Document #1: The Munich Pact

Watch: Why We Fight (Part )

Agreement concIuded at Munich, September 29, 1938, between Germany, Great Britain, France
and ItaIy
GERMANY, the United Kingdom, France and taly, taking into
consideration the agreement, which has been already reached in
principle for the cession to Germany of the Sudeten German
territory, have agreed on the following terms and conditions
governing the said cession and the measures consequent thereon,
and by this agreement they each hold themselves responsible for the
steps necessary to secure its fulfilment:

(1) The evacuation will begin on 1st October.
(2) The United Kingdom, France and taly agree that the evacuation of the territory shall be completed
by the 10th October, without any existing installations having been destroyed, and that the Czechoslovak
Government will be held responsible for carrying out the evacuation without damage to the said installations.
(3) The conditions governing the evacuation will be laid down in detail by an international commission
composed of representatives of Germany, the United Kingdom, France, taly and Czechoslovakia.
(4) The occupation by stages of the predominantly German territory by German troops will begin on 1st
October. The four territories marked on the attached map will be occupied by German troops in the following
order:
The territory marked No. on the 1st and 2nd of October; the territory marked No. on the 2nd and 3rd
of October; the territory marked No. on the 3rd, 4th and 5th of October; the territory marked No. V on the
6th and 7th of October. The remaining territory of preponderantly German character will be ascertained by the
aforesaid international commission forthwith and be occupied by German troops by the 10th of October.
(5) The international commission referred to in paragraph 3 will determine the territories in which a
plebiscite is to be held. These territories will be occupied by international bodies until the plebiscite has been
completed. The same commission will fix the conditions in which the plebiscite is to be held, taking as a basis
the conditions of the Saar plebiscite. The commission will also fix a date, not later than the end of November,
on which the plebiscite will be held.
(6) The final determination of the frontiers will be carried out by the international commission. The
commission will also be entitled to recommend to the four Powers, Germany, the United Kingdom, France and
taly, in certain exceptional cases, minor modifications in the strictly ethnographical determination of the zones
which are to be transferred without plebiscite.
(7) There will be a right of option into and out of the transferred territories, the option to be exercised within
six months from the date of this agreement. A German-Czechoslovak commission shall determine the details
of the option, consider ways of facilitating the transfer of population and settle questions of principle arising out
of the said transfer.
(8) The Czechoslovak Government will within a period of four weeks from the date of this agreement
release from their military and police forces any Sudeten Germans who may wish to be released, and the
Czechoslovak Government will within the same period release Sudeten German prisoners who are serving
terms of imprisonment for political offences.

Munich, September 29, 1938.
ADOLF HTLER,
NEVLLE CHAMBERLAN,
EDOUARD DALADER,
BENTO MUSSOLN.


Document #2

Text of the Nazi-Soviet Non-Aggression Pact

Watch: BBC Documentary - "Behind CIosed Doors"

The Government of the German Reich and The Government of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics
desirous of strengthening the cause of peace between Germany and the U.S.S.R., and proceeding from
the fundamental provisions of the Neutrality Agreement concluded in April, 1926 between Germany and the
U.S.S.R., have reached the following Agreement:

ArticIe I. Both High Contracting Parties obligate themselves to desist from any act of violence, any aggressive
action, and any attack on each other, either individually or jointly with other Powers.

ArticIe II. Should one of the High Contracting Parties become the object of belligerent action by a third Power,
the other High Contracting Party shall in no manner lend its support to this third Power.

ArticIe III. The Governments of the two High Contracting
Parties shall in the future maintain continual contact with
one another for the purpose of consultation in order to
exchange information on problems affecting their common
interests.

ArticIe IV. Should disputes or conflicts arise between the
High Contracting Parties shall participate in any grouping
of Powers whatsoever that is directly or indirectly aimed at
the other party.

ArticIe V. Should disputes or conflicts arise between the
High Contracting Parties over problems of one kind or another, both parties shall settle these disputes or
conflicts exclusively through friendly exchange of opinion or, if necessary, through the establishment of
arbitration commissions.

