assurances to the world of peaceful intentions, an
influential group Of the conspirators met on 23 May 1939, to consider
the further implementation of their plan. The situation was reviewed
and it was observed that "the past six years have been put to
good use and all measures have been taken in correct sequence and in
accordance with our aims"; that the national-political unity of
the Germans had been substantially achieved; and that further
successes could not be achieved without war and bloodshed. It was
decided nevertheless next to attack Poland at the first suitable
opportunity. It was admitted that the questions concerning Danzig
which they had agitated with Poland were not true questions, but
rather that the question was one of aggressive expansion for food and
"Lebensraum". It was recognized that Poland would fight if
attacked and that a repetition of the Nazi success against
Czechoslovakia without war could not be expected. Accordingly, it was
determined that the problem was to isolate Poland and, if possible,
prevent a simultaneous conflict with the Western Powers.
Nevertheless, it was agreed that England was an enemy to their
aspirations, and that war with England and her ally France must
eventually result, and therefore that in that war every attempt must
be made to overwhelm England with a "Blitzkrieg". It was
thereupon determined immediately to prepare detailed plans for an
attack on Poland at the first suitable opportunity and thereafter for
an attack on England and France, together with plans for the
simultaneous occupation by armed force of air bases in the
Netherlands and Belgium.
(b) Accordingly, after having denounced the German-Polish
Pact of 1934 on false grounds, the Nazi conspirators proceeded to
stir up the Danzig issue, to prepare frontier "incidents"
to "justify" the attack, and to make demands for the
cession of Polish territory. Upon refusal by Poland to yield, they
caused German armed forces to invade Poland on 1 September 1939, thus
precipitating war also with the United Kingdom and France.
5. Expansion of the war into a general
war of aggression: planning and execution of attacks on Denmark,
Norway, Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Yugoslavia, and Greece:
1939 to April 1941.
Thus the aggressive war prepared for by the Nazi conspirators
through their attacks on Austria and Czechoslovakia was actively
launched by their attack on Poland. After the total defeat of Poland,
In order to facilitate the carrying out of their military operations
against France and the United Kingdom, the Nazi conspirators made
active preparations for an extension of the war in Europe. In
accordance with those plans, they caused the German armed forces to
invade Denmark and Norway on 9 April 1940; Belgium, the