GÖRING: Definitely until the beginning of the war. The collapse was due only to the war’s being lost.
GEN. RUDENKO: As a consequence of which, you brought Germany, as a result of your politics, to military and political destruction. I have no more questions.
THE PRESIDENT: Does the Chief Prosecutor for France wish to cross-examine?
M. AUGUSTE CHAMPETIER DE RIBES (Chief Prosecutor for the French Republic): I ask the Tribunal for permission to make one very short statement to fulfill the desire expressed by the Tribunal and to abbreviate as much as possible the discussions at this Trial. The French Prosecution has come to an agreement with Mr. Justice Jackson and with Sir David that the questions put to the Defendant Göring as a witness should be only those which are considered pertinent.
The questions have been asked and we have heard the answers of the defendant, as far as it was possible to obtain from him anything except propaganda speeches.
I think the Defense will not be able to complain that its freedom has been curtailed. It has been able to use its freedom abundantly in the past 12 sessions without having been able in any way to weaken the Prosecution’s overwhelming accusations, without having been noticeably able to convince anyone that the second man in the German Reich was in no way responsible for launching the war or that he knew nothing of the atrocities committed by the men whom he was so proud to command.
THE PRESIDENT: You will no doubt have the opportunity later to comment, but the question that I ask you now is whether you wish to ask the witness definite questions.
M. CHAMPETIER DE RIBES: Mr. President, I have finished; I have said all that I wanted to say, that is to say, after all these long discussions, the French Prosecution feels that nothing has been changed in the crushing accusation which we brought forth. Consequently, I have no further questions to ask the defendant.
THE PRESIDENT: Dr. Stahmer?
DR. STAHMER: The British Prosecution has stated that you issued direct orders to the Hermann Göring Division during its employment in Italy referring to the fight against the partisans. Is that statement correct?