ArticIe VI. The present Treaty is concluded for a period of ten years, with the proviso that, in so far as one of
the High Contracting Parties does not advance it one year prior to the expiration of this period, the validity of
this Treaty shall automatically be extended for another five years.

ArticIe VII. The present treaty shall be ratified within the shortest possible time. The ratifications shall be
exchanged in Berlin. The Agreement shall enter into force as soon as it is signed.

[The section below was not published at the time the above was announced.]
Secret AdditionaI ProtocoI.
ArticIe I. n the event of a territorial and political rearrangement in the areas belonging to the Baltic States
(Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania), the northern boundary of Lithuania shall represent the boundary of the
spheres of influence of Germany and U.S.S.R. n this connection the interest of Lithuania in the Vilna area is
recognized by each party.

ArticIe II. n the event of a territorial and political rearrangement of the areas belonging to the Polish state, the
spheres of influence of Germany and the U.S.S.R. shall be bounded approximately by the line of the rivers
Narev, Vistula and San.

The question of whether the interests of both parties make desirable the maintenance of an independent Polish
States and how such a state should be bounded can only be definitely determined in the course of further
political developments.

n any event both Governments will resolve this question by means of a friendly agreement.
ArticIe III. With regard to Southeastern Europe attention is called by the Soviet side to its interest in
Bessarabia. The German side declares its complete political disinteredness in these areas.

ArticIe IV. This protocol shall be treated by both parties as strictly secret.
Moscow, August 23, 1939.

For the Government of the German Reich v. Ribbentrop
Plenipotentiary of the Government of the U.S.S.R. V. Molotov


Document #3
AdoIf HitIer: The Obersalzberg Speech

Decision to attack Poland was arrived at in spring. Originally there was
fear that because of the political constellation we would have to strike at
the same time against England, France, Russia and Poland. This risk too
we should have had to take. Goring had demonstrated to us that his Four-
Year Plan is a failure and that we are at the end of our strength, if we do
not achieve victory in a coming war.

Since the autumn of 1938 and since have realised that Japan will not go
with us unconditionally and that Mussolini is endangered by that nitwit of
a King and the treacherous scoundrel of a Crown Prince, decided to go
with Stalin. After all there are only three great statesmen in the world,
Stalin, and Mussolini. Mussolini is the weakest, for he has been able to
break the power neither of the crown nor of the Church. Stalin and 1 are
the only ones who visualise the future. So in a few weeks hence shall
stretch out my hand to Stalin at the common German-Russian frontier
and with him undertake to re-distribute the world.

Our strength lies in our quickness and in our brutality; Genghis Khan has sent millions of women and children
into death knowingly and with a light heart. History sees in him only the great founder of States. As to what
the weak Western European civilisation asserts about me, that is of no account. have given the command
and shall shoot everyone who utters one word of criticism, for the goal to be obtained in the war is not that
of reaching certain lines but of physically demolishing the opponent. And so for the present only in the East 1
have put my death-head formations' in place with the command relentlessly and without compassion to send
into death many women and children of Polish origin and language. Only thus we can gain the living space
[lebensraum] that we need. Who after all is today speaking about the destruction of the Armenians?

Colonel-General von Brauchitsch has promised me to bring the war against Poland to a close within a few
weeks. Had he reported to me that he needs two years or even only one year, should not have given the
command to march and should have allied myself temporarily with England instead of Russia for we cannot
conduct a long war. To be sure a new situation has arisen. experienced those poor worms Daladier and
Chamberlain in Munich. They will be too cowardly to attack. They won't go beyond a blockade. Against that we
have our autarchy and the Russian raw materials.

Poland will be depopulated and settled with Germans. My pact with the Poles was merely conceived of as
a gaining of time. As for the rest, gentlemen, the fate of Russia will be exactly the same as 1 am now going
through with in the case of Poland. After Stalin's death-he is a very sick man-we will break the Soviet Union.
Then there will begin the dawn of the German rule of the earth.

