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29 Nov.
45
behavior of the
Chancellor Schuschnigg in breaking the Berchtesgaden agreement.
"Thereafter
a conversation took place between Göring and the Führer.
Afterwards Göring again telephoned Seyss-Inquart. This
conversation was held at 15:05.
"Göring told
Seyss-Inquart that Berlin did not agree whatsoever with the decision
made by Chancellor Schuschnigg since he did not enjoy any more the
confidence of our Government because he had broken the Berchtesgaden
Agreement, and therefore further confidence in his future actions did
not exist. Consequently the national Ministers, Seyss-Inquart, and the
others are being requested immediately to hand in their resignations
to the Chancellor, and also to ask the Chancellor to resign. Göring
added that if after a period of 1 hour no report had come through, the
assumption would be made that Seyss-Inquart would no more be in a
position to telephone. That would mean that the gentlemen had handed
in their resignations. Seyss-Inquart was then told to send the
telegram to the Führer as agreed upon. As a matter of course, an
immediate commission by the Federal President for Seyss-Inquart to
form a new cabinet would follow Schuschnigg's resignation."
Thus you see that at 2:45
p.m. Göring told Seyss-Inquart over the telephone that it was not
enough for Schuschnigg to cancel the elections; and 20 minutes later he
telephoned Seyss-Inquart to state that Schuschnigg must resign. That is
your second ultimatum. When informed about an hour later that
Schuschnigg had resigned he pointed out that in addition it was
necessary to have Seyss-Inquart at the head of the Cabinet. Shall I go
into another one of these?
THE PRESIDENT: I think we had
better adjourn now until 2 o'clock.
[The
Tribunal recessed until 1400 hours.]
416
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