WHY WE FIGHT — THE NAZIS STRIKE

[Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] e [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] l [Music] oh [Music] [Applause] the symbols and the leaders change but Germany's maniacal urge to impose its will on others continues from generation to generation [Music] [Music] in the last 75 years this madness has cost the world more than 20 million killed more than 60 million wounded more than 200 million made homeless this does not include the untold millions that died of disease resulting from war or the billions upon billions of dollars worth of property destroyed nor does this include the grief the anguish the misery the terror that the world has suffered due to the Germans insane passion to enforce their rule upon their neighbors this passion for Conquest reached this hysterical climax when Adolf Hitler enthroned himself as God and the German [Music] furer what fantastic dreams was this humorless man dreaming as he stood at nurenberg and looked down on his fanatic [Music] followers in the Middle Ages a plague of slavery descended on the world out of the Wilds of Mongolia came a mighty Army of fierce Horsemen led by jangus burning looting pillaging the Barbarian hord swept across Asia and Eastern Europe jenas Khan conquered most of the world of the 13th century Adolf Hitler was determined to outdo him and conquer all of the world of the 20th setup at Munich was an Institute devoted to the little known science of geopolitics vaguely defined as the military control of space Germany's leading geopolitician a former General Carl Hoffer was head man here was gathered together more information about your hometown than you yourself know to the German geopolitician the world is not made up of men and women and children who live and love and dream of better things it is made up of only two elements labor and raw material the geopoliticians job was to transform Hitler's ambition to control these elements into cold hard reality on their map our planet is neatly divided into landom water water forms 34 of the Earth's surface land only one quarter and in that one quarter of the Earth's surface lies the world's wealth all its natural resources [Music] es and the world's [Music] Manpower control the land and you control the world that was Hitler's Theory this all important land the geopoliticians now break up into two areas one the Western hemisphere which together with Australia and all the islands of the world including Japan comprises onethird of the land area the other area which consists of Europe Asia and Africa makes ex up the other 2/3 this super continent which they call the world island is not only twice as large as the rest of the land area but also includes 78 of the world's population the heart of this world Island comprises Eastern Europe and most of Asia this they call the Heartland which just about coincides with the old Empire of D jangus Khan Hitler's step-by-step plan for World Conquest can be summarized this way conquer Eastern Europe and you dominate the Heartland conquer the Heartland and you dominate the world Island conquer the world Island and you dominate the world that was the dream in Hitler's mind as he stood at Newberg [Applause] Hitler with Pagan pageantry the district leaders from all over Germany swore personal allegiance to him hypnotized with the belief that they were members of a master race this film will deal with act one of the Nazi bid for world power the most fantastic play in all recorded history Hitler had seen Hirohito grab off Manchuria and other territory from the Chinese he had watched musolini get away with the rape of Ethiopia he had seen the Democratic World looked the other way while these illegal aggressions were going on and he smiled for Collective action to enforce peace the only weapon he had to fear had broken down it was time now for the Nazis to start Crossing Borders it was time for Hitler to put his plan into action and what was he waiting for he was waiting to soften up his victims keep them from [Music] uniting for the softening up process he sent his agents all over the world disguised as tourists students and Commercial Travelers payoff men like ribon trop came too to bribe threaten and form local fascist parties such as deg and his rexist party in Belgium such as Lorac and his cross of fire party in France Henline in Czechoslovakia SC inquart and his National socialists in Austria in Britain sir oswal Mosley offered him self to the people as a Hitler with an Oxford accent in other words I'm told that Hitler is mad well I've got another view myself until the day when they would make easy Hitler's actual Invasion these subversive fascist organizations provoked riots and rebellions creating scenes like these in [Music] France scenes like these in [Music] Belgium and where do you think this is right in Madison Square Garden [Music] USA and this is Fritz cun leader of a German American boond hiding behind the American flag but taking his orders from Berlin and copying the methods of Berlin that was the softening up process outside Germany but inside Germany it was a different story here in utmost secrecy the hardening up process building up Hitler's Army and his industry tell the world we have no raw materials and never let them see what goes on day after day night after night month after month year after year we must have the world's most powerful Club forget ours forget working conditions forget how to think Forge the club of blood and iron let the