The little States cannot scare me. After Kemal's [i.e. Ataturk] death Turkey is governed by cretins and half
idiots. Carol of Roumania is through and through the corrupt slave of his sexual instincts. The King of Belgium
and the Nordic kings are soft jumping jacks who are dependent upon the good digestions of their over-eating
and tired peoples.

We shall have to take into the bargain the defection of Japan. save Japan a full year's time. The Emperor is a
counterpart to the last Czar - weak, cowardly, undecided. May he become a victim of the revolution. My going
together with Japan never was popular. We shall continue to create disturbances in the Far East and in Arabia.
Let us think as "gentlemen" and let us see in these peoples at best lacquered half maniacs who are anxious to
experience the whip.
The opportunity is as favourable as never before. 1 have but one worry, namely that Chamberlain or some
other such pig of a fellow (Saukerl) will come at the last moment with proposals or with ratting (Umfall). He will
fly down the stairs, even if shall personally have to trample on his belly in the eyes of the photographers.
No, it is too late for this. The attack upon and the destruction of Poland begins Saturday early. 1 shall let a
few companies in Polish uniform attack in Upper Silesia or in the Protectorate. Whether the world believes it is
quite indifferent (scheissegal). The world believes only in success.

For you, gentlemen, fame and honour are beginning as they have not since centuries. Be hard, be without
mercy, act more quickly and brutally than the others. The citizens of Western Europe must tremble with horror.
That is the most human way of conducting a war. For it scares the others off.

The new method of conducting war corresponds to the new drawing of the frontiers. A war extending from
Reval, Lublin, Kaschau to the mouth of the Danube. The rest will be given to the Russians. Ribbentrop has
orders to make every offer and to accept every demand. n the West reserve to myself the right to determine
the strategically best line. Here one will be able to work with Protectorate regions, such as Holland, Belgium
and French Lorraine.

And now, on to the enemy, in Warsaw we will celebrate our reunion.
The speech was received with enthusiasm. Gring jumped on a table, thanked blood-thirstily and made blood-
thirsty promises. He danced like a wild man. The few that had misgivings remained quiet.



Document #4
US DecIaration of War against Germany
December 11, 1941
The President's Message
To the Congress of the United States:
On the morning of Dec. 11 the Government of Germany,
pursuing its course of world conquest, declared war
against the United States. The long-known and the long-
expected has thus taken place. The forces endeavoring
to enslave the entire world now are moving toward this
hemisphere. Never before has there been a greater
challenge to life, liberty and civilization. Delay invites
great danger. Rapid and united effort by all of the peoples
of the world who are determined to remain free will insure
a world victory of the forces of justice and of
righteousness over the forces of savagery and of
barbarism. taly also has declared war against the United States.
therefore request the Congress to recognize a state of war between the United States and
Germany, and between the United States and taly.
Franklin D. Roosevelt
The War ResoIution
Declaring that a state of war exists between the Government of Germany and the government
and the people of the United States and making provision to prosecute the same.
Whereas the Government of Germany has formally declared war against the government and the
people of the United States of America:
Therefore, be it Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States
of America in Congress assembled, that the state of war between the United States and the
Government of Germany which has thus been thrust upon the United States is hereby formally
declared; and the President is hereby authorized and directed to employ the entire naval and
military forces of the government to carry on war against the Government of Germany; and
to bring the conflict to a successful termination, all of the resources of the country are hereby
pledged by the Congress of the United States



Document #5

Watch: The German Invasion of Russia
]
MoIotov: Reaction to German Invasion of 1941

Vyacheslav Molotov (1889-1986), Foreign Minister of the Soviet Union, had signed the Nazi-Soviet Non-
Aggression Pact on August 23, 1939. This bought the USSR two years in which to prepare for the Nazi attack,
but in the meantime encouraged Hitler's aggression against Poland. By 1941 it was the Soviet Union's turn.
For years, Hitler had claimed that Germany's future living space, or lebensraum, existed to Germany's east,
namely Russia. He then turned his attention toward the Soviet Union and launched a massive attack on June
22, 1941. Below is the initial Soviet reaction, broadcast to the people by Molotov.

