The development passed over Rosenberg and degenerated. Rosenberg himself learned this while acting as Minister for the East. Rosenberg was an idealist, but he was not the unscrupulous man who inspired the State and the Führer to commit crimes. I believe, therefore, that he should not be included in Mr. Justice Jackson’s Indictment (Page 8), where it says that Rosenberg belonged to those men in Germany who have been “the very symbols of race hatred, of the rule of terror and violence, of arrogance and cruel power.”
In looking through Rosenberg’s writings one finds, on the contrary, statements and expressions which give a decided impression of tolerance. He says, for example, in his Myth, of the national Church which he aspired to:
“The German Church cannot pronounce compulsory dogmas which every one of its followers is compelled to believe at the very risk of losing his everlasting salvation.”
In his speech on ideology and dogma at the University of Halle-Wittenberg, he called for tolerance toward all denominations with a demand for “inner respect for every genuine denomination.” In his speech on German intellectual freedom of 6 July 1935 he also spoke up for the freedom of conscience. No document was presented which contained a request by Rosenberg for criminal persecution of one of his numerous ideological opponents, although he might easily have been prompted to do so by their sharp attacks on his opinions.
Further, the Prosecution accused him of promoting militarism. Rosenberg was indeed an admirer of the soldier’s profession and a soldierly attitude toward life, but he also admired the peasant’s standards as the basis of the national character. He advocated the creation of a people’s army, both as the outward expression of Germany’s capacity as a political ally and for the purpose of training and educating the people at home. However, he denies having contemplated world conquest. On this point I can refer to his speech on Germany’s Position in the World of 30 October 1933. There he offered peace to Russia on the occasion of the German withdrawal from the League of Nations (Document Book 1, Page 147). I shall quote this passage, for it also proves that National Socialism did not desire to interfere in the affairs of other countries:
“We are ready at any time to maintain absolutely correct relations with Soviet Russia, because naturally we do not necessarily want to modify an ideology in the field of foreign policy and foreign relations.”
In the same speech he emphasizes that the avowal of an ideology he describes as racial science is “not meant to be an expression of racial hatred, but an expression of racial respect” (Blood and Honor, Page 377).
Mr. Justice Jackson called Rosenberg’s nationalism a “wild” one. Rosenberg was passionate, but he wanted thereby to overcome class conflict in the nation, which threatened its existence. For a clearer understanding of the facts it may also be said ...
THE PRESIDENT: Dr. Thoma, the Tribunal would like you to finish your speech before lunch, if you could possibly summarize some parts of it. I don’t know whether that is possible.
DR. THOMA: I shall try to do that, Mr. President.