dtufail/nuremberg-trials-corpus huggingface dataset:
MR. COUNSELLOR SHENIN: For this reason the stenographic record of a secret conference of German administrative leaders (Reich Commissioners) for the occupied countries, which took place on 6 August 1942, is of particular interest. Goering presided over the meeting. This document, like many other original documents which I had the honor of presenting today to the Tribunal, was found by Soviet military authorities in September 1945 in one of the municipal buildings of the town of Jena, in Thuringia. This extraordinary document contains a long speech by Goering and the replies of the Hitlerite rulers of the occupied countries. And, Your Honors, many of the people who are sitting in the dock now took part in this conference. The contents of this document are such that any comment on my part is unnecessary. Therefore, if it pleases the Tribunal, I shall proceed to read from this document. "Stenographic notes; Thursday, 6 August 1942, 4 p.m., in the Hermann Goering Hall in the Air Ministry. "Reich Marshal Goering: 'The Gauleiter stated their views here yesterday. Although they may have differed in tone and manner, it was evident that they all feel that the German people have too little to eat. Gentlemen, the Fuehrer has given me general powers exceeding any hitherto granted within the Four Year Plan. " 'At this moment Germany commands the richest granaries that ever existed in the European area, stretching from the Atlantic to the Volga and the Caucasus, lands more highly developed and fruitful than ever before, even if a few of them cannot be described as granaries. I need only remind you of the fabulous fertility of the Netherlands, the unique paradise that is France. Belgium too is extraordinarily fruitful, and so is the province of Posen. Then above all, the Government General has to a great extent the rye and wheat granary of Europe, and along with it the amazingly fertile districts of Lemberg (Lvov) and Galicia, where the harvest is exceptionally good.
MR. COUNSELLOR SHENIN: Then there comes Russia, the black earth of the Ukraine on both shores of the Dnieper, the Don region, with its remarkably fertile districts which have scarcely been destroyed. Our troops have now occupied, or are in process of occupying, the excessively fertile districts between the Don and the Caucasus.' " Goering then goes on to say: " 'God knows, you are not sent out there to work for the welfare of the people in your charge but to squeeze the utmost out of them, so that the German people may live. That is what I expect of your exertions. This everlasting concern about foreign peoples must cease now, once and for all. " 'I have here before me reports on what you expect to be able to deliver. It is nothing at all when I consider your territories. It makes no difference to me if you say that your people are starving. " 'One thing I shall certainly do. I will make you deliver the quantities asked of you; and if you cannot do so, I will set forces to work that will force you to do so whether you want to or not. " 'The wealth of Holland lies close to the Ruhr. It could send a much greater quantity of vegetables into this stricken area now than it has done so far. What do I care what the Dutchmen think of it. " 'The only people in whom I am interested in the occupied territories are those who work to provide armaments and food supplies. They must receive just enough to enable them to continue working. It is all one to me whether Dutchmen are Germanic or not. They are only all the greater blockheads if they are; and more important persons than they have shown in the past how Germanic numskulls sometimes have to be treated. Even if you receive abuses from every quarter, you will have acted rightly, for it is the Reich alone that counts.' " And now I come to the next excerpt: " 'I am still discussing the western territories. Belgium has taken care of herself extraordinarily well. That was very sensible of Belgium. But there, too, gentlemen, rage incarnate could seize me.