Citizens of the Soviet Union:
The Soviet Government and its head, Comrade
Stalin, have authorized me to make the following
statement:
Today at 4 o'clock a.m., without any claims having
been presented to the Soviet Union, without a
declaration of war, German troops attacked our
country, attacked our borders at many points and
bombed from their airplanes our cities; Zhitomir, Kiev,
Sevastopol, Kaunas and some others, killing and
wounding over two hundred persons.

There were also enemy air raids and artillery shelling from Rumanian and Finnish territory.
This unheard of attack upon our country is perfidy unparalleled in the history of civilized nations. The attack on
our country was perpetrated despite the fact that a treaty of non-aggression had been signed between the U.
S. S. R. and Germany and that the Soviet Government most faithfully abided by all provisions of this treaty.
The attack upon our country was perpetrated despite the fact that during the entire period of operation of this
treaty, the German Government could not find grounds for a single complaint against the U.S.S.R. as regards
observance of this treaty.

Entire responsibility for this predatory attack upon the Soviet Union falls fully and completely upon the German
Fascist rulers.

At 5:30 a.m. -- that is, after the attack had already been perpetrated, Von der Schulenburg, the German
Ambassador in Moscow, on behalf of his government made the statement to me as People's Commissar of
Foreign Affairs to the effect that the German Government had decided to launch war against the U.S.S.R. in
connection with the concentration of Red Army units near the eastern German frontier.

n reply to this stated on behalf of the Soviet Government that, until the very last moment, the German
Government had not presented any claims to the Soviet Government, that Germany attacked the U.S.S.R.
despite the peaceable position of the Soviet Union, and that for this reason Fascist Germany is the aggressor.
On instruction of the government of the Soviet Union also stated that at no point had our troops or our air
force committed a violation of the frontier and therefore the statement made this morning by the Rumanian
radio to the effect that Soviet aircraft allegedly had fired on Rumanian airdromes is a sheer lie and provocation.
Likewise a lie and provocation is the whole declaration made today by Hitler, who is trying belatedly to concoct
accusations charging the Soviet Union with failure to observe the Soviet-German pact.

Now that the attack on the Soviet Union has already been committed, the Soviet Government has ordered our
troops to repulse the predatory assault and to drive German troops from the territory of our country.
This war has been forced upon us, not by the German people, not by German workers, peasants and
intellectuals, whose sufferings we well understand, but by the clique of bloodthirsty Fascist rulers of Germany
who have enslaved Frenchmen, Czechs, Poles, Serbians, Norway, Belgium, Denmark, Holland, Greece and
other nations.
The government of the Soviet Union expresses its unshakable confidence that our valiant army and navy and
brave falcons of the Soviet Air Force will acquit themselves with honor in performing their duty to the fatherland
and to the Soviet people, and will inflict a crushing blow upon the aggressor.
This is not the first time that our people have had to deal with an attack of an arrogant foe. At the time of

Napoleon's invasion of Russia our people's reply was war for the fatherland, and Napoleon suffered defeat and
met his doom.

t will be the same with Hitler, who in his arrogance has proclaimed a new crusade against our country. The
Red Army and our whole people will again wage victorious war for the fatherland, for our country, for honor, for
liberty.

The government of the Soviet Union expresses the firm conviction that the whole population of our country,
all workers, peasants and intellectuals, men and women, will conscientiously perform their duties and do their
work. Our entire people must now stand solid and united as never before.
Each one of us must demand of himself and of others discipline, organization and self-denial worthy of real
Soviet patriots, in order to provide for all the needs of the Red Army, Navy and Air Force, to insure victory over
the enemy.

