Berlin, October 5, 1938
When six years ago I took over the leadership of
the Reich one of our so-called ‘statesmen’ of that day said: ‘Now this man has
taken the decisive step. Up to now he has been popular, because he has been in
opposition. Now he must govern and we shall see in six or eight weeks how his
popularity will look’! Six years - not six weeks only - have passed and I
believe that they have been the most decisive years for German history. The
most characteristic feature of this period is the close unity of the German
people. What I have achieved in these six years was possible only because I had
standing behind me the whole German people. The problems which faced us no
single man could solve unaided: only when he could speak and, if necessary,
also act in the name of the whole German people could he master these
questions....
During the last few months and
weeks I have had in my foreign policy a great helper and previously, in my last
speech in this hall [the Sportpalast], I expressed my thanks to the man who
took his stand in support of Germany as a true, great friend, Benito Mussolini.
He has thrown into the scale of a just solution the entire force not only of
his own genius but of the power which stands behind him. I must also thank the
two other great statesmen who at the last minute recognized the historical
hour, declared themselves ready to give their support to the solution of one of
Europe’s most burning problems and who thereby made it possible for me, too, to
offer the hand towards an understanding. But above all my thanks fly to the
German people which in these long months has never deserted me. . . .. I am
proud of my German people! I hope that in a few days the problem of the Sudeten
Germans will be finally solved. By October 10 we shall have occupied all the
areas which belong to us. Thus one of Europe’s most serious crises will be
ended, and all of us, not only in Germany but those far beyond our frontiers,
will then in this year for the first time really rejoice at the Christmas
festival. It should for us all be a true Festival of Peace....
Above us all stands the motto:
‘no one in the world will help us if we do not help ourselves.’ This program of
self-help is a proud and manly program. It is a different program from that of
my predecessors who continually ran round through the world, going a-begging
now in Versailles, then in Geneva, now in Lausanne or at some conference or
other elsewhere. It is a prouder thing that to-day we Germans are determined to
solve our own problems and to help ourselves.
We have been witnesses of a
great turning-point in history. At this moment we must bethink ourselves, too,
of those who through twenty years in an apparently hopeless state still nursed
a fanatical faith in Germany and never surrendered their *Deutschtum*-their
life as Germans. It is so easy here in the heart of the Empire to profess one’s
belief in Germany. But it is inexpressibly difficult, in the face of an
unceasing persecution, not to allow oneself to be drawn away from this faith -
to remain fanatically true to it, as though redemption were coming the next
day. But now the hour of redemption has come. I have just had my first sight of
these areas and what moved me so profoundly was two impressions. First: I have
often known the jubilation and the enthusiasm of joy, but here for the first
time I have seen hundreds of thousands shedding tears of joy. And secondly I
saw appalling distress. When in England a Duff Cooper or a Mr. Eden say that
injustice has been done to the Czechs, then these men should just for once see
what in reality has happened there. How can one so pervert the truth! I have
seen here whole villages undernourished, whole towns reduced to ruin. My fellow-countrymen,
you have a great debt of honor to pay! . . . I expect of you that the Winter
Help Contribution of 1938-39 shall correspond with the historical greatness of
this year.
In the history of our people
the year 1938 will be a great, incomparable, proud year.... Later historians
will show that the German nation found its way back again to the position of an honorable
great nation - that our history has once more become a worthy history.
It was a great goal I set for
myself on May 28. At the time, it was a most
difficult decision. I believed in its realization and I could only believe in
it because I knew: behind me stands the entire German Volk, and it is ready to
take on any [!] mission.
Within these last few weeks
and months, I have been able to count upon one great help in matters of foreign
affairs, and in my last speech in Halle, I already thanked that man who always stood behind me as a great and loyal
friend of Germany, Benito Mussolini. He placed not only his own strength and
power of genius in the service of finding a just solution, but also placed in
its service all the power at his disposal. I must also thank two other great
statesmen who, at the last minute, realized the historic import of the hour and
declared themselves willing to strive for the solution of one of the most
burning problems in all of Europe. These men made it possible for me to extend
my hand as well for reaching an understanding.
However, above all, my
heartfelt gratitude flies toward the German Volk! It has always stood by me in
these long months. In solemn determination it has shouldered all those measures
necessary to see through the just demands of the Reich. It will be to the
eternal glory of our Volk that in a time period in which hundreds of thousands
were called to work and hundreds of thousands of our men were called to arms,
that in this time period not one panic-buy took place, that not one man
went to the bank, not one woman had doubts. Rather the entire nation
stood together as one. I must say this openly: I am proud of my German Volk!
I hope that within a few days,
the Sudeten German problem will finally be resolved. By October 10, we
will call all German territories our own which belong to us.
With that, one of the most
difficult crises in Europe will be over. This year, all of us may truly look
forward to Christmas, not only within Germany but outside of its borders as
well. For all of us, it shall be a true celebration of peace.
A law reigns above all of us:
no one in this world will help us, if we do not help ourselves. This program of
self-help is both a proud one and a manly one.
It is quite different from
those of my predecessors who ran around all over the place, one minute begging
at the gates of Versailles, then in Geneva, Lausanne, or at some other
conferences [!]. It is with greater pride that we Germans solve our own
problems and help ourselves today! Yet we must realize to how many nameless,
countless of our Volksgenossen we owe a great debt. How many hundreds of
thousands of German workers were suddenly pulled from their jobs these past
months. One fine day they were told: “You must pack your bags now, you are
going West!” There a mighty army set to work and built a wall of concrete and
steel to protect all of us and all of Germany. They had to leave their wives
and children behind. They had to leave their work places and had to choose
different, often more taxing tasks. In mass dormitories, they had to put up
with many an inconvenience. Certainly, we tried to make things bearable for them.
All the same, we owe them thanks, we owe it to them and to the hundreds of
thousands of other men who were called up and moved into the barracks and to
maneuver sites. And we owe thanks to all those women who had to let their sons
and husbands go.
I myself have taken the first
step into these [Sudeten German] territories. I was greatly moved by two
pictures. For one, I had often witnessed joyous jubilation and enthusiasm. It
was the first time that I saw tears of joy in the eyes of hundreds of thousands
there.
Secondly, I witnessed gruesome
destitution! When Englishmen like Duff Cooper and Mister Eden go around
claiming there had been injustice done to the Czechs-well, they should just see
what had happened there in reality. How can they twist the truth like that?! I
saw entire villages malnourished, entire cities run down.
My Volksgenossen, it is up to
you now to fulfill an obligation of honor! We must take these people into the
midst of our Volksgemeinschaft and help them.
They need our help! This is merely
a token of appreciation on the part of those Germans who were so fortunate as
to always have lived in the safe haven of our Reich. We demand but a small
sacrifice from everyone. I expect everyone, however, to determine the nature of
this sacrifice in accordance to his expertise and ability. I expect of the
wealthy to set an example. It must be a question of pride for us to eradicate
this destitution in the quickest way possible. I wish to see not one more
rachitic child in Germany within a few years’ time.
I expect that the 1938
Winterhilfswerk campaign reflects the historic greatness of the year. It shall
be the ambition of all of us to contribute to such a monumental success. This
success shall then prove beyond all doubt that the word “Volksgemeinschaft” is
not just an empty delusion. We realize that, in the final instance, all human
enterprise requires the blessings of Providence if it is to succeed. Yet we
realize as well that Providence accords its blessings only to him who proves
himself worthy of them. I believe that all of us have experienced such great
fortune this year that we are obligated to make sacrifices voluntarily.
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