MR. COUNSELLOR SHENIN: If every plot of ground in Belgium is planted with vegetables, then they must surely have had vegetable seed. When Germany wanted to start a big campaign last year for utilizing uncultivated land, we did not have nearly as much seed as we needed. Neither Holland nor Belgium nor France have delivered it, although I myself was able to count 170 sacks of vegetable seed on a single street in Paris. It is all very well for the French to plant vegetables for themselves. They are accustomed to doing this. But, gentlemen, these people are all our enemies and you will not win over any of them by humane measures. The people are polite to us now because they have to be polite. But let the English once force their way in and then you will see the real face of the Frenchman. The same Frenchman who dines with you and in turn invites you to dine with him will at once make it plain to you that the Frenchman is a German-hater. That is the situation, and we do not want to see it any other way than it is. " 'It is a matter of indifference to me how many courses are served every day at the table of the Belgian king. The king is a prisoner of war; and if he is not treated as such, I will see to it that he is taken to some other place where this can be made clear to him. I am really fed up with the business. " 'I have forgotten one country because nothing is to be had there except fish; that is Norway. " 'With regard to France, I say that it is still not cultivated to the greatest possible extent. France can be cultivated in a very different way if the peasants there are forced to work in a different manner. Secondly, inside France itself the population is gorging itself to a scandalous degree.... " 'Besides, Heaven help a German car parked outside a French tavern in Paris! it is reported. But a whole row of French gasoline-driven vehicles parked there doesn't bother anyone. " 'I would say nothing at all, on the contrary, I would not think much of you if we didn't have a marvelous restaurant in Paris where we could get the best food obtainable.
MR. COUNSELLOR SHENIN: But I do not want the French to be able to saunter into it. Maxim must have the best food for us.' " Mr. President, I see one of the German Defense Counsel wishes to take the floor. I shall, therefore, give him an opportunity to do so.
DR. ALFRED THOMA (Counsel for Defendant Rosenberg): Mr. President, I have only a short question. The prosecutor has not told us where this document can be found, in which document book and what number it has. He mentioned only the page on which the Court can find that document.
MR. COUNSELLOR SHENIN: This document was presented to the Tribunal as Document Number USSR-170. The photostatic copy was turned over to Defense Counsel. May I continue, Mr. President?
THE PRESIDENT: It comes from the archives of the Defendant Goering, does it not? You have so stated.
MR. COUNSELLOR SHENIN: Yes. " 'For German officers and men three or four first-class restaurants excellent, but not for the French.' " I quote the next excerpt: " 'Furthermore, you should be like bloodhounds on the track of anything the German people can use; that stuff should be brought here out of the warehouses like lightning. Whenever I issued a decree, I stated repeatedly that soldiers are entitled to buy as much as they want and whatever they want, as much as they can carry.... " 'Now you will say -- Laval's foreign policy. Herr Laval calms down Herr Abetz and as far as I am concerned, may go to Maxim's, although it is out of bounds. But the French will soon have to learn. You have no idea of the impudence they have. When our friends hear that a German is interested they charge fantastic prices. They charge three times the normal price and if they hear that the Reich Marshal is in the market, they charge five times the normal price. I wanted to buy a tapestry. Two million francs was asked. The woman was told that the buyer wanted to see the tapestry. She said she did not wish to let it out of her sight. Well, then she would have to go with it. She was told that she was going to see the Reich Marshal. When she arrived the tapestry was priced at 3 million francs. I reported it. Do you think anything was done? I submitted the case to the French court and they taught milady that it is inadvisable to profiteer when dealing with me. " 'All that interests me is what we can squeeze out of the territory now under our control with the utmost application and by straining every nerve; and how much of that can be diverted to Germany. I don't give a damn about import and export statistics of former years. " 'Now, regarding shipments to the Reich. Last year France shipped 550,000 tons of grain, and now I demand 1.2 million tons. Two weeks from now a plan will be submitted for handling it. There will be no more discussion about it. What happens to the Frenchmen is of no importance. One million two hundred thousand tons will be delivered.
