The Hitler-Stalin drama as revealed by secret documents

Media

Part of National Weekly

Title: The Hitler-Stalin drama as revealed by secret documents
Language: English
Year: 1949
Rights
Fulltext: Page 12 NATIONAL WEEKLY October ts, 1949 The Hitler-Stalin Drama As Revealed By Secret Documents By John Desmond and Allan Taylor (Continued from last week) ·The conferences began early in: the evening of Aug. 23 and lasted far into the night. :This was the gist of ~ibben trop's report to Hitler: Many subjects were covered - Japan, Italy, '!'urkey, England; France and the Anti-Cominterni Pact. There was general agreement on most points. For example, Stalin aKTeed with him that "England was weak and wanted to let others fight for it-; pre~ sumptuous claim to world do~ mination." They laughed over the fright the Anti-Cnmintern Pact had given "thP City of London• and the small British merchants." He (Rib· bentrop) told a Berlin joke to the effect that "Stalin wm yP.t foin the Anti-Comintern Pact." Sitalin laughed long. There were many toast.~: "To Hitler, to Stalin, to the conti ... nued friendship of Germany irn:d Soviet Russia." . The next day the world was stunned""when a joint communique announced a t~n-year !1011-a~gression pad The way had been cleared for Hitler's D.ttack Ori ;Poland., 8ecriet Protocol Bessarabia. which had been &nnexed after World War 1. Everything we@t of that line was in the German sphere -though there was no ·clear definit10n of the Balkan hegemony, which was later to be a sore point. What was not annou.ncPO~ The Protocol said: · "The hnt W"is equally signiifica:1 t question of whether the rntewas a secret protocol--- l'he rests of both parties make deProtocol of Aug. 23. This was sirable th'e maintenance ·ut an ~ document which <livid.ad independent Polish state a11d East~rn Europe into Russfan how such a state Should be nlHl German spheres. bounded can only be definite. The division hetween the ly determined in.the course of ~vheres was· a line running- future political· developfr-om the Baltic to the Black menttt." Unitil the final deSea and '.lplittin~ Poland in cision was made, Russia wai; 11alves Everything east 0f to occupy Easte~ Poland, this line was to be in the Rus- Germany Western Poland. sian sphei"e. · ln1 th~ north fo the pre-dawn of Sept. 1, Hussia W!'l.S given a free hand Hitler personally issued the in the Baltic States of Esto- orders sending his troops innia. Latvia ~nd Finland. In to Poland. Two da.ys later the south Russia was to get Britain and France declared war on Germany. The greatt.~st war of history was on. .. THE PARTl'T'ION The sweep· of the German armies across Pot-and was swift; swiftei- than the German~l"themsel ves thought pos~~ible. The wodd saw ttie first home this mP.ssage: "Molotov <said) that Soviet Government was' tak-en complete]~· by :mrprise bj· tht! un:~xpectec! rapid German military sticce~ ses." !Then Molotov tLirn~d to political aspects of the pending military action against ,po:, land. H~ told 8chulenburg that the 8ovi.et Union would have to make some excuse "to make the intervention CJ! the t;oviet Union plau.sible tri tn~ ma::,ises and· at the same tilile avoid g.iving the ::ioviet Union the apl.Jt:!arauce 0.1 · au, aggresi:;or." The Russian then. sa•1d, 8chule11burg reported. "The 8oviet Government ... m · tenidet{ ... to declare that Poland was talhng .apart .. and that it was necessary for the Soviet Umon ... to come to the ·aid of the. Ukram1ans and White Rus~ians 'threatened' by Germany.'' Now the time _for act10ri by Russia was at hand.' At ·2 A. M., Sept. l7, Stalin ~um· moned Schulenburg to thi• ,Kremlin. and told him that "the Red Army: would cross the Soviet broder at 6 A; M. thi~ morning.'' Russ.ia took· ·1ver the eastern half of Poland. demonstration of Blitzkrieg. T'ht! Russians seem.ed eager On Sept. 3 Ribbentrop wired fo settle the Polish busin1ess as Schulenburg: "We definitely rapidly as possible. On Sept. expect tu have Poland beaten 27 RiObentrop arrived in in a