Text: English     International Military Tribunal "Blue Series," Vol. 3, p. 233
		6 Dec. 45 "I shall give a propagandistic cause for starting the war, never mind whether it be plausible or not. The victor shall not be asked later on whether he told the truth or not. In starting and making a war, not the right is what matters but victory." We are going to see only too clearly how that propagandistic cause, which already had been put in hand, was brought to its climax. I turn to the next page (798-PS, USA-29), the third paragraph: "It was clear to me that a conflict with Poland had to come sooner or later. I had already made this decision in the spring, but I thought that I would first turn against the West in a few years, and only afterwards against the East." I refer to these passages again particularly to emphasize the intention of the Nazi Government, not only to conquer Poland, but ultimately, in any event, to wage aggressive war against the Western Democracies. I refer lastly to the last page, a passage which becomes more and more significant as we continue the story of the last few days: I quote from the fourth paragraph: "We need not be afraid, of a blockade. The East will supply us with grain, cattle, coal, lead, and zinc. It is a big aim, which demands great efforts. I am only afraid that at the last minute some 'Schweinehund' will make a proposal for mediation. "The political aim is set farther. A beginning has been made for the destruction of England's hegemony. The way is open for the soldier, after I have made the political preparations." And, again, the very last line becomes significant later: "Göring answers with thanks to the Führer and the assurance that the Armed Forces will do their duty." We pass from the military-economic preparations and his exhortations to his generals to see how he was developing the position in the diplomatic and political field. On the 23rd of August 1939 the Danzig Senate passed a decree whereby Gauleiter Forster was appointed head of the State of the Free City of Danzig, a position which did not exist under the statute setting up the constitution of the Free City. I put in the next document, which is taken from the British Blue Book, only as evidence of that event, an event that was, of course, aimed at stirring up the feeling in the Free City at that time. That is TC-72, Number 62, which becomes GB-50. At the same time, frontier incidents were being manufactured by the Nazi Government with the aid of the SS. The Tribunal has already heard the evidence of General Lahousen the other day in which he referred to the provision of Polish uniforms to the SS 233
		Text: English     International Military Tribunal "Blue Series," Vol. 3, p. 233     Last modified: October 10, 1998 Copyright © 1998 The Mazal Library and The Holocaust History Project. All rights reserved. Technical/administrative contact: webmaster@holocaust-history.org Find a typo? Let us know.