, yourself,
have announced in your writings."
Rosenberg actively participated in the programme for
elimination of Church influence. The defendant Bormann
frequently wrote Rosenberg in this regard, furnishing him
information as to proposed action to be instituted against
the Churches, and, when necessary, requesting that that
action be taken by Rosenberg's department. I refer to
documents introduced in connection with the case against the
Leadership Corps, such Documents as 070-PS, Exhibit USA 349,
which deals with abolition of religious services in the
schools; Document 072-PS, Exhibit USA 357, dealing with
confiscation of religious property; 064-PS, Exhibit USA 359,
which deals with the inadequacy of anti-religious material
being circulated to the soldiers; Document 089-PS, Exhibit
USA 360, dealing with curtailment of the publication of
Protestant periodicals; and Document 122-PS, which is
Exhibit USA 362, dealing with the closing of theological
faculties.
"For Germany the Jewish Question is only then solved
when the last Jew has left the Greater German space.
It has already been seen that Rosenberg did not overlook any
opportunity to put these anti-Semitic beliefs into practice.
Your Honour will recall that in Document 001-PS, which was
introduced as Exhibit USA 282 in connection with the case on
Persecution of the Jews, Rosenberg recommended that instead
of executing one hundred Frenchmen as retaliation for
attempts on lives of members of the Wehrmacht, there be
executed one hundred Jewish bankers, lawyers, etc. The
recommendation was made with the avowed purpose of awakening
the anti-Jewish sentiment.
"The National Socialists reject the popular phrase
'Revision of the Peace of Versailles' as such a revision
might perhaps bring a few numerical reductions in the so-
called 'obligations,' but the entire German people would
still be, just as before, the slave of other nations."
Then he goes on to expound the second point of the Party:
"We demand equality for the German people with other
nations, the cancellation of the peace treaties of
Versailles and St. Germain."