MR. COUNSELLOR SHENIN: Fodder -- last year 550,000 tons, now 1 million; meat -- last year 135,000 tons, now 350,000; fats -- last year 23,000, this year 60,000.' " And so on. The next excerpt from this address concerns the quotas to be fixed for deliveries from countries such as the Netherlands, Belgium, Norway, and the Government General. In reply to Goering's questions and instructions definite figures were quoted by those attending the meeting. I omit one page and continue: "Reich Marshal Goering: 'So much for the West. A special order will be issued concerning purchasers who buy up all the clothes, shoes, et cetera , that are to be had. " 'Now comes the East. I have settled this point with the Wehrmacht. The Wehrmacht waives the demands it made on the home country. How much hay was required?' "Backe: '1.5 million tons. Over 1 million tons straw and 1 1/2 million tons oats. We can't manage that.(?)' "Reich Marshal Goering: 'Now, gentlemen, there is only one thing more regarding Wehrmacht supplies. I want to hear nothing more about you until further notice. No more requests. The country -- with its sour cream, apples, and white bread -- will feed us abundantly. The Don valley will take care of the rest.' " Passing to the next quotation -- Goering is speaking: " 'The Wehrmacht in France will, of course, be supplied with food by France. That is a matter of course, and I did not even mention it before. " 'Now about Russia: There is no doubt of her fertility. The position there is almost incredibly good....' " The next quotation, Goering is still speaking: " 'I was glad to hear that the Reich Commissioner in Ostland is doing just as well, and the people are just as fat and chubby and puff a lime when they work. Nevertheless, I shall see to it, no matter how carefully certain groups are treated, that some contribution is made from the inexhaustible fertility of this area.' " After this Lohse, Reich Commissioner for Bielorussia, addressed the meeting: " 'May I state my opinion in a few words? I should like to give you more but certain conditions have to be observed.
MR. COUNSELLOR SHENIN: The harvest is certainly excellent but in more than half of the area of Bielorussia which is well cultivated, it is scarcely possible to get in the crops, unless we can put a stop to the disturbances caused by guerillas and partisans. I have already been crying out for help for 4 months.' " Lohse goes on to describe the activities of the partisans in Bielorussia. In this connection Goering interrupts him and says: " 'My dear Lohse, we have known each other for a long time. I know well enough that you are a great poet.' " And Lohse answered: " 'I won't stand for that; I have never written poetry.' " In conclusion I quote the last three quotations from Goering's speech. He said: " 'We must have buyers from the Ministry of Economics, Funk, in the Ukraine and elsewhere. We must send them to Venice to buy odds and ends, those frightful alabaster things and cheap jewelry, et cetera . I don't think there is any other place except Italy where one gets quite such junk. " 'Now let us see what Russia can deliver. I think, Riecke, we should be able to get 2 million tons of cereals and fodder out of the whole of Russia.' "Riecke: 'That can be done.' "Reich Marshal Goering: 'That means that we must get 3 million, apart from Wehrmacht supplies.' "Riecke: 'No, all that is in the front areas goes for the Wehrmacht only.' "Reich Marshal Goering: 'Then we bring 2 million.' "Riecke: 'No.' "Reich Marshal Goering: 'A million and a half then.' "Riecke: 'Yes.' "Reich Marshal Goering: 'All right.' " The discussion went on in the same way. Goering's speech ends with the following sentence: " 'Gentlemen, I would just like to say one thing more. I have a very great deal to do and a very great deal of responsibility. I have no time to read letters and memoranda informing me that you cannot supply my requirements. I have only time to ascertain from time to time through short reports from Backe whether the commitments are being fulfilled.
