 |
VI. CRIMES AGAINST PEACE — SELECTIONS
FROM THE EVIDENCE ON THE CHARGES
OF
AGGRESSIVE WAR |
| |
| A. Introduction |
| |
The indictment charged that, “the origin, development, and
background of the crimes which the defendant herein committed, and the criminal
plans in which they participated, may be traced through many decades of German
militarism.” (Par. 4.)
Selections from the evidence covering the
period from 1919-1938 are included in section B. Section C contains selections
from the evidence relating to the occupation of Austria and Czechoslovakia.
Thereafter follow selections from the evidence concerning the wars of
aggression in the chronological sequence in which they occurred (sec. D).
This evidence as reproduced herein has been arranged to follow the
actual sequence of events as much as possible, rather than to attempt to follow
the more devious course of the case as it developed concerning any individual
defendant. Hence, because of the different assignments of the defendants, the
defense material included does not follow the order in which the defendants are
listed in the indictment. Evidence on behalf of those defendants alleged to
have participated in the formulation and distribution of orders originating
from the OKW or OKM (Warlimont, Lehmann, Reinecke, and Schniewind) precedes
that offered on behalf of those defendants who were assigned to duties in the
field.
A map has been included in section D 2 b, describing graphically
the deployment of the attacking formations of the German ground forces in the
campaign against Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg. It also indicates
the command or staff assignments held by various defendants who participated in
these campaigns.
The defendant Sperrle, who is not listed in this map,
was Commander in Chief of the Third Air Fleet which was committed in the
campaign against Poland and in the offensive in the West. At the beginning of
the trial, the prosecution submitted a number of maps to the Tribunal as part
of its, “Basic Information,” on the organization of the German Armed
Forces; they were, however, not presented in evidence.
The
International Military Tribunal stated in the judgment that, “Evidence
from captured documents has revealed that Hitler held four secret meetings to
which the Tribunal proposes to |
| |
414 |
. 