democracies talk about Freedom no Freedom here no labor unions no overtime the fure tells you where to work when to work how long to work how much your work is worth Forge the club of blood and iron we have a sacred Mission today we rule Germany tomorrow the [Applause] world and for those who don't like it you don't eat or you disappear into a concentration camp or you get this and this is the man who gives it to [Music] you and what of the army before Hitler came into Power the German Army by treaty was limited to 100,000 men but treaties to the Germans have always been something to ignore these 100,000 men were in reality 100,000 highly trained officer officers the men who lead the Nazi regiments today but Hitler didn't merely ignore the treaty he tore it up and in 1935 ordered National conscription simultaneously he ordered German youth to become airmed toy gliders filled the air but as the boys grew bigger so did the gliders soon these same youths were trained pilots flying a new plane the factories were producing the LOF wafa was being [Music] assembled the only thing old about this new Army was the goose step and even Hitler couldn't improve on that ancient German form of torture designed to make man stop thinking and blindly obey Goose stepped them until they become as insensible As Weapons everything else was new tanks motorized equipment and one of our own inventions the dive bomber all this rearmament was strictly illegal according to the Versa treaty and the next illegal step Hitler took was to March his troops into the Rin land a strip of land between Germany and France demilitarized after the last war as a precaution against future German aggression but Hitler's plan of Eastern Conquest demanded a barrier against Democratic action in the west so Hitler remilitarized the reinland and began building the formidable SE freed line a chain of forts and defenses 450 Mi long and in some places 30 m wide Germany had fought one twoof front war and didn't want another as many as half a million men worked as much as 20 hours a day to build 22,000 fortified positions on land where by treaty no German Soldier was supposed to set [Music] foot [Music] Hitler had his seed line he had his equipment he had his army now to unveil the German might and terrorize his intended victims into submission General staffs all over the world anxiously awaited the report of their military attaches a wouldbe peaceful world learned that a vast military power had materialized out of nowhere a power controlled by one man who tore up treaties as we tear up ticker [Music] tape satisfied they had created the right sense of fear in the world the Nazi leaders were now ready to strike the hour had come it was time to start conquering Eastern Europe according to the plan of Hitler's geopoliticians it was time to win the domination of the hotland who would the first victim be naturally the softest Austria bite off just enough not to set the world against you on March the 12th 1938 without warning the German armies marched over the Austrian border it was really only a full-scale Invasion test and Hitler rode in Triumph into Vienna even the very name of Austria disappeared from the map though Hitler had promised earlier to the world the assertion that it is the intention of the German right to coerce the Austrian state is absurd why was Austria important to Hitler it put him on the southern flank of Czechoslovakia and Czechoslovakia was the key to the control of Eastern Europe the German Chancellor bismar explained that years ago when he said he who would conquer Europe must first hold the bastions of bohemia and Bohemia was now part of Czechoslovakia but Czechoslovakia was tough it had a good army it had good equipment it had one of the finest munition plants in the world the scod works which Hitler wanted very badly it had Incorruptible president Bish it had a military alliance with France and France had a military alliance with Britain Hitler had to move carefully find excuses to take Czechoslovakia one piece at a time he found his excuse in the sedan land a portion of Czechoslovakia bordering Germany here lived some people of German origin although they had never been a part of Germany itself that was Hitler's [Music] CU completely ignoring the fact that most people who left Germany had done so to get away from things like Hitler he sprang his pet theory that every person of German blood no matter where he lived belonged to the Nazi Reich Germans are descendants of Germans often with no more than a drop of German blood in them their veins suddenly learned that they were Godlike not subject to the laws of the land in which they live and to which they owe their allegiance whether it be Czechoslovakia Norway Sweden China the United States or timbuk 2 according to the Nazis the German was a special creature who remained forever German to the SI been Seventh Generation and must take his orders from Berlin some people we know of German descent think this is a lot of [Music] hogw including 15% of any group like this [Music] but in the Sudan land he found some stoes who fell for this bunk Conrad Henline was their Bush League furer the people of the Sudan land were told they should be liberated they were told Hitler was their Liberator the Nazis smuggled over their standard softening up equipment blackjack [Music] and when the Czechs were beaten up trying to combat his fifth columnists Hitler screamed the Germans were being persecuted and threatened War unless he got the Sudan land it is the last