21 Nov. 45
they had thus fed into chains. Under a compulsory
labor service decree on 26 June 1935 young men and women between the
ages of 18 and 25 were conscripted for labor (1654-PS). Thus was the
purpose to subjugate German labor accomplished. In the words of Ley,
this accomplishment consisted "in eliminating the association
character of the trade union and employees' associations, and in its
place we have substituted the conception 'soldiers of work'."
The productive manpower of the German nation was in Nazi control. By
these steps the defendants won the battle to liquidate labor unions
as potential opposition and were enabled to impose upon the working
class the burdens of preparing for aggressive warfare.
Robert Ley, the field marshal of the battle
against labor, answered our Indictment with suicide. Apparently he
knew no better answer.
2. The Battle against the
Churches:
The Nazi Party always was predominantly
anti-Christian in its ideology. But we who believe in freedom of
conscience and of religion base no charge of criminality on anybody's
ideology. It is not because the Nazi themselves were irreligious or
pagan, but because they persecuted others of the Christian faith that
they become guilty of crime, and it is because the persecution was a
step in the preparation for aggressive warfare that the offense
becomes one of international consequence. To remove every moderating
influence among the German people and to put its population on a
total war footing, the conspirators devised and carried out a
systematic and relentless repression of all Christian sects and
churches.
We will ask you to convict the Nazis on their own evidence.
Martin Bormann, in June 1941, issued a secret decree on the relation
of Christianity and National Socialism. The decree provided:
"For the first time in German
history the Führer consciously and completely has theleadership
of the people in his own hand. With the Party, its components, and
attached units the Führer has created for himself and thereby
the German Reich leadership an instrument which makes him independent
of the church. All influences which might impair or damage the
leadership of the people exercised by the Führer with help of
the NSDAP, must be eliminated. More and more the people must be
separated from the churches and their organs, the pastors. Of course,
the churches must and will, seen from their viewpoint, defend
themselves against this loss of power. But never again must an
influence on leadership of the people be yielded to the