27 Nov. 45
"4. The bloodless solution of
the Czech conflict in the autumn of 1938 and spring of
1939"--that is-the two phases in Czechoslovakia-- ``and the
annexation of Slovakia rounded off the territory of Greater Germany
in such a way that it now became possible to consider the Polish
problem on the basis of more or less favorable strategic
premises."--I think it needs nothing more than a glance at the
progressive chart to see what those favorable strategic premises
were.--
"5. This brings me to the actual outbreak of the present
war, and the question which next arises is whether the moment for the
struggle with Poland, in itself unavoidable, was favorably selected
or not. The answer to this question is all the less in doubt, because
the relatively strong opponent collapsed more quickly than expected,
and the Western Powers who were Poland's friends, although they did
declare war on us and form a second front, nevertheless made no use
of the possibilities open to them of wresting the initiative from our
hands. Concerning the course taken by the Polish campaign, nothing
further need be said but that it proved to an extent which surprised
the whole world a fact which until then had not been certain by any
means, namely, the high state of efficiency of the young armed forces
of Greater Germany.
"If the Court please, there is a long review
by General Jodl in this document. I could read on with interest and
some enthusiasm but I believe I have read enough to show that General
Jodl by this document identifies himself fully with the Nazi
movement. This document shows that he was not a mere soldier. Insofar
as he is concerned, it identifies the military with the political,
and the immediate point on which I had offered the document was to
show the deliberation with which the Treaty of Versailles was
abrogate' by Germany and the demilitarized zone of the Rhineland was
militarized and fortified.
In one of Adolf Hitler's reviews of the 6-year period between his
ascendancy to power and the outbreak of hostilities, he not only
admitted but boasted about the orderly and coordinated long-rang
planning. I bring up again, if the Tribunal please, the Document
L-79, which was offered in evidence yesterday as Exhibit USA-2' That
is the minutes of a conference of the Führer by Schmundt, hi
adjutant. In as large a staff as ours we inevitably fall into a kin
of patois or lingo, as Americans say. We also refer to this as
"Little Schmundt." The large file that I offered yesterday,
we call "Big Schmundt."
At this point, I merely wish to read two sentences from Page of
that document which we call "Little Schmundt."