fow weeks ... Please Moscow. The conferences discuss this at ' once . witfi continued through the murnMolotov and see-- if the Soviet ing of Sept. 29. Union does not consider it de- In the agreements tht:! Rmisirable for Russian f'Orc:es · to ~ians seemed to have the best move at the proper time of the bargain. The irecret agaim;t Pulisb forces." protocol of Aug. 23 was put A week later German van~ inito effect, with exceptions guards entered Warsaw and provided for in a new ''Secret Russian in1credulity gave Protocol of Sept. 28." Under way to belief and to appre- the new protocol Lithuania hension. On Sept. 10 Molotov was transferred from the saw Schulenburl!' again, and 'German to the Russian \he German Ambassador sentf" (Continued on page 24) · Page i.4 THE HIITLER-STALIN ... (Continued from page 12.) sphere and in compensation there ~a.s an adjustment of the new Russians-German frontier in Poland in Germany's favor. M.oreover, the R~ss1ans, in a formal declaration, gave Germany moral support . fo~ her coming "peace offensive. The declaration said: "In caBe of continuation of the \\'ar, the Governments . . . ~hall engage in mutual con· sultatiuns w.ith regard to ne· ce.ssa-ry measures." Ribbentrop returned to Berlin not entirely satisfied with the Moscow settlements. But this dissatisfaction was tempered by the hope that - with the vaguely hinted, pro.sped of a Russian German alliance - the "peace off ensive" might be ~.ucces:;ful. There would be time later to deal with Russ.ia. For Russia, the Moscow falks 'had paid off handsom~ ly. The Russians had added thousands of square miles to their territory. They had ·a free hand - which they were soon to take advantage of - in the Baltic. They had restored much of the Polish territory they had lost in World War I. Fina.Uy, in case Germany turned on them, they were in a better position for defense than they had been before. THE COOLING-OFF The first phase of RussianGerm&n ccoperation was over. As th~ second phase began there were signs of suspic'ons 011 both sides. Germany went ahead with her plans to talk and propagandize thP Rost into submission. Russia began tl:te systematic effort to ma.ke the most of her Baltic ~phere and Germany viewed c , ' her moves with distrust. On Oct. 3, 1939, when Molotov proposed a gesture toward Lithuania, under the Secret Protocol of Sept. ?.'>, Schulenburg wired: "Molotov's suggeslfon seems to me harmful, as in the eyes of th'a world it would make us appear as 'robbers' of Lithuanian territory, while the SoNATIONAL viet Vnion figures as the donor.'' Hw:sia made demands on Finlar.d for basies and terri1 ory. Firnland rejected them. Russia invaded F::nland on Nov. 30. Germany was silent. In Franc"' and EnS?.land ·oome saw 'l cha"nce to aid the Finns :111d t'hus start an offens!ve that cvenrtua:lly might be turned against Germany. Volunteers were recruited. f ui•ds ·.1·ere raised. There was tl.lk uf an Anglo-Friench expedi· tioni to help Finland. Gcrmar:y was not displeased, beeause thes2 develoomentJ :-:.eemed likely to CJ.l;b the Russians, ett least tempC'rarily. Campaign in Finland WEEKLY October 8, 1949 Ov~r the wir.iter the Rus:;ians made little headway again~t the Finns. Tb: Russi.an iosSies were heavy, the Finns' relatively light. 'There \\"ere contemptuous reports that Germarny was growing lukewarm toward her partaer. On March 12, 1940, Finland surrendered. Hitler is 5hown in the above cl!t surrounded by hi~ satellites and storm troopers. 011 April 9 Schul·Pnburg told Molotov of the invasion, ·chat morning, of Scandinavia. S.ch1ti,mburg's report nf the ror.i\Tersation said: "Mr. Mo!otov said literally.; "We wish the Germans complete success.' " By the end of April the Sca.ndmavian conquest was virtually :>Yer. Hitler was ready for his next move. On t'he morrning of May 10 Schulenburg again called on Molotcv and informed him of the lnvasion that morning of the Lowlands, "because of the impending Anglo-French push en the Ruhr region by way of Belgium and Holland.'' The Nazi Blitzkrieg against the West amazed the world. In early June the British made their heroic evacuation of Dunkerque. On June 10 Italy ente1•ecl the war - "the stab in the back," RooSievelt called it. The Russians were plainly scared. They !