20 Nov. 45
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 it 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", or
lightning war. It was thereupon determined immediately to prepare
detailed plans for an attack on Poland at the first suitable
opportunity and thereafter or 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 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 their 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, in violation of the
terms of the Briand-Kellog Pact, 1928. 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 these plans, they caused the German Armed
Forces to invade Denmark and Norway on 9 April 1940; Belgium, the
Netherlands, and Luxembourg on 10 May 1940; Yugoslavia and Greece on
6 April 1941. All these invasion had been specifically planned in
advance.
(6) German invasion on 22 June 1941 of the
U.S.S.R. territory in violation of the Non-Aggression Pact of 23
August 1939.