territorial claim I have to make in Europe I have assured Mr Chamberlain and I repeat it here that when this problem is solved there is for Germany No Further territorial problem in Europe we want no [Applause] checks to the League of Nations foreign minister Maxine litvinov announced that Russia stood ready to back concerted action against Germany but once again there was to be no concerted action the checks mobilized and closed their borders the leaders of France and Britain desperate ly striving to avoid war flew to meet the jubin A's leaders at Munich on September 29th in return for Hitler's guarantee of world peace Chamberlain and elag prevailed upon Czechoslovakia to give up the SED land without a fight in Czechoslovakia the Munich pack was greeted by a Rance of protest but delag returned to France to be greeted by cheers from a relieved French people and in Britain a happy Chamberlain came back declaring he had achieved peace peace in our time one of the most tragic and ironic scenes in all history this morning I had another talk with the German Chancellor ha Hitler and here is the paper which Bears his name upon it as well as mine we regard the agreement signed last night and the Anglo German Naval agreement as symbolic of the desire of our two peoples never to go to war with one another [Music] again peace it wasn't peace the Nazis hadn't nearly got 3 million more souls under the German flag by taking the sedan land they had made Czechoslovakia defenseless for in this territory lay the natural defenses the mountain ranges and a defensive line of forts considered even stronger than the majino line without these fortifications Czechoslovakia was disarmed a ripe Plum ready to fall into H's La within 6 months of declaring that he wanted no more territory anywhere he violated the Munich agreement marched in and took the whole of the Czech State though he had specifically promised I have no further interest in the Czechoslovakian state that is guaranteed we want no checks Austria and Czechoslovakia were gone without a fight and Hitler was getting his control of Eastern Europe Poland was next on the the tired old man of Munich now knew that there could be no peace in our time if an attempt were made to change the situation by force in such a way as to threaten polish independence why then that would inevitably start a general configration in which this country would be in invol but after his success at Munich Hitler was sure that France and Britain would not fight here's what one of his spokesman said democracy has no convictions for which people would be willing to stake their lives but what about the Russians the lights began to burn all night in Moscow British and French military missions arrived to confer with the Soviet government so did German represent and on August 21st 1939 the world was set on its Heels by the announcement of a treaty between the Russians and the Germans in which they agreed not to fight each other here were the admitted Arch enemies in a state of apparent friendship it was too fantastic to make any sense it didn't the Germans hoped they could lull Russia into a false sense of security and the Russians needed time to prepare for the fight they knew was coming they' read Hitler's book mine Camp too and knew he had his eyes on the rich Russian land confident that Russia was safely pigeon ho hold and that the democracies would not fight the Nazis started singing their favorite theme song that all people of German blood belong to them and pick Danzig as their excuse for the go ling up of Poland Danzig a free city self-governing under the League of Nations was an important Seaport at the head of the Polish Corridor Poland's access to the Sea the same old softening up process had gone on here local Stans armed by Germany began to terrorize the city Hitler demanded danzing in the Polish Corridor or else the people of Poland prepared for the inevitable although they knew Britain and France had guaranteed their borders they also knew those countries were a long way [Music] off Germany's theft of Czechoslovakia had made Poland's strategic position even worse except for the Carpathian Mountains Poland is relatively flat and low lying the vula is the Mississippi of Poland it is Broad muddy and unfordable for most of its length its tributaries are formidable streams during certain Seasons but there was a drought and the streams were so low during the campaign that they could be forwarded at almost any point by men trucks and tanks militarily the vulo offered the best line of defense however making a stand here would have meant surrendering Warsaw in the richest part of the country the alternative was to accept Battle On the Border that was the Polish decision the Nazi plan was an enormous Pinsir movement aimed at encircling the mass of the Polish armies secondary pincer movements were to encircle any polish groups which escaped the main trap during the last 2 weeks in August the German armies moved toward the Polish border where they assembled 70 divisions many of the marmer from from a military standpoint the poles were hopelessly outclassed by their predatory neighbor they managed to mobilize barely 30 divisions made up of infantry or horse cavalry in two important respects the difference was staggering the Nazis 5,000 modern tanks Poland 600 nondescript tanks the German lift bafa 6,000 modern planes the Polish Air Force less than 1,000 of inferior the German Army secretly made ready the way of living for the next thousand years was