Archive/File: imt/nca/nca-02/nca-02-16-responsibility-03-07
Last-Modified: 1996/12/19

Nazi Conspiracy and Aggression, Vol. II, Chapter XVI

                                                  [Page 512]

(2) The Destruction of the Peoples in Europe. With regard to
Poland, the affidavit of Lahousen reports Ribbentrop
participation in a discussion on 12 September 1939 on the
Fuehrer's train concerning the extermination of Poles and
Jews (Affidavit A).

With regard to Bohemia and Moravia, on 16 March 1939 there
was promulgated the decree of the Fuehrer and
Reichschancellor, signed by Ribbentrop, establishing the
protectorate (T-51). The effect of that decree was to place
the Reich Protector in a position of supreme power over
Bohemia and Moravia, subordinate only to the Fuehrer.
Article 5 of that decree provides:

     "*** 2. The Reich Protector, as representative of the
     Fuehrer and Chancellor of the Reich, and as
     commissioner of the Reich Government, is charged with
     the duty of seeing to the observance of the political
     principles laid down by the Fuehrer and Chancellor of
     the Reich.
     
     "3. The members of the government of the Protectorate
     shall be confirmed by the Reich Protector. The
     confirmation may be
     
     "4. The Reich Protector is entitled to inform himself
     of all measures taken by the government of the
     Protectorate and to give advice. He can object to
     measures calculated-to harm the Reich, and, in case of
     danger, issue ordinances required for the common
     interest."

It is further provided that the promulgation of laws and the
execution of certain judgments shall- be annulled if the
Reich Protector enters an objection (TC-51).

In part as a result of the sweeping terms of this law, the
two Reich Protectors of Bohemia and Moravia and their
various deputies were able to commit numerous violations of
the laws of war, and crimes against humanity. (Discussion of
these matters was assumed as the responsibility of the
Soviet prosecuting staff.)

Similarly, with regard to the Netherlands, on 18 May 1940 a
decree of the Fuehrer concerning the exercise of
governmental authority in the Netherlands was signed by
Ribbentrop. Section 1 of that-decree provided (D-639):
     
                                                  [Page 513]
                                                            
     "The occupied Netherlands territories shall be
     administered by the Reich Commissioner for the Occupied
     Netherlands territories *** the Reich Commissioner is
     guardian of the interests of the Reich and vested with
     supreme civil authority.
     
     "Dr. Arthur Seyss-Inquart is hereby appointed Reich
     Commissioner for the Occupied Netherlands Territories."
     (D-639 )

On the basis of this decree, the Reich Commissioner, Seyss-
Inquart, promulgated such orders as that of 4 July 1940,
confiscating the property of those who had, or might have,
furthered activities hostile to the German Reich (2921-PS).
Tentative arrangements were also made for the resettlement
of the Dutch population (1520-PS). (This part of the proof
was assumed as the responsibility of the French prosecuting
staff.)

With regard to Bohemia and the Netherlands, the charge
against Ribbentrop is laying the basis and erecting the
governmental structure under which the war crimes and crimes
against humanity were directed-and facilitated.

(3) Persecution of the Jews. In December 1938 Ribbentrop, in
a conversation with M. Bonnet, who was then Foreign Minister
of France, expressed his opinion of the Jews. That was
reported by the United States Ambassador, Mr. Kennedy, to
the State Department as follows (L-205):

     "During the day we had a telephone call from Berenger's
     office in Paris. We were told that the matter of
     refugees had been raised by Bonnet in his conversation
     with von Ribbentrop. The result was very bad.
     Ribbentrop, when pressed, had said to Bonnet that the
     Jews in Germany without except ion were pickpockets,
     murderers and thieves. The property they possessed had
     been acquired illegally. The German Government had
     therefore decided to assimilate them with the criminal
     elements of the population. The property which they had
     acquired illegally would be taken from them. They would
     be forced to live in districts frequented by the
     criminal classes. They would be under police
     observation like other criminals. They would be forced
     to report to the police as other criminals were obliged
     to do. The German Government could not help it if some
     of these criminals escaped to other countries which
     seemed so anxious to have them. It was not, however,
     willing for them to take the property which had
     resulted from their illegal operations with them. There
     was in fact nothing that it could or would do." (L-205)

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That succinct statement of Ribbentrop's views on Jews is
elaborated in a long document which he had sent out by the
Foreign Office (3358-PS). This document, entitled "The
Jewish Question As A Factor In German Foreign Policy in the
year 1938" contains the following:

     "It is certainly no coincidence that the fateful year
     1938 has brought nearer the solution of the Jewish
     question simultaneously with the realization of the
     'idea of Greater Germany', since the Jewish policy was
     both the basis and consequence of the events of the
     year
     
                           *******
     
     "The final goal of German Jewish policy is the
     emigration of all Jews living in Reich territory."
                              
                           *******
     
     "These examples from reports from authorities abroad
     can, if desired, be amplified. They confirm the
     correctness of the expectation that criticism of the
     measures for excluding Jews from German lebensraum,
     which were misunderstood in many countries for lack of
     evidence, would only be temporary and would wing in the
     other direction the moment the population saw with its
     own eyes and thus learned what the Jewish danger was to
     them. The poorer and therefore the more burdensome the
     immigrant Jew to the country absorbing him, the
     stronger this country will react and the more desirable
     is this effect in the interest of German propaganda.
     The object of this German action is to be the future
     international solution of the Jewish question, dictated
     not by false compassion for the 'United Religious
     Jewish minority' but by the full consciousness of all
     peoples of the danger which it represents to the racial
     composition of the nations." (3358-PS)

This document was widely circulated by Ribbentrop's
ministry, to all senior Reich authorities and to numerous
other people on 25 January 1939, just after the statement to
M. Bonnet. Apparently Ribbentrop's anti-Semitic incitements
grew stronger, for in June 1944 Rosenberg made arrangements
for an international anti-Jewish Congress to be held in
Krakow on 11 July 1944. The honorary members were to be
Ribbentrop, Himmler, Goebbels, and Frank. The Foreign Office
was to take over the mission of inviting prominent
foreigners from Italy, France, Hungary, Holland, Arabia,
Iraq, Norway etc. in order to give an international aspect
to the Congress. However, the military events of June 1944
prompted Hitler to call off the Congress, which had lost its

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significance by virtue of the Allied landing in Normandy

It is clear that Ribbentrop supported and encouraged the
Nazi program against the Jews, which resulted in their
transportation to concentration camps, where things went on
which he, as a minister in special touch with the head of
the government must have known about. As one who preached
this doctrine and was a position of authority, Ribbentrop
cannot suggest that he was ignorant of how the policy was
carried out.

D. CONCLUSION

Hitler summed up Ribbentrop's contribution to the Nazi
conspiracy for aggression, as follows:

     "In the historic year of 1938 the Foreign Minister, von
     Ribbentrop, was of great help to me in view of his
     accurate and audacious Judgment and the exceptionally
     clever treatment of all problems of foreign

During the course of the war, Ribbentrop was in close
liaison with the other Nazi conspirators. He advised them
and made available to them, through his foreign embassies
and legations abroad, information which was required. He at
times participated in the planning of war crime and crimes
against humanity. His guilt is clear.

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