Free PDF

Author : German information service
Title : 100 documents on the origin of the war Selected from the official german white book
Year : 1939

Link download : German_information_service_-_100_documents_on_the_origin_of_the_war.zip

Under the leadership of Adolf Hitler, the German people has learnt to look not backward into the past, but forward into the future. But the war which has been enforced upon us, and which we are waging for the sake of Germany's future weal, renders it absolutely necessary that we should constantly bear in mind what led to the outbreak of the present conflict and wherein lay its ultimate causes. These facts have long been obvious to those who cared to see them and have often enough been publicly established by competent German authorities and especially by the Fuehrer in his speeches. Since, however, our enemies are untiring in their efforts to conceal the truth by means of lying propaganda and to mislead the world at large, not only as regards the causes of the war but also concerning their aims, it seems essential to furnish once again by authentic official documents the irrefutable proof that Britain, and Britain alone, was responsible for the war which she deliberately brought about in order to annihilate Germany. Immediately after the outbreak of hostilities, the German Foreign Office published, in the form of a White Paper, those documents which shed a light upon the last phase of the German-Polish crisis. The Foreign Office now publishes a more comprehensive collection of documents relating not only to the period immediately preceding the outbreak of hostilities, but to the most important political events which gave rise to the conflict with Poland in the first place, and subsequently, - to the conflict with Britain and France. The zoo documents here published are so eloquent in themselves that comment is superfluous. These matter-of-fact diplomatic papers give a plain and unadorned picture of the political developments of the past few years, a picture which cannot fail to arouse, even in those closely connected with these developments, a feeling of overwhelming tragedy. They prove how, since the conclusion of the Great War, the Poles systematically attempted to exterminate the German minority in Poland and to ruin Danzig ; they prove how the Fuehrer endeavoured by broad-minded and infinitely patient statesmanship to establish German-Polish relations on a permanent footing to the interests of both parties ; they prove how, on the contrary, the people in power in Poland in their short-sightedness frustrated the possibilities of a final settlement again and again offered to them by Germany. Above all, the documents clearly show how, immediately after the Munich Conference, Britain's desire for war became more and more obvious and how the British Government finally utilized the infatuation of the Polish Government, which Britain herself had brought about on purpose, in order to start their long-planned war - with Germany. To reveal the full extent of Britain's political hypocrisy and criminal machinations it would, indeed, be necessary to recount the events of the entire post-war period, throughout which Britain opposed every successive attempt on the part of Germany to free herself from the fetters imposed on her by the dictated Treaty of Versailles and again and again spoilt every opportunity for the revision of this dictated treaty by means of negotiation. A study of the short period which has elapsed since the autumn of 1938, viewed in the light of the documents published in this White Book will, however, suffice to prove that Britain was, from the outset, determined to thwart the Fuehrer in his purpose by force. He had already by his supreme statesmanship succeeded in doing away with several of the worst crimes committed at Versailles, and that without bloodshed and without impinging upon the interests of Great Britain. In the same way, the Fuehrer would have obtained a peaceful solution of the German-Polish problem, hid not Britain made unscrupulous use of Poland as a pawn in her schemes for war and by her criminal policy plunged Europe into war. This truth, historically established for all time, is further borne out by the fact that Britain replied to the final and generous peace offer made once again by the Fuehrer in his speech in the Reichstag on 6 October by an arrogant and insulting challenge to Germany. In unshakeable consciousness of the righteousness of their cause and with the unswerving conviction of their ultimate victory, the people of Germany took up the challenge and will not lay down their arms until they have achieved their aim. This aim is : -The military annihilation of their adversaries and the securement of the German nation's rightful living space against the threat of aggression for all time. Berlin, 3 December 1939. von Ribbentrop Reich Minister for Foreign Affairs. ...