mination of conditions, which are just as unworthy as menacing; of the helpless defenselessness of a great people and Reich. They started out from the same motivations as the very true expression given by Minister Baldwin in his last speech: "A country, which is not willing to seize the necessary precautionary measures for its own protection will never have might in this world, neither moral nor material might." The Government of the present day German Reich however, only wishes one single moral and material might; it is the power to be able to protect the peace for the Reich and with that, peace for all of Europe! Therefore she did everything that was in her power and what could serve toward the furtherance of the peace. 1. For a long period of time she has proposed to all her neighbor nations, the signing of non-aggression pacts. 2. She has sought and found an agreeable arrangement with the eastern neighbor nation, which, thanks to the great arbitrary understanding, has for ever decontaminated the menacing atmosphere which existed when they took over the power, and it will lead to a lasting understanding and friendship between the two peoples. 3. She has finally given France the solemn security that Germany, after the effectuated arrangement of the Saar question will not place or raise any more territorial claims against France. She believes thereby to have created, in a historically rare form the prerequisite for the termination of a hundred year long conflict between two large nations through a great political and essential sacrifice. However, the German government must witness to its regret, that for months a continually rising rearmament is taking place in the world. She sees in the creation of a Soviet-Russian Army of 101 Divisions, which means 960,000 men in present peacetime strength, an element which could not be foreseen at the time of the composition of the Versailles Treaty. She sees further signs of rejecting the disarmament idea, proclamated in its time, in the overdoing of similar measures. It is far from the German Government to reproach any nation. However, she sees today that through the present resolved introduction of the two-year military service in France, the basic ideas of the creation of a short service defense Army has been abandoned in favor of a long-service organization. This, however, was one of the arguments used in the demands. on Germany, to surrender its Reichswehr. Under these circumstances, the German government feels that it is impossible longer to postpone taking the necessary measures for the security of the Reich, or even to hide them from the knowledge of the world. Therefore, if it now complies with the desire, expressed in the speech of the English Minister Baldwin on November 28, 1934 for a clarification of the German intentions, then this is done: 1. IN ORDER TO GIVE THE GERMAN PEOPLE THE CONVICTION AND THE OTHER STATES THE KNOWLEDGE THAT THE MAINTAINING OF THE HONOR AND SECURITY OF THE GERMAN REICH WILL, FROM NOW ON, AGAIN BE ENTRUSTED TO THE GERMAN NATION'S OWN POWER. 2. But in order, by fixing the extent of the German measures, to invalidate these assertions which wish to imply that the German people are striving for a position of military hegemony in Europe. What the German government desires, as the guardian of the honor and interests of the German nation, is to guarantee the extent of those means of power which are required not only for maintaining the integrity of the German Reich, but also for the international respect and esteem of Germany as a co-guarantor of the general peace. For in this hour the German government renews, before the German people and before the whole world, the assurance of its determination never to trespass the limit of guarding German honor and the freedom of the Reich, and especially of its determination to (wish to) form, in the national German armament, not an instrument of military attack, but rather exclusively one for defense, and thus for maintaining the peace. In so doing, the German Reich Cabinet expresses the confident hope that the German people, which thus regains its honor, may be permitted, with independent equal right, to make its contribution to the pacification of the world in a free and open cooperation with the other nations and their governments. In this spirit the German Reich Cabinet has today passed the following law: Law for the Organization of the Armed Forces of March 16, 1935. The Reich Cabinet has passed the following law which is herewith promulgated: Section 1 Service in the Armed Forces is based upon compulsory military duty. Section 2 In peace time, the German Army, including the police troops transferred to it is organized into: 12 Corps and 16 Divisions. Section 3 The Reich Minister of War is charged with the duty of submitting immediately to the Reich Ministry, detailed laws on compulsory military duty. Berlin, March 16, 1935 The Fuehrer and Reich Chancellor ADOLF HITLER The Reich Minister of Foreign Affairs FREIHERR VON NEURATH The Reich Minister of the Interior FRICK The Reich Minister of Finance GRAF SCHWERIN VON KROSIGK The Reich Minister of Economics The Reich Minister of Justice The Reich Minister of Defense The Reich Minister of Post and FREIHERR VON TELTZ The Reich Minister of Nutri tion and Agriculture R. WALTER DARRE The Reich Minister for Public The Reich Minister for Air HERMANN GOERING The Reich Minister of Science The Reich Minister without Portfolio R. HESS The Reich Minister without Portfolio KERRL The Reich Minister without Portfolio Dr. HANS FRANK TRANSLATION OF DOCUMENT 1659-PS 1938 REICHSGESETZBLATT, PART I, PAGE 303 Second order concerning plebiscite and election for the On the basis of par. 4 of the Second Decree regarding the Reichstag election law of 18 March 1938 (RGB1 I, p. 258) the following is decreed in supplement to pars. 8 and 32 of the First Decree of 22 March 1938 for the people's vote and for the election to the Greater German Reichstag: Article 1 1. The ballot is printed as follows: PEOPLE'S VOTE AND THE GREATER GERMAN REICHSTAG BALLOT Do you agree with the accomplishment, on 13 March 1938, of the REUNITING OF AUSTRIA WITH THE GERMAN REICH and do you vote for the list of our Fuehrer 2. The ballot for the qualified voters with the exception of the Austrian qualified voters (par 8 of the First Decree) consists of white or yellow paper. 3. The ballot for the Austrian qualified voters (par. 32 section 1 of the First Decree) consists of green paper. Article 2 1. The ballot for soldiers of the former Austrian Army (par 32 section 2 of the First Decree) is printed as follows: PEOPLE'S VOTE ON THE 10 APRIL 1938 BALLOT Do you agree, German Soldier, with the ratification on the 13 March 1938 of the REUNITING OF AUSTRIA WITH THE Decree for the registration for the active service in Austria in the year 1938 of 16 June 1938 I. The registration for the active service in the army for the year 1938 in the country of Austria will be conducted during the time from 16 August until 10 September 1938. II. To be called for registration: 1. All those subject to duty, born in the year 1917, without regard to their physical fitness and regardless whether they were exempt from induction in spring of the year 1938; 2. All those volunteers of other years of birth who were considered "general service"; 3. All those subject to duty considered "general service" or "limited service" at the time of induction of the class of 1915 and 1916 who have registered with reserve commands and who have as yet not been trained; 4. The volunteers who have reported, or want to report, in June 1938, for induction into active service for the fall of 1938 (for the Luftwaffe also for the spring of 1939), without regard whether or not they have been physically examined. |