3
Dec. 45
This
is Page 2, Column 1.
"I
assured him, moreover, and I repeat it
here, that when this problem is solved
there will be no more territorial
problems for Germany in Europe. And I
further assured him that from the
moment, when Czechoslovakia solves its
other problems- that is to say, when the
Czechs have come to an arrangement with
their other minorities peacefully and
without oppression-I will no longer be
interested in the Czech State. And that,
as far as I am concerned, I will
guarantee it. We don't want any Czechs!"
The major portion of the passage I have quoted
will be contained in Document TC-28, which I
think, will be offered by the British
prosecutor.
Yet two weeks later Hitler
and Defendant Keitel were preparing estimates of
the military forces required to break
Czechoslovak resistance in Bohemia and Moravia.
I now read from Item 48, at Page 82,
of the Schmundt file. This is a top-secret
telegram sent by Keitel to Hitler's headquarters
on 11 October 1938 in answer to four questions
which Hitler had propounded to the OKW. I think
it is sufficient merely to read the questions
which Hitler had propounded:
"Question
1. What reinforcements are necessary in
the situation to break all Czech
resistance in Bohemia and Moravia?
"Question
2. How much time is requested for the
regrouping or moving up of new forces?
"Question 3. How much
time will be required for the same
purpose if it is executed after the
intended demobilization and return
measures?
"Question 4.
How much time would be required to
achieve the state of readiness of 1
October?"
On
21 October, the same day on which the
administration of the Sudetenland was handed
over to the civilian authorities, a directive
outlining plans for the conquest of the
remainder of Czechoslovakia was signed by Hitler
and initialed by the Defendant Keitel.
I
now offer in evidence Document C-136 as Exhibit
USA-104, a top-secret order of which 10 copies
were made, this being the first copy, signed in
ink by Keitel.
In this order, issued
only 3 weeks after the winning of the
Sudetenland, the Nazi conspirators are already
looking forward to new Conquests. I quote the
first part of the body of the document:
"The
future tasks for the Armed Forces and
the preparations for the conduct of war
resulting from these tasks will be laid
down by me in a later directive. Until
this directive comes