The persons present were Hitler, and the Defendants
Göring, Von Neurath, and Raeder, in their capacities as
Commander-in-Chief of the Luftwaffe, Reich Foreign Minister, and
Commander-in-Chief of the Navy respectively, General Von Blomberg,
Minister of War, and General Von Fritsch, the Commander-in-Chief of
the Army.
Hitler began by saying that the subject of the conference was of
such high importance that in other States it would have taken place
before the Cabinet. He went on to say that the subject matter of his
speech was the result of his detailed deliberations, and of his
experiences during his four and a half years of Government. He
requested that the statements he was about to make should be looked
upon in the case of his death as his last will and testament.
Hitler's main theme was the problem of living space, and he discussed
various possible solutions, only to set them aside. He then said that
the seizure of living space on the continent of Europe was therefore
necessary, expressing himself in these words:
"It is not a case of conquering
people but of conquering agriculturally useful space. It would also
be more to the purpose to seek raw material producing territory in
Europe directly adjoining the Reich and not overseas, and this
solution would have to be brought into effect for one or two
generations . . . .
The history of all times — Roman Empire, British Empire
— has proved that every space expansion can only be effected by
breaking resistance and taking risks. Even setbacks are unavoidable:
neither formerly nor today has space been found without an owner; the
attacker always comes up against the proprietor."
He concluded with this observation:
"The question for Germany is where
the greatest possible conquest could be made at the lowest
cost."
Nothing could indicate more plainly the aggressive
intentions of Hitler, and the events which soon followed showed the
reality of his purpose. It is impossible to accept the contention
that Hitler did not actually mean war; for after pointing out that
Germany might expect the opposition of England and France, and
analyzing the strength and the weakness of those powers in particular
situations, he continued:
"The German question can be solved
only by way of force, and this is never without risk . . . . If we
place the decision to apply force with risk at the head of the
following expositions, then we are left to reply to the questions
'when' and 'how'. In this regard we have to decide upon three
different cases."