MR. COUNSELLOR SHENIN: If not, then we shall have to meet on a different level.' " As Your Honors have heard, besides Goering this conference was attended by the Defendants Rosenberg, Sauckel, Seyss-Inquart, Frank, Funk, and others. As you have heard, Goering finished his speech with a direct threat against the participants in this conference, by saying that "we shall have to meet on a different level." This threat came true. The matter has, in every sense of the term, been met on a different level -- from the level of the dock. Thus the whole volume of evidence submitted establishes beyond all doubt: 1. That simultaneously with their well-laid preparations for the military invasion of Czechoslovakia, Poland, Yugoslavia, Greece, and the U.S.S.R., the criminal Hitlerite Government and the Supreme Command of the German Armed Forces worked out a plan for the mass plunder and spoliation of private, public, and state-owned property in the territories belonging to these countries. 2. That having worked out this criminal plan, the conspirators carried out all the preliminary measures necessary for its execution by training special bodies of officers and officials for the despoliation of the territories they meant to seize by preparing and issuing special instructions, reference books, and orders for this purpose, and by creating a special and very complicated organization of all sorts of "economic inspectorates," "detachments," "groups," "joint stock companies," "plenipotentiaries," et cetera , and by calling in a large number of specialists in different branches, military experts on agriculture, agricultural leaders, economic spies, et cetera . 3. That in accordance with this long-prepared plan, they subsequently plundered and despoiled private, public, and state property in the occupied territories and also robbed the peaceful population of these territories, having recourse to atrocities, violence, and arbitrary practices of the most appalling nature. 4.
MR. COUNSELLOR SHENIN: That in order to make the soldiers and the officers of the German Army "economically interested" in the war, the conspirators not only failed to prosecute cases of marauding and robbery committed by German soldiers and officers, but even encouraged these crimes and incited their men to commit wholesale looting. 5. That by the commission of all these crimes the conspirators caused enormous economic damage to the people of the occupied territories, exposing them to starvation and suffering, and that they profited by their criminal activities for the personal gain and enrichment of themselves and their adherents. 6. That having thus planned, prepared, and initiated wars of aggression against the freedom-loving nations, the conspirators aimed at the predatory despoliation of these nations and thereafter achieved these criminal ends by means of equally criminal and predatory methods. On the strength of the above, the defendants have consciously and deliberately violated Article 50 of the Hague Convention of 1907, the laws and customs of war, the general principles of criminal law accepted by the penal codes of all civilized nations, as well as the national law of those countries in which these crimes were committed. For these criminal acts, Your Honors, each and all of which are covered by Article 6(b) of the Charter of the International Military Tribunal, all the defendants must be found guilty; all of them without exception must be held responsible both individually and as members of the conspiracy. May it please Your Honors, the documents which I have presented to the Tribunal and which I have read into the record are silent witnesses to the crimes organized and committed by the defendants. But the conscience of the Judges will hear the testimony of these silent witnesses' who relate truthfully the story of the arbitrary practices and crimes of the Hitlerite brigands and the boundless sufferings of their innumerable victims.
THE PRESIDENT: The Tribunal will adjourn. [The Tribunal adjourned until 21 February 1946 at 1000 hours.]
MARSHAL: The Defendant Hess will be absent from today's session on account of illness.
GEN. RUDENKO: I would like to inform Your Honor that in accordance with the plan of the Soviet Prosecution presented to the Tribunal and with the permission of the Tribunal, we shall start presenting evidence on that section entitled, "The Destruction and Plunder of Cultural and Scientific Treasures, Cultural Institutions, Monasteries, Churches, and Other Religious Institutions, as well as the Destruction of Cities and Villages." The evidence on this section will be presented by State Counsellor of Justice of the Second Class, Raginsky.
STATE COUNSELLOR OF JUSTICE OF THE SECOND CLASS M.Y. RAGINSKY (Assistant Prosecutor for the U.S.S.R.): May it please Your Honors, among the numerous and grievous war crimes committed by the Hitlerite conspirators -- crimes enumerated in detail in Count Three of the Indictment -- crimes against culture occupy a definite place of their own. These crimes expressed all the abomination and vandalism of German fascism. The Hitlerite conspirators considered culture of the mind and of humanity as an obstacle to the fulfillment of their monstrous designs against mankind, and they removed this obstacle with their own typical cruelty. In working out their insane plans for world domination, the Hitlerite conspirators, side by side with the initiation and prosecution of predatory wars, prepared a campaign against world culture. They dreamed of turning Europe back to the days of her domination by the Huns and Teutons. They tried to set mankind back. It is unnecessary to quote the numerous pronouncements of the fascist ringleaders on this subject. I shall permit myself merely to refer to one pronouncement of Hitler's quoted on Page 80 of Rauschning's book, and already presented to the Tribunal by the Soviet Prosecution. "We," said Hitler, "are barbarians and we wish to be barbarians. It is an honorable calling." On behalf of the Soviet Prosecution, I shall present to the Tribunal evidence of how the defendants put into practice these orders of Hitler, which found concrete expression in the wrecking of cultural institutions, the looting and destruction of cultural treasures, and the suffocation of the national cultural life of the peoples in the territories temporarily occupied by the German armies, that is, the territories of the U.S.S.R., Poland, Czechoslovakia, and Yugoslavia.
