About a week later, an order signed by Hitler was circulated to the highest commands of the Army, Navy and Air Force. This confirmed Keitel’s directive to prepare for three eventualities: “Frontier Defense”, “Fall Weiss”, and the Annexation of Danzig. Annex II contained further instructions for “Fall Weiss”. In the first paragraph, headed “Political Hypotheses and Aims”, it was stated that should Poland adopt a threatening attitude toward Germany, a “final settlement” would be necessary notwithstanding the pact with Poland. “The aim is then to destroy Polish military strength . . .”
It was further stated that the Free State of Danzig would be incorporated into Germany at the outbreak of the conflict, at the latest. The directive continued: “Policy aims at limiting the war to Poland, and this is considered possible in view of the internal crisis in France and British restraint as a result of this.”
The general political background against which the Armed Forces were to work having thus been set down, the later paragraphs outlined the tasks and operational objectives of the three branches of the Armed Forces. It was also decreed that a “camouflaged or open (‘general’ added in ink) mobilization will not be ordered before D-Day 1 at the latest possible moment”, and further that the “preparations for the opening of operations are to be made in such a way that—without waiting for the planned assembly of mobilized units—positions can be taken up immediately by the first available troops.” (C-120)
On 10 May an order signed by Hitler promulgated his instructions for the seizure of economic installations in Poland and directed the commanders-in-chief of the three branches of the armed forces to report by 1 August 1939 on the measures taken in consequence of these instructions. (C-120)
On 23 May 1939 Hitler called a meeting of his military leaders at the Reich Chancellery. Keitel was at the meeting; Jodl was not, but Warlimont (also from the Planning Department of OKW) was. Hitler announced the necessity of a war against Poland, not over Danzig, but in order to acquire living space in the East. He recognized the possibility that this would provoke a war against France and England, but the Wehrmacht was instructed to prepare detailed plans. (L-79)
A directive dated 22 June 1939, signed by Keitel as Chief of the OKW, indicates an advanced stage of preparation. On the basis of particulars already available from the Navy, Army, and Air Force, he stated, he had submitted to Hitler a “preliminary timetable” for “Fall Weiss.” The Fuehrer was reported to be in substantial agreement with the intentions submitted by the three branches; he had also made suggestions with regard to the need to camouflage the scheduled maneuvers “in order not to disquiet the population,” and had commented on the disposition of an SS Artillery Regiment. (C-126)
Two days later, Keitel issued instructions for further study on two specific problems: the capture, in undamaged condition, of bridges over the Vistula; and the possible adverse effect of Navy mining in Danzig Bay on the element of surprise in the Army’s attack against the bridge at Dirschau, southeast of Danzig. (C-120)
On 22 August 1939, Hitler called together at Obersalzberg the Supreme Commanders of the three branches of the armed forces, as well as the lower ranking Commanding Generals (Oberbefehlshaber), and announced his decision to attack Poland near dawn on 26 August. Keitel was at this meeting. (L-3; 798-PS; 1014-PS)
Three documents reporting this meeting have been uncovered: the text of one, L-3, overlaps the contents of the other two, 798-PS and 1014-PS; the latter two appear to be complementary, 798-PS being a record of a morning speech, and 1014-PS of an afternoon speech. Violent and abusive language appears in both L-3 and 798-PS. That Hitler made, at a minimum, the following points, appears from all of them:
1. The decision to attack Poland was made last spring. (L-3; 798-PS)