“For us the matter consists of the expansion of ‘Lebensraum’ to the East. Thus the question of sparing Poland cannot be considered, and, instead, we have to consider the decision to attack Poland at the first opportunity.” (L-79)
Long before the seizure of Czechoslovakia, in a directive of 30 May 1938, Hitler, addressing the representatives of the High Command, cynically stated: “From the military and political point of view, the most favorable time is a lightning attack on the basis of some incident, by which Germany will have been strongly provoked and which will morally justify the military measures to at least part of the world opinion” (PS-388).
Prior to the invasion of Yugoslavia, in a directive dated 27 March 1941, addressing the representatives of the High Command, Hitler wrote: “Even if Yugoslavia declares its loyalty, it must be considered an enemy and must, therefore, be smashed as soon as possible” (PS-1746).
While preparing for the invasion of the U.S.S.R., Hitler invited the representatives of the General Staff and the OKW to help him work out the related plans and directives not at all as simply the military experts.
In the instructions to apply propaganda in the region “Barbarossa”, issued by the OKW in June 1941, it is pointed out that: “For the time we should not have propaganda directed at the dismemberment of the Soviet Union” (USSR-477).
As early as 13 May 1941, OKW ordered the troops to use any terrorist measures against the civilian populations of the temporarily occupied regions of the Soviet Union.
And the same order read: “To confirm only such sentences as are in accordance with the political intentions of the High Command.” (G-50.)
2. OKW and the General Staff issued the most brutal decrees and orders for relentless measures against the unarmed peaceful population and the prisoners of war.
In the decree of special liability to punishment in the region “Barbarossa” while preparing for the attack upon the Soviet Union, the OKW abolished beforehand the jurisdiction of the military courts, granting the right of repressions over the peaceful population to individual officers and soldiers.
It is particularly stated there that: