DR. NELTE: But already at that time you thought that that was Hitler’s intention, didn’t you?
PAULUS: From the way in which this task was started one could see that, after the theoretical preparation, a practical application would follow.
DR. NELTE: Furthermore, you said yesterday that no news of the Abwehr had been received which would prove that there were any intentions of the Soviet Union to attack.
PAULUS: Yes.
DR. NELTE: Did anybody in the circle of the General Staff of the Army ever speak about these matters?
PAULUS: Yes, these matters were discussed. They had serious misgivings about them, but no reports about any visible preparations for war on the side of the Soviet Union were ever made known to me.
DR. NELTE: So you were firmly convinced that it was a straight attack on the Soviet Union?
PAULUS: At any rate, the indications did not exclude that.
THE PRESIDENT: The witness must speak more slowly.
DR. NELTE: The witness has said, if I understood correctly, that there were signs which did not exclude these inferences.