German Proclamation on War with the USSR, June 22, 1941

German Foreign Minister on Declaration of War with USSR, June 22, 1941

Stalin Broadcast on War with Germany, July 3, 1941

Hitler's Order of the Day to Troops on the Eastern Front, October 2, 1941

Hitler's Announcement to the Reichstag Concerning the Declaration of War on the United States of America, December 11, 1941

A Psychological Analysis of Adolph Hitler His Life and Legend by Walter C Langer, for Office of Strategic Services, Washington, D.C, 1944  Background to the Study

Adolf Hitler's Political Testament, 29 April, 1945

Potsdam Declaration: Extracts 2 August 1945

Germany
War Criminals

Minutes of the Opening Session of the Trial of the Major War Criminals, at Berlin 18 October 1945

Indictment of the International Military Tribunal in the case of the Trial of the Major War Criminals, 1945 Part I, Part II, Part III

Convention on the Punishment and Prevention of the Crime of Genocide, 1948

The Holocaust Education Trust  -   Nazi Gold.  Written and edited by Jonathan Boyd and Stephen Ward, 1997

This documents information regarding the looting of gold and valuables during the Third Reich, from Jews and others, what happened to this at the end of the war, and how the gold that fell into Allied hands was distributed following an international conference held in Paris, under the terms of the Paris Treaty, 1946.  This brief study emphasises some of the critical errors that were made which resulted in reparations to individual victims/refugees being significantly lower than they should have been. 

The file is in PDF format. If when you select the link to the document it does not open, you probably need to download a free Acrobat Reader, available from Adobe

The Holocaust Education Trust  - "Ex-Enemy Jews" - The Fate of the Assets in Britain of Holocaust Victims and Survivors. Written and edited by Stephen Ward and Ian Locke.1998

Explores the policies adopted by the British government in respect of enemy assets that were deposited in British banks, particularly those of Jews who regarded as Britain as a safe haven for funds.  "By 1945 a proportion Jews who had put their money in Britain for safe-keeping were dead, and in cases where relatives survived, they often had no knowledge of the account.  As a result they were never re-claimed.   In the ase of Germany, Rumani, Hungary and Bulgaria, the estates of Holocaust victims went to the British creditors of these countries.  In the case of "Allied" countries, the account stayed in British banks, which have retained any dormant accountes as effectively "interest-free loans" for 50 years. (p.6. Emphasis in original)

The file is in PDF format. If when you select the link to the document it does not open, you probably need to download a free Acrobat Reader, available from Adobe

Switzerland and Jewish Funds

Various articles on Switzerland and Jewish Funds from the Journal deGenève. These deal with the controversy over Jewish assets in Swiss banks andthe attitude of the Swiss toward Jews during the period of the Third Reich.  The articles also focus on the sources of US policy respecting payments that should be made by Swiss banks to Holocaust survivors.

Switzerland-Second World War

Excellent series of files dealing with varied aspects of Swiss governmental policy during the Second World War and subsequently, arranged by the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs. It includes information on Swiss neutrality, refugee issues, financial and economic questions, matters relating to Nazi and other gold deposited in Swiss banks, and post-war agreements relating to the disposition of various matters arising out of the international conflict. Although, understandably, the approach tends toward  putting a positive gloss on many issues, particularly those relating to more controversial issues, there are many useful links to files relating to international agreements and those containing details on a wide range of policies.

Preliminary Study on U.S. and Allied Efforts To Recover and Restore Gold and Other Assets Stolen or Hidden by Germany During World War II May 1997. Coordinated by Stuart E. Eizenstat.  Prepared by William Z. Slany, The Historian Department of State.

This lengthy report deals in considerable depth with how Nazi Germany exprorpriated vast quantities of bullion from  central and other banks of occupied countries, and from their civilian populations, and dwells in detail also on the enrichment of the Third Reich and some of its functionaries from assets confiscated from the Jewish populations of occupied Europe.  It also details the efforts by the United States and other powers to recover some of these assets and distribute them to states and individuals.  It needs to be emphasised that it is largely through the efforts of individuals, politicians, organisations, and government departments and agencies in the United States that recently compensation to victims of the Holocaust from Swiss banks and prominent corporations have been agreed. Pressure built up in the United States on these issues has undoubtedly also been a compelling factor persuading other countries to review policies about these issues, including the British government.

"The report documents one of the greatest thefts by a government in history: the
confiscation by Nazi Germany of an estimated $580 million of central bank gold¾around $5.6
billion in today's values¾along with indeterminate amounts in other assets during World War II.
These goods were stolen from governments and civilians in the countries Germany overran and
from Jewish and non-Jewish victims of the Nazis alike, including Jews murdered in
extermination camps, from whom everything was taken down to the gold fillings of their teeth."

International List of Current Activities Regarding Holocaust-Era Assets

Provided by the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, it provides information on governmental and private attempts to trace Holocaust assets by country, forty-three being included in the list on 25 September, 1998.  

British Government's Listing of Enemy Property, Restitution of Assets to Victims of Nazi Persecution

"The British Government has provided summary details of some 25,000 records held at the Public Record Office in London, relating to property in the United Kingdom seized between 1939 and 1945 from commercial organizations registered and from individuals resident in countries with which Britain was at war. The data is searchable by Country and Name of Owner and/or Address. The British Government has also recently published a report by FCO historians on the history of enemy property seized during the Second World War. It has also made an initial £2m available to fund a claims procedure to allow for restitution of assets to victims of Nazi persecution. An independent third party, of appropriate stature and experience, will be appointed to make an assessment of the historians' report consulting all interested parties, and advise on the form of the scheme. Further information will be posted on the Enemy Property site as developments occur. The Enemy Property site can be accessed at http://www.enemyproperty.gov.uk "

Also available at this site is a link to the Stationary Office site where you can find particulars relating to the printed volume on the London Conference on Nazi Gold.  Unfortunately the British government, as most other European Union authorities, persists in its policy of endeavouring to make citizens pay twicefold for data by refusing to publish it freely online.

U.S. and Allied Wartime and Postwar Relations and Negotiations With Argentina, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, and Turkey on Looted Gold and German External Assets and U.S. Concerns About the Fate of the Wartime Ustasha Treasury

Closing Plenary Statement at the London Conference on Nazi Gold, December 4, 1997. US Under Secretary Stuart Eizenstat

Legislation passed by the US 105th Congress Relating to the Holocaust

Provided by the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum

A History of Bio-Chemical Weapons by Zoltan Grossman

See Also

Crimes, Trials and Laws

The Jewish Holocaust 1933-1945

World War II Resources