“It was true, Goering told the economics and production ministers,
that as a consequence of the armaments buildup and the decline in
international trade associated with the Austrian and Czech crisis
the treasury was empty. Foreign credits were greatly overdrawn.
German industrial capacity was booked with orders for years ahead.
But all this, he declared, would be ‘overcome with utmost energy
and ruthlessness.’ Exports were to be increased. The construction
of railroads, highways, and canals was to be accelerated. Armaments
production was to be multiplied ‘to an extraordinary extent, the
air force having the first priority. Within the briefest time the
air force is to increase fivefold, the navy shall be armed more
rapidly, and the army should procure large amounts of offensive
weapons at a faster rate, particularly heavy artillery pieces and
heavy tanks.’
“If necessary, Goering announced, he would ‘make barbaric use of the
plenipotentiary powers given me by the Fu”hrer.’ Plants producing
for domestic consumption were to be converted to the manufacture of
armaments and export goods. ‘A retraining of hundreds of thousands
of people will have to take place. Much more work will have to be
performed by women than until now. Work periods of eight hours do
not exist anymore. Wherever necessary, overtime is to be performed,
double and triple shifts are a matter of course. When the workers
will protest, as in Austria, [I] will proceed with forced labor,
and create camps for forced labor. It is a fact that one generation
has driven the cart into the mud as a result of the mutiny of the
workers, and because it was guilty of not having shot these workers
on the spot. Therefore, we have to put the thing in order again.’
(NCA, 1301 PS, Goering Conference of October 14, 1938)” (Conot, 163-164)
Work Cited
Conot, Robert E. Justice at Nuremberg. New York: Harper & Row,
1983
Abbreviations:
NCA. Nazi Conspiracy and Aggession, the 10-volume compendium of the
prosecution’s agruments.
Newsgroups: alt.revisionism,soc.history
Subject: Holocaust Almanac: The Treasury is Empty
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Last-Modified: 1996/02/22
