armament plan for what was called the "Third
Armament Phase". This contained the sentence:
"All theoretical and practical
A-preparations are to be drawn up with a primary view to readiness
for a war without any alert period."
One month later, in June 1934, the Defendant Raeder
had a conversation with Hitler in which Hitler instructed him to keep
secret the construction of U-boats and of warships over the limit of
10,000 tons which was then being undertaken.
And on 2 November 1934, the Defendant Raeder had
another conversation with Hitler and the Defendant Göring, in
which Hitler said that he considered it vital that the German Navy
"should be increased as planned, as no war could be carried on
if the Navy was not able to safeguard the ore imports from
Scandinavia".
The large orders for building given in 1933 and 1934 are sought
to be excused by the Defendant Raeder on the ground that negotiations
were in progress for an agreement between Germany and Great Britain
permitting Germany to build ships in excess of the provisions of the
Treaty of Versailles. This agreement, which was signed in 1935,
restricted the German Navy to a tonnage equal to one-third of that of
the British, except in respect of U-boats where 45 percent was
agreed, subject always to the right to exceed this proportion after
first informing the British Government and giving them an opportunity
of discussion.
The Anglo-German Treaty followed in 1937, under which both Powers
bound themselves to notify full details of their building program at
least four months before any action was taken.
It is admitted that these clauses were not
adhered to by Germany.
In capital vessels, for example, the displacement details were
falsified by 20 percent, whilst in the case of U-boats, the German
historians Assmann and Gladisch say:
"It is probably just in the sphere
of submarine construction that Germany adhered the least to the
restrictions of the German-British Treaty."
The importance of these breaches of the Treaty is
seen when the motive for this rearmament is considered. In the year
1940 the Defendant Raeder himself wrote:
"The Führer hoped until the
last moment to be able to put off the threatening conflict with
England until 1944-45. At that time, the Navy would have had
available a fleet with a powerful U-boat superiority, and a much more
favorable ratio as regards strength in all other types of ships,
particularly those designed for warfare on the High
Seas."
The Nazi Government as already stated, announced on
21 May 1935 their intention to respect the territorial limitations of
the