~ad counled oni a long campaign in th'e West. Now Hitler seeml'd on the vierge of complete victory and Russia might be his next target. On June 14 Weissaecker a.t the Foreign Office wired Schulenburg at Mosco~ th:s eorufidentia~l message: Secrec Report "From a strictly secret sourc·~ with which you are acquainted. it has come to ouir knowledge that the Soviet Miuister in Stockholm, Frau Kollontay, recently stated to the Belgian Minister there that it was to the common in ... JENSEN ELECTRICAL & RADIO SUPPLY & SERVICE 1735 Azcarraga, Sta.Cruz, Manila Radio Kits, Records Service, AmpUfJer for Hi.re, Battery, Phono Motors Automatic Records-Changer, Plain Magnet Wire We Accept House Installation Jobs and Prov'de Mechanics at Reasonable Prices W ~ Do Wholesale & Retail Business terest of the European powers to place themselv.:s in opposi1 ion to German imperinlism." • During the German driv.I! the Russi.ans had co.Jolected f 1nal dividends on fbe Pl'otocol of Aug. i3, 1939. Lithmrnia, Latvia and Estonia were fully mcorporated into the Soviet Union. Bessarabia wa<; detached from Rumania and addecl to Russia. Now, in the summer and rn.rly autumn of 1940, came the "Batt1e of Britain" when Hitler tried to bomb England out of the war. The Kremlin watched intently. Would Hitler try to invade England? If not, wher-~ else were the dt:stru1:!tive energies pf his fighting machine to be em:pfoyed? Russia speeded up her industries, strengt'heood the Red Army and consolidated her gains again·;t the _day of need. By mid-September, 1940, it was clear that the air blitz against Britain had failed. Hitler turned his eyes back again to i:he East. On Nov. rn. an P.vent of great significance tnok place. On that day Molotov and October 8, 1949 Hitler had a fateful meeting ini Berlin. Germany h!ld long pres~ed for the Molotov vis:t, partly because it was considered· a required diplomatic coortesy in return for Ribbentrop's two trips to Mosc·ow the year before. :!lt was MQlot.ov's first journev outside of Russia. It was his first and !a~t meeting with Hitler. Appar011tly there 'had been little rreparation for the conference. Hitler wanted Molot.ov tc, sign a four-power treaty-Germany, Russia, Italy and Ja.pan-to divid.e up the world. Molotov balked. He wa..s· afraid of a double-cross by any or all of the . other three. ff;he cor.ference was a fa iiure. Molotov and Hitler d:.i .11ot ~t along either di,plon'.;1. 1'1cal1y· or p~rsc"!Hly THE BREAK NATIONAL WEEKLY Page 25 ered the alternatives, reach- to march into Bulgaria, Geece his long-range p 1 an s of ed a decision. He would and the Stratts. There w.as smashing Russi·a and going on ~mash Russia while his hands doubt that England w'buld try to world power, began nego. were still free in the west. to forestall the operations. . . tiations witn .Japan. 01! On Dec. 18, 1940, he issued 'The Soviet Government re- March 27 he began a series a top secret "Fuehrer's Dir- {tarded it as its duty to call of conversatioll8 in Berli-n ective" for Operation Bar- a. t tent ion to the fact with' dapper Japanese Forbarossa, one of history''> most that it would consider the ap- eign Minister Y0suke Matgrandiose military plans. It pearance of any ·armed forces suoka. Hitler urged the Japwas tl project aimed at the on the territory of Bulgari.a aniese to take aggressive acdestruction, with some help and the Straits as a violation tiorn and promised to fight from Finland and Rumania, of the security interests of Russia and the United States ~f the Red Army along a 2,- fhe U.S.S.R." if either became involved in 000 mile frQnt, and the oc- Ribbentrop replied throug!1 war with Japan. A mernocupation of all Russia west of the Foreign Office: "It is the randum of the conversatiom the Volga. IThe time was not