. NMT04-T0359
Volume IV · Page 359
| important representative of the Communist
movement and carrier of an active imperialism, which was a mixture of
panslavism and the aim of Communistic world revolution. Wherever communism came to power, the existing political and social leadership were rooted out. All experiences since 1917 showed this clearly, at least in the Baltic countries, which in 1940 were incorporated into the Bolshevist Federation of States. The witness Mae has also confirmed this specifically for Esthonia. A clear example, true for all Baltic States, is given in the liquidation list of the NKVD, published by the Canadian University Professor Kirkconnell and which I inserted in the Document Book Sandberger II. Bolshevism also developed new types of warfare, the partisan war, the nature of which is depicted by the Bolshevists themselves in the brochure of the Press Department of the Soviet Embassy in London "We are Guerrillas" contained in Ohlendorf Document Book II; from this very description the illegality and criminality of this form of struggle in view of international law becomes evident. (Compare also the opinion of University Professor Maurach submitted for Ohlendorf.) This form of struggle consisted in preparation and execution of an illegal levee en masse on territory effectively occupied by enemy troops. PRESIDING JUDGE MUSMANNO: Dr. von Stein, you don't contend that partisan warfare was originated by the Bolshevists, do you? You know that in the Napoleonic invasion of Russia partisan warfare was quite common. You know that historically, don't you? DR. VON STEIN: Yes, your Honor, I only want to contend that this partisan war developed in a particularly crass manner in the eastern campaign. PRESIDING JUDGE MUSMANNO: But you say here, "Bolshevism also developed new types of warfare, the partisan war." Well, it certainly was not new. DR. VON STEIN: No, your Honor, I am not trying to say it was new. I am merely trying to say that the manner of fighting which had been developed by the Bolshevists was new, that is to say, fighting became more cruel all the time. It cannot be compared with the beginnings of the partisan war which you have just described. PRESIDING JUDGE MUSMANNO: Very well. Proceed. DR. VON STEIN: It was a war to the knife, which was conducted by the partisans in the bitterest and cruelest manner. It threatened the reinforcements, replacements, and supply communications in the rear of the troops. Particularly dangerous was this warfare in so vast an area as Russia. In regard to the Esthonian area there was a very special danger in the fact that most |