STATE COUNSELLOR OF JUSTICE OF THE SECOND CLASS M.Y. RAGINSKY (Assistant Prosecutor for the U.S.S.R.): I shall present to the Tribunal evidence of the Hitlerites' preparations and planning for the looting of cultural treasures; how, long before the treacherous attack on the U.S.S.R., the so-called Einsatzstab Rosenberg prepared for pillage, how the predatory activity of the Defendant Rosenberg was co-ordinated with Goering, Heydrich, and the Supreme Command, and how this pillage was disguised. It is now generally known to what monstrous lies and provocations the Hitlerites resorted in the camouflaging of their crimes. While annihilating millions of people in the extermination camps they had set up, they spoke, in their orders, of "filtration" and "cleansing." While destroying and plundering cultural treasures, the fascist vandals sought shelter behind the terms "collection of materials" and the 'study of problems," and shamelessly referred to themselves as "bearers of culture." The Hitlerite conspirators endeavored to change into serfs, bereft of all their rights, the peoples of the territories seized; and, for this purpose, they destroyed the national culture of these peoples. The destruction of the national culture of the Slav peoples and particularly of the Russian, Ukrainian, and Bielorussian cultures, the destruction of national monuments, schools, literature, and the compulsory Germanization of the population, followed the German occupation everywhere, in obedience to the same criminal principle which governed the ensuing pillage, rape, arson, and mass murders. I omit, Mr. President, the end of Page 3 and Page 4 of my presentation, and I proceed to the presentation of Section 2, Page 5. As I have already indicated, the destruction of the national culture of the peoples in the occupied territories was a fundamental part of the general plan for world domination established by Hitler's conspirators. It is difficult to determine whether destruction or plunder was the prevalent factor in these plans.
STATE COUNSELLOR OF JUSTICE OF THE SECOND CLASS M.Y. RAGINSKY (Assistant Prosecutor for the U.S.S.R.): But there is no disputing the fact that both plunder and destruction were aimed at one goal only -- extermination; and this extermination was carried out everywhere, in all the territories occupied by the Germans, and on an enormous scale. Article 56 of the 1907 Hague Convention laid down, I quote: "The property of municipalities, of Church institutions and establishments dedicated to charity and education, arts and sciences, even when belonging to the State, shall be considered as private property. All premeditated seizure of, and destruction or damage to, institutions of this character, to historic monuments, works of art and science, is forbidden and should be made the subject of legal proceedings." The Hitlerites consciously and systematically scoffed at the principles and demands laid down in article 56. All the conspirators are guilty of this, and the Defendant Rosenberg in the first place. Rosenberg had an organization with widespread ramifications for the plunder of cultural treasures and with numerous staffs and representatives. The Einsatzstab Rosenberg and Rosenberg's chief of staff, Utikal, were the central point of the network co-ordinating the criminal activities of many predatory organizations inspired and directed by the Hitlerite Government together with the German Supreme Command. Rosenberg was officially placed in charge of plundering the cultural treasures in the occupied territories by a decree of Hitler of 1 March 1942. I have in mind Document Number 149-PS presented to the Tribunal on 18 December of last year by the United States Prosecution and accepted by the Tribunal as Exhibit Number USA-369. With your permission, Mr. President, I shall quote only two paragraphs of this document. You will find this document on Page 3 of your document book.