GEN. RUDENKO: Which of the defendants can be placed in the category of such consultants?
GÖRING: If he was asked by the Führer, then the adviser on strategic matters was the Chief of the Operations Staff, General Jodl; and as far as military administrative questions were concerned, the commanders-in-chief, that is myself, Admiral Raeder, and later Admiral Dönitz for the Navy. The other representatives of the Army did not take part.
GEN. RUDENKO: The next question. If we approach the subject, not theoretically but functionally, could we conclude that any recommendations which Hitler’s leading associates might make, would have had any considerable influence on Hitler’s final decisions?
GÖRING: If I disregard the purely formal point of view and presumably you are referring to the military sphere, then the position was . . .
GEN. RUDENKO: No, I mean all spheres. All aspects of questions such as economic questions, home policy, foreign policy, military, and strategic questions. I mean, if we approach the subject, not theoretically but functionally, did their recommendations have any considerable influence on Hitler’s final decisions? That is what I mean.
GÖRING: To a certain extent, yes. Their rejection depended on whether or not they appeared right to the Führer.
GEN. RUDENKO: You said to a certain extent, did you not?
GÖRING: Yes, of course, if a reasonable proposal was made, and he considered it to be reasonable, then he certainly made use of it.
GEN. RUDENKO: I should like to stress that all these consultants must have been closely associated with Hitler. Therefore, they had a certain influence on Hitler’s final decision. They did not stand quite aloof, did they?
GÖRING: They did not stand aloof. Their influence was only effective to the extent that their convictions concurred with those of the Führer.