“Consultations with the Rumanians or the Bulgarians which may point to our intentions as well as notification of the Italians are each subject to my consent, also the sending of scouting missions and advanced parties.” (1541-PS)
Another “Top Secret Directive” carries the plan a little farther. It deals with decisive action in support of the Italian forces in Tripoli and in Albania. The first short paragraph reads:
“The situation in the Mediterranean Theater of Operations demands for strategical political and psychological reasons German assistance, due to employment of superior forces by England against our allies.” (448-PS)
Paragraph three, after dealing with the forces to be transferred to Albania, sets out what the duties of the German forces will be:
“a. To serve in Albania for the time being as a reserve for an emergency case, should new crises arise there.
“b. To ease the burden of the Italian Army group when later attacking with the aim:
“To tear open the Greek defense front on a decisive point for a far-reaching operation.
“To open up the straits west of Salonika from the back in order to support thereby the frontal attack of List’s Army.” (448-PS)
That directive was signed by Hitler, and, as shown on the original, was initialed by both Keitel and Jodl. A copy went to Raeder, and the copy sent to Foreign Intelligence presumably reached Ribbentrop.
A conference took place on 19 and 20 January between Keitel and the Italian General, Guzzoni. This was followed by a meeting between Hitler and Mussolini, at which Ribbentrop, Keitel, and Jodl were present. In the speech which the Fuehrer made on 20 January 1941, after the conference with the Italians, he declared: