By entering the conspiracy on the side of Germany and preparing to attack the Soviet Union, Romania in her turn pursued aggressive aims.
Antonescu in the same statements spoke of Hitler’s promises as follows:
“Hitler emphasized that Romania should not remain out of this war, as in order to get back Bessarabia and northern Bukovina she had no other way but to fight on the side of Germany. He added to this that in return for our help in the war Romania could occupy and administer other Soviet territories up to the Dnieper.”
Antonescu further testified:
“As Hitler’s proposal to start jointly the war against U.S.S.R. was in line with my aggressive intentions, I declared my readiness to participate in the assault on the Soviet Union and undertook to prepare the required number of Romanian troops and at the time to increase the deliveries of oil and farm produce for the needs of Germany.
“After my return to Bucharest from Munich I began energetic preparations for the coming war.”
These facts are likewise confirmed by the documents from the archives of Antonescu, which will also be submitted to the Tribunal.
I draw the attention of the Tribunal to the records of a conversation which took place between Antonescu and Dörnberg, head of the protocol department of the German Foreign Office, on the 10th of February 1942, a conversation after meeting at the frontier:
“. . . I declared”—remarks Antonescu—“that Romania entered into an alliance with the Axis not for the purpose of altering the treaty of Versailles but in order to fight the Slavs. . . .”
It will be seen from this record that hatred towards the Slav peoples united Hitler and Antonescu in their preparation and realization of a war of aggression.