urnalterable inte·ntion of the revea:led the line he took: set. Great secrecy was en· Reich Government not under "Germaniy wa9 watching joined. "It is to be consi- any circumsta.nces to pe1·mit the Soviet Union closely, and dered of decisive ·import- English military forces t') es- -this Matsuoka should realance," warned the directive, tablish themselves on Greek ize clearly - she wias pre"that the intention to at- territory." pared for any eventuaUty. tack is not discovered.'' Events in the Balkans Germany wou.Jd not provoke Before the blow could be were drawing rapidly to a Russia; but if the policy of iaunclied it would be neces- crisis. Rumania, Hungary Stalin was not in hannonv sary for Hitler to guard his and Bulgarita were already with what th'e Fuehrer cm;southern flank by strengthen- in the German camp, and the sidered to be right, he woulrt ing Germany's position ini the Nazis were fast slipping their crush Russia," As 1940 drew to its end Balkans. In Moscow there knot around Yugoslavia. But On April 4 Moscow sprang Hitler st.nod victorious in the was growing ::mspicion over on March 27 the Yugoslav re. e. surpri!'e. Molotov sum~ west, but he had not elimi- Hitler's plans. volution swept from power moned Schulenburg and innatecl Britain. What if Rus- On Jan. 17, 19.11, Schulen- the subservi.ent government formed him of a Russo-YufJa tben turned against him? burg sent this report •Jf a of Prince Paul. The Yugos- goslav friendship and no!l1-Ie was still haunted by the ~tatement by Molotov: "Ac- la vs were ready to fight for aggressive pact to be signed spectre of a two-front war. cording to all reports avail- inde.pendence. · imm·ediatcly. He quoted MoIn his massive Berlin Hble here, German troops in HITLER AND THE lotov to this effect: "In1 its Chancel)Pry and his cyric at great numbers were concen- WORLD dt.cision. . . the Soviet GovBerchteF!gaden he ponri- trated in Rumania and ready At thi:; time Hitler with· E'rnment had been actuatecl ~ ~~-~·~w·~~~""",...,..,,."""""""'"""·.....,..,.""""~,...,..,,."""~~~~ · solely by the desire to pr~~erve peace. It knew that it~ this desire it was in harmony with the Reich Government. which was likewiSe oplpOsed to an extension of the war. "I replied to Molotov," wrote the German Ambassa~ dor, "that in my estimation the moment chosen by the Soviet Ur.iion for th'e negotiation ~f such a treaty had bcien very uinfortuniate. . . The policy of th'c Yugos1av Govern. ment was entirely unclear, a.nd its attitude . . . toward Germarny was challenging.'' :Two days later the German ,1·ar machine struck iat both Greece and Yugoslavia. Schulenburg was dlirected to inform Molotov of the stroke;. giving the usual excuse of the danger of British invasion of the Balkans. He reported tG Berlin the effect of tbe news: "After I had made to Molotov th e communications prescribed, he repeated sevThe world's newest international air terminal, the 8'eattle-·Tacoma Jinternatiunal Airport ural times that it was ext·~eat Bow Lake, State of Wa5hingh.m. mcly doplorable ... " ·Page.JI() NATIONAL \VEE KL Y . Cm sending you. a p:cturc c;f the Business Managt~r a!ld 1 the 1nd_1,1strial Coord!nator of th.e Stat~ ·Penitentiary at San ·Qµinthi, . CaEfornia, with me, during my visit there in the iiltf!rest'of our jute (saluyut) fibers which cah be used iri t~ manufacture of bags in .this·· institution where they hav~ a mm for burlap sacks. · . 'At pre~ent, they giet burlap fro:m India and Pakistan but if our, jute fiber can compare with it : .favorably, whic'h they tpjnk it ·would, they may _b:ttr a]J our· jutie fiber si1pply fQr their mill needs. FROM QUERUBIN FULGENCIO :'At t~is \~'riting they are underlalpng testf! with the bales ~-~nt by our Bureau of Plant Industry and after about a !npnth pr ~o they cnn more or i_e~s dete~mine just what they think, of our·fibers. Dr. Fulgencio, center, at San ~Quintin I brnupht with me specifi- cations and details of the ~a-cks w~ make .experimental'fH'E NURSE lv in J\fanila at the request of {Coritinuea· f~~ page 11) Mrs. Irene E. Murphy and ~aw her.