(2) The Secret Cabinet Council. Proof that there was only an
artificial distinction between the ordinary cabinet, the
Secret Cabinet Council, and the Council of Ministers for the
Defense of the Reich, is shown by the unity of personnel
among the three subdivisions. Thus, on 4 February 1938,
Hitler created the Secret Cabinet Council (2031-PS):
"To advise me in conducting the foreign policy I am
setting up a secret cabinet council.
"As president of the secret cabinet council, I
nominate: Reichsminister Freiherr von Neurath
"As members of the secret cabinet council I nominate:
Reichsminister for Foreign Affairs, Joachim von
Ribbentrop
Prussian Prime Minister, Reichsminister of the Air,
Supreme Commander of the Air Forces, General Field
Marshall Hermann Goering
The Fuehrers Deputy, Reichsminister Rudolf Hess
[Page 96]
Reichsminister for the Enlightenment of the people and
of Propaganda, Dr. Joseph Goebbels
Reichsminister and Chief of the Reichs Chancellery Dr.
Hans-Heinrich Lammers
The Supreme Commander of the Army, General Walther von
Brauchitsch
The Supreme Commander of the Navy, Grand Admiral Dr.
(honorary) Erich Raeder
The Chief of the Supreme Command of the Armed Forces Lt
Gen Wilhelm Keitel." (2031-PS)
It will be noted that every member of this group was either
a Reichsminister or, as, in the case of the Army, Navy, and
OKW heads, had the rank and authority of a Reich Minister.
(3) The Council of Ministers for the Defense of the Reich.
On 30 August 1939 Hitler established the Council of
Ministers for the Defense of the Reich better known as the
Ministerial Council). This was the so-called war cabinet.
The decree establishing this Council provided (2018-PS):
"Article I
"(1) A Ministerial Council for Reich Defense shall be
established as a standing committee out of the Reich
Defense Council.
"(2) The standing members of the Ministerial Council
for Reich Defense shall include: General Field Marshall
Goering as chairman; Fuehrer's Deputy [Hess];
Commissioner General (or Plenipotentiary) for Reich
Administration [Frick]; Commissioner General (or
Plenipotentiary) for Economy [Funk]; Reich Minister and
Chief of the Reich Chancellery [Dr. Lammers]; Chief of
the High Command for the Armed Forces [Keitel].
"(3) The chairman may draw on other members of the
Reich Defense Council including further personalities
for advice." (2018-PS)
Again, all members of this group were also members of the
ordinary Cabinet.
The Reich Defense Council, for secret war planning, was
created by the Cabinet on 4 April 1933 (cf. the unpublished
Reich Defense Law of 21 May 1935 (2261-PS) ). The membership
of that Council when first created is shown by the minutes
of the second session of the working committee of the
delegates for Reich Defense, dated 22 May 1933 and signed by
Keitel (EC-177):
[Page 97]
"Composition of the Reich Defense Council:
President: Reichs Chancellor
Deputy: Reichswehr Minister
Permanent Members: Minister of the:
Reichswehr
Foreign Affairs
Interior Finance
Economic Affairs
Public Enlightenment and Propaganda
Air
Chief of the Army Command Staff
Chief of the Navy Command Staff
"Depending on the case: The remaining ministers, other
personalities, e.g., leading industrialists, etc." (EC-177)
All but the Chiefs of the Army and Navy Command Staff were
at that time members of the ordinary cabinet.
The composition of this Reich Defense Council was changed by
an unpublished law on 4 September 1938, which provided as
follows (2194-PS):
"*** (2) The leader and Reich Chancellor is chairman in
the RVR. His permanent deputy is General Field Marshall
Goering. He has the right to call conferences of the
RVR. Permanent members of the RVR are
"The Reich Minister of Air and Supreme Commander of the
Air Force,
The Supreme Commander of the Army,
The Supreme Commander of the Navy,
The Chief of the OKW,
The Deputy of the Fuehrer,
The Reich Minister and Chief of the Reich Chancellery,
The President of the Secret Cabinet Council,
The Chief Plenipotentiary for the Reich Administration,
The Chief Plenipotentiary for Economics,
The Reich Minister of Foreign Affairs,
The Reich Minister of the Interior,
The Reich Finance Minister,
The Reich Minister for Public Enlightenment and
Propaganda,
The President of the Reichsbank Directorate.
The other Reich Ministers and the Reich offices
directly subordinate to the Fuehrer and Reich
Chancellor are consulted
[Page 98]
if necessary. Further personalities can be called as
the case demands." (2194-PS)
On that date all the members also belonged to the ordinary
cabinet, for by that time the supreme commanders of the Army
and Navy had been given ministerial rank and authorized to
participate in cabinet meetings (2098-PS). It is also worth
noting that two members of the Reich Defense Council also
appear in the Ministerial Council under the same title --
The Plenipotentiary for Administration, and the
Plenipotentiary for Economy. The former post was held by
Frick, while the latter was first held by Schacht and then
by Funk. These facts are verified by Frick on the Nazi
governmental organization chart (Chart Number 18). Many
other ministries were subordinated to these two posts for
war-planning aims and purposes. These two officials,
together with the Chief of the OKW, formed a powerful
triumvirate known as the "Three-Man College" (Frick, Funk,
and Keitel) which figured prominently in war plans and
preparations.
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