20 Nov. 45
personnel and the production of munitions of war, and the
building of an air force.
(b) On 14 October 1933 they led Germany to leave the
International Disarmament Conference and the League of Nations.
(c) On 10 March 1935 the Defendant Goring announced that Germany
was building a military air force.
(d) On 16 March 1935 the Nazi conspirators promulgated a law for
universal military service, in which they stated the peace time
strength of the German Army would be fixed at 500,000 men.
(e) On 21 May 1935 they falsely announced to the world, with
intent to deceive and allay fears of aggressive intentions, that they
would respect the territorial limitations of the Versailles Treaty
and comply with the Locarno Pacts.
(f) On 7 March 1936 they reoccupied and fortified the Rhineland,
in violation of the Treaty of Versailles and the Rhine Pact of
Locarno of 16 October 1925, and falsely announced to the world that
"we have no territorial demands to make in Europe."
3. Aggressive action against Austria and Czechoslovakia.
(a) The 1936-38 phase of the plan: planning for the assault on
Austria and Czechoslovakia. The Nazi conspirators next entered upon
the specific planning for the acquisition of Austria and
Czechoslovakia, realizing it would be necessary, for military
reasons, first to seize Austria before assaulting Czechoslovakia. On
21 May 1935 in a speech to the Reichstag, Hitler stated that:
"Germany neither intends, nor wishes to interfere in the
internal affairs of Austria, to annex Austria or to conclude an
Anschluss."
On 1 May 1936, within 2 months after the re-occupation of the
Rhineland, Hitler stated:
"The lie goes forth again that
Germany tomorrow or the day after will fall upon Austria or
Czechoslovakia."
Thereafter, the Nazi conspirators caused a
treaty to be entered into between Austria and Germany on 11 July
1936, Article I of which stated that:
"The German Government recognizes
the full sovereignty of the Federated State of Austria in the spirit
of the pronouncements of the German Führer and Chancellor of 21
May 1935."
Meanwhile, plans for aggression in violation of that treaty were
being made. By the autumn of 1937 all noteworthy opposition within
the Reich had been crushed. Military preparation for the Austrian
action was virtually concluded. An influential group of the Nazi
conspirators met with Hitler on