The government calls upon you, citizens of the Soviet Union, to rally still more closely around our glorious
Bolshevist party, around our Soviet Government, around our great leader and comrade, Stalin. Ours is a
righteous cause. The enemy shall be defeated. Victory will be ours.
Vyacheslav Molotov - June 22, 1941





Document #6

Watch: The Nuremberg TriaIs

Nuremberg TriaI Witnesses: Zelewski, Erich Von Dem Bach

7 Jan. 46
Afternoon Session
COL. TAYLOR: Will Your Lordship swear the witness?
THE PRESDENT: What is his name?
COL. TAYLOR: Erich von dem Bach-Zelewski.
[The witness, Von dem Bach-Zelewski, took the stand.]
THE PRESDENT: What is your name?
ERCH VON DEM BACH-ZELEWSK (Witness): Erich
von dem Bach-Zelewski.
THE PRESDENT: Will you take this oath: " swear by God-
the Almighty and Omniscient-that will speak the pure truth-
and will withhold and add nothing."
[The witness repeated the oath.]
COL. TAYLOR: May remind the witness to speak very slowly, and to keep his answers as short as
possible? Can you hear me?
VON DEM BACH-ZELEWSK: Yes.
COL. TAYLOR: Were you a member of the SS?
VON DEM BACH-ZELEWSK: Yes.
COL. TAYLOR: What was the last rank you held in the SS?
VON DEM BACH-ZELEWSK: SS Obergruppenfuehrer and General of the Waffen-SS.
COL. TAYLOR: Did you serve in the 1914-18 war?
VON DEM BACH-ZELEWSK: Yes. was at the front from 1914 to 1918, was wounded twice, and received
the ron Cross, First and Second Class.
COL. TAYLOR: Did you remain in the army after the end of the last war?
VON DEM BACH-ZELEWSK: Yes, stayed in the 100,000-man army.
COL. TAYLOR: How long did you remain in the army?
VON DEM BACH-ZELEWSK: Till 1924, when took my discharge.
COL. TAYLOR: Did your military activities then stop?
VON DEM BACH-ZELEWSK: No, was battalion leader in the Border Defense, and subsequently took
part in maneuvers with the Wehrmacht until the campaign against Poland.
COL. TAYLOR: Did you join the Nazi Party?
VON DEM BACH-ZELEWSK: Yes.
COL. TAYLOR: n what year?
VON DEM BACH-ZELEWSK: n the year 1930.
475
7 Jan. 46
COL. TAYLOR: What branch of the party did you join?
VON DEM BACH-ZELEWSK: The Allgemeine-SS.
COL. TAYLOR: What were your activities in the SS prior to the outbreak of the war?
VON DEM BACH-ZELEWSK: established the Allgemeine-SS Border Defense in the districts of
Schneidemuhl and Frankfurt-ander-Oder, and from, 1934 was Oberabschnittsfuehrer in East Prussia and
afterwards in Silesia.
COL. TAYLOR: Were you a member of the Reichstag during this period?
VON DEM BACH-ZELEWSK: Yes, was a member of the Reichstag from 1932 right up to the end.
COL. TAYLOR: Did you take any active part during this war, before the campaign against the Soviet
Union?
VON DEM BACH-ZELEWSK: No, not before the campaign against Russia.
COL. TAYLOR: What was your rank at the beginning of the war?
VON DEM BACH-ZELEWSK: At the beginning of the war was SS Gruppenfuehrer and lieutenant
general.
COL. TAYLOR: And when were you promoted?
VON DEM BACH-ZELEWSK: was promoted on 9 November 1941 to SS Obergruppenfuehrer and
general of the Waffen-SS.
COL. TAYLOR: What was your position after the beginning of the campaign against the Soviet Union?
VON DEM BACH-ZELEWSK: Would you please repeat the question; it was not quite clear.
COL. TAYLOR: What was your position, your function, at the beginning of the war against the Soviet
Union?
VON DEM BACH-ZELEWSK: At the beginning of the campaign against Russia served as Higher SS and
Police Leader in the central sector of the Russian Front, in the rear zone of Army Group Center.
COL. TAYLOR: Was there a similar SS official in the rear zone of each army group?
VON DEM BACH-ZELEWSK: Yes, in each army group, North, Center, and South, there was a Higher SS
and Police Leader.
COL. TAYLOR: Who was the commander of Army Group Center?
VON DEM BACH-ZELEWSK: The commander of Army Group Center was, in the beginning, General Field
Marshal Von Bock, and later General Field Marshal Kluge.
COL. TAYLOR: Who was the Armed Forces commander in the rear zone of Army Group Center?