3
Dec. 45
Behind
the screen of these assurances the Nazi
conspirators proceeded with their military and
political plans for aggression. Ever since the
preceding fall it had been established that the
immediate aim of German policy was the
elimination both of Austria and of
Czechoslovakia In both countries the
conspirators planned to undermine the will to
resist by propaganda and by Fifth Column
activities, while the actual military
preparations were being developed.
The
Austrian operation, which received priority for
political and strategic reasons, was carried out
in February and March 1938. Thenceforth the
Wehrmacht planning was devoted to "Fall Grün"
(Case Green), the designation given to the
proposed operation against Czechoslovakia.
The
military plans for Case Green had been drafted
in outline from as early as June 1937. The OKW
top-secret directive for the unified preparation
of the Armed Forces for war—signed by Von
Blomberg on June 24, 1937, and promulgated to
the Army, Navy, and Luftwaffe for the year
beginning July 1, 1937—included, as a
probable war-like eventuality for which a
concentrated plan was to be drafted, Case Green,
"War on two fronts, with the main struggle
in the southeast."
This document—our
Number C-175, Exhibit USA-69—was introduced
in evidence as part of the Austrian presentation
and is an original carbon copy, signed in ink by
Von Blomberg. The original section of this
directive dealing with the probable war against
Czechoslovakia—it was later revised—opens
with this supposition. I read from the bottom of
Page 3 of the English translation of this
directive, following the heading II, and
Subparagraph (1) headed "Suppositions":
"The
war in the East can begin with a
surprise German operation against
Czechoslovakia in order to parry the
imminent attack of a superior enemy
coalition. The necessary conditions to
justify such an action politically, and
in the eyes of international law must be
created beforehand."
After
detailing possible enemies and neutrals in the
event of such action, the directive continues as
follows:
"(2)
The task of the German Armed Forces"—and
that much is underscored—"is
to make their preparations in such a way
that the bulk of all forces can break
into Czechoslovakia quickly, by
surprise, and with the greatest force,
while in the West the minimum strength
is provided as rear-cover for this
attack.
"The aim and
object of this surprise attack by the
German Armed Forces should be to
eliminate from the very beginning