Of the large number of citizens of the Soviet Union and of
Czechoslovakia referred to under Count Three VIII (B) 2 above many were
so conscripted for forced labor.
(I) FORCING CIVILIANS OF OCCUPIED TERRITORIES TO
SWEAR ALLEGIANCE TO A HOSTILE POWER
Civilians who joined the Speer Legion, as set forth in paragraph (H)
above, were required, under threat of depriving them of food, money, and
identity papers, to swear a solemn oath acknowledging unconditional
obedience to Adolf Hitler, the Führer of Germany, which was to them a
hostile power.
In Lorraine, civil servants were obliged, in order to retain their
positions, to sign a declaration by which they acknowledged the “return
of their country to the Reich”, pledged themselves to obey without
reservation the orders of their chiefs and put themselves “at the active
service of the Führer and the Great National Socialist Germany”.
A similar pledge was imposed on Alsatian civil servants by threat of
deportation or internment.
These acts violated Article 45 of the Hague Regulations, 1907, the laws
and customs of war, the general principles of international law, and
Article 6 (_b_) of the Charter.
(J) GERMANIZATION OF OCCUPIED TERRITORIES
In certain occupied territories purportedly annexed to Germany the
defendants methodically and pursuant to plan endeavored to assimilate
those territories politically, culturally, socially, and economically
into the German Reich. The defendants endeavored to obliterate the
former national character of these territories. In pursuance of these
plans and endeavors, the defendants forcibly deported inhabitants who
were predominantly non-German and introduced thousands of German
colonists.
This plan included economic domination, physical conquest, installation
of puppet governments, purported de jure annexation and enforced
conscription into the German Armed Forces.
This was carried out in most of the occupied countries including:
Norway, France (particularly in the Departments of Upper Rhine, Lower
Rhine, Moselle, Ardennes, Aisne, Nord, Meurthe and Moselle), Luxembourg,
the Soviet Union, Denmark, Belgium, and Holland.
In France in the Departments of Aisne, Nord, Meurthe and Moselle, and
especially in that of Ardennes, rural properties were seized by a German
state organization which tried to have them exploited under German
direction; the landowners of these exploitations were dispossessed and
turned into agricultural laborers.
In the Department of Upper Rhine, Lower Rhine, and Moselle, the methods
of Germanization were those of annexation followed by conscription.
1. From the month of August 1940, officials who refused to take the oath
of allegiance to the Reich were expelled. On 21 September expulsions and
deportation of populations began and on 22 November 1940, more than
70,000 Lorrainers or Alsatians were driven into the south zone of
France. From 31 July 1941 onwards, more than 100,000 persons were
deported into the eastern regions of the Reich or to Poland. All the
property of the deportees or expelled persons was confiscated. At the
same time, 80,000 Germans coming from the Saar or from Westphalia were
installed in Lorraine and 2,000 farms belonging to French people were
transferred to Germans.
2. From 2 January 1942, all the young people of the Departments of Upper
Rhine and Lower Rhine, aged from 10 to 18 years, were incorporated in
the Hitler Youth. The same thing was done in Moselle from 4 August 1942.
From 1940 all the French schools were closed, their staffs expelled, and
the German school system was introduced in the three Departments.
3. On the 28 September 1940, an order applicable to the Department of
Moselle ordained the Germanization of all the surnames and Christian
names which were French in form. The same thing was done from 15 January
1943, in the Departments of Upper Rhine and Lower Rhine.
4. Two orders from 23 to 24 August 1942 imposed by force German
nationality on French citizens.
5. On 8 May 1941, for Upper Rhine and Lower Rhine, 23 April 1941, for
Moselle, orders were promulgated enforcing compulsory labor service on
all French citizens of either sex aged from 17 to 25 years. From 1
January 1942 for young men and from 26 January 1942 for young girls,
national labor service was effectively organized in Moselle. It was from
27 August 1942 in Upper Rhine and in Lower Rhine for young men only. The
classes 1940, 1941, 1942 were called up.
6. These classes were retained in the Wehrmacht on the expiration of
their time and labor service. On 19 August 1942, an order instituted
compulsory military service in Moselle. On 25 August 1942, the classes
1940-44 were called up in three departments. Conscription was enforced
by the German authorities in conformity with the provisions of German
legislation. The first revision boards took place from 3 September 1942.
Later in Upper Rhine and Lower Rhine new levies were effected everywhere
on classes 1928 to 1939 inclusive. The French people who refused to obey
these laws were considered as deserters and their families were
deported, while their property was confiscated.
These acts violated Articles 43, 46, 55, and 56 of the Hague
Regulations, 1907, the laws and customs of war, the general principles
of criminal law as derived from the criminal laws of all civilized
nations, the internal penal laws of the countries in which such crimes
were committed, and Article 6 (_b_) of the Charter.
IX. Individual, group, and organization responsibility for the offense
stated In Count Three
Reference is hereby made to Appendix A of this Indictment for a
statement of the responsibility of the individual defendants for the
offense set forth in this Count Three of the Indictment. Reference is
hereby made to Appendix B of this Indictment for a statement of the
responsibility of the groups and organizations named herein as criminal
groups and organizations for the offense set forth in this Count Three
of the Indictment.