· i~side the 'hospi:tal they will use those informarqom. .'I'here was iciness and tion in the makinO' of sacks peculi-irity in her manners. under our standard and pat"Anything?", Amping said ter?· . as-jf talking w a stranger. :n the .s~me occas1on, I met An·gelo was·:about to speak. lie Pres~uent of a Bag M~ when another gasping nurse nuf acturrng Compa 1 ny m coming from the same door Houston, Texas and ne gave brea.thlessly announced, "Am- '."'" .th~ n~:nes of. three co~ ping;,your patient just arriver{ pan~es whLh are i~terested m from -the operatinJr room. 1.>uYlllJ?:. the portion of the Blood transfusion. Quick!" JUt~ fiber near the . roots ~'Ob' · ' .,, 0 ,. which cannot be used 10 the . : , , exc......, me, mister," manufacture of jute sacks. During my prasent observership in the Social SM!urity Administration of the Federal Security Agency under the sponsorship of the United Nations, I believe .I may be able to get in touch with thos·e companies, which if ~uccessful would redounrl to &omet"hing good for the Philippines in about two years. You may use this photo Hnd pertinent portions 0f this letter for publication. Thank you very mu'!h and I'll try to be in touch with she s'aid- frantic:ally and hurriedly walked away. ... Ang~lo . sudderily became e<>i:ise1ous of .his self. He peeped inside the room into v;·h:ich Amping had entered. Everr. pur~e was busy doing ~om~thrng. They looked like a confused crO\vd with a defiiiite ·thfng to do. Slowly he w~l~ed ·down the ·stairway. :H:1s, dream was dead! Rosa's wo:r~s bob~ed up, again. BE WISE! ECONOMIZE! .Sqro,eday,, you will find me in another one's life the same way as I found- you in Tony's. ·"Someday . . ." he murmured audibly, as h'c' passed out of .the hospital gate. Aimlessly he dragged his feet across the hard pavement of ;,i, ·long and seemingly endless road. SHOP AT Berg's TOYS BABY WEAR DRAPERIES COSME'.I'ICS PERFUMERIES t.ADIES' DRESSES LADIES' HANDRAGS COSTUME JEWELRY.: LINGERIE HOSIERY ~HOES ESCOLTA, INC. TEL. 2-70-43 BEL'l'S BILLFOLDS '£0ILETRI!!:S DRF.SS SHIRTS SPORT SHIR1'S MEN'S SKIPPER SUITING MATEHIAl MEN'S RAIN WEAR MEN'S HOSIERY MEN'S SHOES UNDERWEAR NECKTIE~ October 8. 1949 you as regularly as I can for ~he duration of my fellowship nere and Europe. Very sincerely yours, Qucrubin Fulgencio, M. D. United Nations Fellow from the Philippines BUSINESSMEN ... (Contniued from page 9) perfonnance, Mr. Can·ie:i furth~r explained, the trend now is definitely towardi electric typewriters. He be· lieves that in the near futuie the manual typwriter~ wiU be out of the market. "1.nd thA great,>r demand will be for the electricaHy-operated one.,. The reasen for this radi~l prediction is that this IBM produ.!t has undergone the acid test of clerical efficien·· cy, proficiency, speed, ancl economy with flyimt color@, and the rPquirements- flf m" dern business is to }ear her.v;.ly on a mechanized sy~t~m of office work. This is nersuasive and convincing· sahsmanship, wherein Mr. Carrion feels at home. His pet sales promotion: plan i-: to ~e cqre the patronage of all colleges &nd universitieg, and governme_nt offices in the use of th·:: IBM electric typwriters. We rate Mr. Carrion a.s a businessmiln of achievement for this week not on~y for n;s vast r.xperience in mt'r<'antile operationd but also for hi" having been :the recipient of 3 gold medals from the wr.rld headqua.rters of IBM in New York. Reason for the series of awards wa~ his having ~uc :essfu)jy and succesively c'>vered the 100% quota allocated to the divisions wherein 1e is the sales manager. Fe,,. ·his .:!Xceptional accomplishnent 'he qualified for mem'Jership in the IBM 100% Club o.f New York for the third time. So far only three Fffpinos have been afforded this honor, includine: Mr. Ran1on del Rcisario, general manager of the local branch of the InfornationaJ Business M~ chini:-s Corporation and Mr. Jose L. Arguelles, IBM salesman of electric bookkeepinv. and accounting machines.