21 Nov. 45
"In many cases, when prisoners
of war could no longer keep up on the march because of hunger and
exhaustion, they were shot before the eyes of the horrified
population, and the corpses were left.
"In numerous camps, no shelter for the prisoners of war was
provided at all. They lay under the open sky during rain or snow.
Even tools were not made available to dig holes or caves....
"Finally, the shooting of prisoners of war must be mentioned
for instance, in various camps, all the 'Asiatics' were shot".
(081-PS)
Civilized usage and conventions to which Germany
was a party had prescribed certain immunities for civilian
populations unfortunate enough to dwell in lands overrun by hostile
armies. The German occupation forces, controlled or commanded by men
on trial before you, committed a long series of outrages against the
inhabitants of occupied territory that would be incredible except for
captured orders and captured reports which show the fidelity with
which those orders were executed.
We deal here with a phase of common criminality designed by the
conspirators as part of the common plan. We can appreciate why these
crimes against their European enemies were not of a casual character
but were planned and disciplined crimes when we get at the reason for
them. Hitler told his officers on August 22, 1939 that: "The
main objective in Poland is the destruction of the enemy and not the
reaching of a certain geographical line" (1014-PS). The project
of deporting promising youth from occupied territories was approved
by Rosenberg on the theory that "a desired weakening of the
biological force" of the conquered people is being achieved
(031-PS). To Germanize or to destroy was the program. Himmler
announced, "Either we win over any good blood that we can use
for ourselves and give it a place in our people or, gentlemen --you
may call this cruel, but nature is cruel,--we destroy this
blood." As to "racially good types" Himmler further
advised, "Therefore, I think that it is our duty to take their
children with us, to remove them from their environment, if necessary
by robbing or stealing them" (L-70). He urged deportation of
Slavic children to deprive potential enemies of future soldiers.
The Nazi purpose was to leave Germany's neighbors so weakened
that even if she should eventually lose the war, she would still be
the most powerful nation in Europe. Against this background, we must
view the plan for ruthless warfare, which means a plan for the
commission of War Crimes and Crimes against Humanity.