to be [Music] decided the fire that had begun in Manchuria and spread through China and Ethiopia and Spain would now Blaze around the world this man made that decision War precisely of dawn on September 1st without warning the German vermac rolled over the Polish border before the invasion was 30 minutes old the planes of the Lu bafa were over Poland wiping out the Polish Air Force most of it caught flat footed on the [Music] ground [Music] [Music] those planes that did get off faced overwhelming odds and were shot out of the sky [Music] [Music] [Music] far flying Nazi squadrons range deep into Poland destroying Communications radio stations power plants highways Bridges [Music] railroads [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] the Polish Army was disorganized by the loss of its Air Force and the disruption of communications the mass ground units of the Nazi army continued their Advance occasionally they unveiled a new technique for item of equipment for example Advanced units of the German fourth Army crossed the Vistula in a new type of storm [Music] boo September the 5th The poish Retreat developed alarming Tendencies the powerful German 10th Army which was to form the southern claw of the great Nazi pincers was advancing with its five armored divisions on either flank on September 6th the opposing poles began splitting into two groups the southern one falling back toward the Vistula the armored divisions on the German right raced ahead circling radome and cutting off this group which finally surrendered meanwhile further north the main polish Mass began drifting toward LS the German command perceiving that this opened the gate toward Warsaw sent the northern Nazi armored units ra ing through the Gap to the Polish Capital the Infantry advanced in forc marches of 35 m a day and 2 Days Later relieved the panzers about Warsaw the city was now cut off West of Warsaw the main polish armies were in circle under terrific pressure on the ground and pounded ceaselessly from the air they began to disintegrate they fought on with high personal courage but without airplanes without Communications cut off from their general staff the isolated polish groups were forced to surrender one by one but Warsaw still resisted the heroic strange of the polles told an incredulous word that the people of Warsaw led by mayor stazinski had erected a wall of Courage around their City defying Hitler to do his [Music] damage stopped cold by the city's desperate resistance the Nazis were forced to send for heavier artillery the only source of such artillery was Germany's western front with great secrecy the giant 240 mm howitzers were towed at high speed across the highways which Hitler had built for just such purposes and set in position around Warsaw the huge guns subjected the city to a bombardment of incredible Fury their fire concentrated on the densely populated residential [Music] areas had stood up under the fire of German warships from the first day its guns silenced its forts shattered it still refused to surrender even under Point Blank fire at 800 yd range it was an exhibition of Polish Valor that will go down in history but militarily it could not Avail on October the 1st The Garrison at last surrendered surrendered to face the fate of these men poolish prisoners being marched off to Nazi prison camps an eventual extermination for the Nazi Master race Theory calls for the complete wiping out of so-called inferior races and in Village after Village local judices point out loyal polish [Music] Neighbors [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] w [Music] these things the polls can never [Music] forget including another one of Hitler's famous promises Germany has concluded a non-aggression pact with Poland we shall adhere to it unconditionally the world now knew that a non-aggression packed with Hitler was the kiss of [Music] death Poland was completely destroyed completely not quite during the last days of the campaign the Russian army entered Eastern Poland and took up positions along the bug River the two strongest armies in Europe faced each other Hitler could decide now whether to keep on heading east or call it quits he called it quits why did Hitler quit here he had to to continue a drive to the east would leave Germany facing the threat he had always sworn to avoid a two-front war how he met that threat you will see in the next film what Hitler thought impossible was anything but the day after Hitler crossed the Polish border France called up her reservists within 24 hours British planes had bombed German war ships in the Keel Canal Britain not merely the British government but the British people had declared war war on Hitler and everything he stood for the democracies did have convictions for which people were willing to stake their lives unprepared yes but that didn't matter for they finally realized that what was being threatened wasn't just the Integrity of Poland but the Integrity of free men everywhere in the world what tragedies what Horrors what crimes as Hitler and all that Hitler stands for brought upon Europe and the world it is upon this Foundation that Hitler pretends to build out of hatred a new order for Europe but nothing is more certain than that every trace of Hitler's footsteps every stain purged and if need be blasted from the surage of the Earth lift up your hearts all will come right out of the depths of sorrow and of sacrifice will be born again the glory of [Music] mankind ch foring with the cross of [Music] J