8 Jan. 46
Then, after that, the Defendant Ribbentrop was present
on the 28th of May 1938 at the conference with Hitler, at which the
latter gave the necessary instructions to prepare the attack on
Czechoslovakia. That was dealt with previously on Page 742 of the
transcript (Volume III, Page 42). And I want to put before the Tribunal
Document 2360-PS, which is a report of a speech of Hitler's in the Völkischer
Beobachter; and, if the Tribunal would be good enough to look at it,
it is a useful date to fix with regard to the aggression against
Czechoslovakia, because that was the day on which Hitler, on his own
proclamation, had decided that aggression was to take place against
Czechoslovakia. The extract which I have taken is quite short and —
if the Tribunal would look at the extract which is on Page 1, columns 5
and 6, bottom — the important passage is:
"On the basis of this unbearable
provocation, which was still further emphasized by a truly infamous
persecution and terrorizing of our Germans there, I have now decided
to solve the Sudeten-German question in a final and radical manner."
This was in January 1939. Then he goes on to say:
"On 28 May ... I gave the order for
the preparation of military steps against this state, to be concluded
by 2 October ... "
The
important point is that the 28th of May was the date when the Fall Grün
for Czechoslovakia was the subject of orders and it was thereafter put
into effect to come to fruition at the beginning of October. That is the
second stage: To lay well in advance your plans of aggression. The third
stage is to see that the neighboring states are not likely to cause you
trouble.
So we find that on the 18th of July 1938 this defendant had a
conversation with the Italian Ambassador Attolico, at which the attack
on Czechoslovakia was discussed. That is Exhibit Number USA-85, Document
2800-PS. And there were further discussions which are contained in
Exhibits USA-86 and 87, which are Documents 2791-PS and 2792-PS.
I think it is sufficient for me to say to the Tribunal that the effect
of these documents is that it was made clear to the Italian Government
that the German Government was going to move against Czechoslovakia.
The other country which was interested was Hungary, because Hungary had
certain territorial ideas with regard to parts of the Czechoslovakian
Republic.
So, on the Award and 25th of August, this defendant was present at the
discussions and had discussions himself with the Hungarian politicians
Imredy and Kania, and these are found in Exhibit Numbers USA-88 and 89,
Documents 2796-PS and 2797-PS.
This defendant endeavored to get assurances of Hungarian help, and the
Hungarian Government at the time was not too ready to commit