[dramatic horn music] - This is the last of four programs on the work of Pare Lorentz, the American documentary filmmaker.

At the end of World War Two, Mr. Lorentz was chief of film, theater, and music of the Civilian Affairs Division of the War Department in charge of occupied countries.

In the fall of 1946, Mr. Lorentz was asked by General Clay to try to put together a film on the Nuremberg trials which would be shown to the German people to combat the attempt to dismiss the crimes of the Nazi regime as exaggerated or merely the propaganda of the victors.

- Professor.

- Lorentz.

- Good to see you again.

- Well today we're going to see and talk about the Nuremberg trial film.

Organizing a material like that must've been quite a tremendous problem.

- Well, we had captured footage scattered all over Europe.

When I went to work the combat troops and OSS had collected several hundred thousand feet of film which was used as evidence film at the Nuremberg trials itself.

It was to try to identify the defendants in actual locations in various parts of the conquered territory.

And we in turn just sent the scouting team.

We found film in hangers and every place in Europe and finally collected about 2,000,000 feet of film of which 500,000 feet roughly was the basic footage including our newsreel footage of the trials and the Nazi's own footage that they had collected and made over a period of years.

- And also the footage on the trials themselves.

That must have been a tremendous amount of stuff.

- It was, and it was too bad the way the camera was set up there that they couldn't do a more effective work but they did have the tape.

It was done like the United Nations.

It was a bilingual recording so that we did put the German prisoner's own language which will make this movie a little bit fuzzy at times because you'll find a defendant starting in German and then we pull down and you'll hear the English over it.

But we did that to prove the authenticity that this were the real voices of the men involved.

- What was the main principle that you worked on in organizing it and putting it together?

- Well, General Clay had asked that we do this job as a legal document as far as possible.

And I went to see Supreme Court Justice, Robert Jackson who had been the chief prosecutor at the trials.

He was dubious that we could take- Well, let's see.

57 volumes are the official publication now, the trial evidence, but there were tons of documents and he didn't see how we could organize it.

It was my feeling that the very way the indictments read the starting with conspiracy and ending with crimes against humanity provided a grim, terrible, Wagner-ended tragedy.

So that was the first outline.

That's what the trial was.

And the second thing that we felt in that we would not take photographs of evidence that the court rejected.

And it seemed to us that if you had four judges unanimously agreeing on guilt that we would try to find the film that matched that judgment.

So there was much footage that was extraordinary but because of legal reasons the court hadn't allowed it.

So we just discarded it.

- And when it was finished the film was shown to Germans in German theaters all over the country?

- That was the purpose of it.

General Clay ordered it shown at his division under General McCourt to all the major cities and we had counter-intelligence in many places following the audience out to see whether we were achieving our purpose.

And I recall vividly one central intelligence man had said that this German carpenter and his family went into a beer hall and he really literally wept into his bear and said, "I hadn't up 'til now "believed it was true."

So we [faintly speaking] of its purpose.

- I met the same reaction in Germany myself as somebody who after going to visit one of the concentration camps just said, "I'm ashamed to have to say "that I'm a German."

The same.

Of course it's hard to judge at this distance how real this reaction is.

Certainly there was a lot of evasion, which this film was designed to combat but I understand that the German television itself has revived some of this material and is showing it.

- Well, I hope they have.

I know they're showing what's called a series called "The Rise of the Third Reich," and the occupying power has put together all the footage we had and exchange it in the form of negatives.

I do want to say one thing of the series you've all been kind enough to do up to now.

I was totally responsible for word production and editing.

We sent this movie to Germany with Stewart Schlumberg and a couple of cutters and we had a studio with fine equipment there.

And German Marks it was easier to hire people.

So Stuart finished it.

This movie I never got to edit into English.

This is just the old German work print made into 16 millimeter film, but he totally finished it in Germany.

And this was very fuzzy anyway but it's not a very good movie job in the sense of American audiences you know tightening and scoring.

- Well a lot of the material is a pretty rough.

- Well I think we should warn the audience.

This movie has been censored.

We took about 30 minutes out of it.

And this censored-censored movie is out of four hours and it's rough but it's probably no rougher than the werewolves around the corner in the movie theaters or some of the things on television on the other stations.

The only thing that's rough about this this happened and it's about fellow human beings.

- Now we will see the film [dramatic music] - [Narrator] It was 1945.

The war was over.

Slowly, painfully life came back to the ruins of Europe.

The war was over but there was no peace.

Despair crouched over the continent.

Hopelessness circled Europe like a bird of prey.

Why?

What were the forces?

What were the issues in a war that turned nations into rubble heaps and populations into beggars?

The people wanted the answers.

They wanted to know what happened and why.

In the Palace of Justice in Nuremberg the people of the world came together for there was at the international military tribunal the judge defeats Nazi war criminals.

Justice Robert H. Jackson the chief American prosecutor makes the opening statement for the prosecution.

- The privilege of opening the first trial in history.

- [Narrator] The privilege of opening the first trial in history for crimes against the peace of the world imposes a grave responsibility.

The wrongs, which we seek to condemn and punish, have been so calculated.

So malignant and so devastating that civilization cannot tolerate there being ignored because it cannot survive there being repeated.

That four great nations flushed with the victory and stung with injury stay the hand of vengeance and voluntarily submit their captive enemies to the judgment of the law is one of the most significant tributes that power has ever paid to reason.

This inquest represents the practical effort of four of the most mighty of nations with the support of 15 more to utilize international law to meet the greatest menace of our time, aggressive war.

The common sense of mankind demands that law shall not stop with the punishment of petty crimes by little people.

It must also reach men who possess themselves of great power and who make deliberate and concerted use of it to set in motion evils which leave no home in the world untouched.

In the prisoner's dock sit 20-odd broken men reproached by the humiliation of those they have led almost as bitterly as by the desolation of those they have attacked.

Their personal capacity for evil is forever pat.

Merely as individuals their fate is of little consequence to the world.

What makes this inquest significant is that these prisoners represent sinister influences that will lurk in the world long after their bodies have returned to dust.

They are living symbols of the arrogance and cruelty of power, of racial hatred, of terrorism and violence.

They are symbols of fierce nationalism and of militarism of intrigue.

And war making, which have embroiled Europe generation after generation crushing its manhood, destroying its home, and impoverishing its life.

They have so identified themselves with the philosophies they can see and with the forces they directed.

But any tenderness to them is a victory and an encouragement to all the evils which are attached to their names.

What these men stand for we will patiently and temperately disclose.

We will give you undeniable proof of incredible events.

The catalog of crimes will omit nothing.

It may be that these men of troubled conscience do not regard a trial as a favor, but they do have a fair opportunity to defend themselves a favor which they rarely extended to their fellow countrymen.

We will not ask you to convict these men on the testimony of their foes.

There is no count of the indictments that cannot be proved by books and records.

And we will show you the defendants on film.

You will see their own conduct and hear their own voices as they re-enact for you from the screen some of the events in the course of the conspiracy.

The acts of the defendants have bathed the world in blood.

And set civilization back a century.

They have subjected their European neighbors to every spoliation and deprivation.

They have brought the German people to the Lord's ebb of wretchedness.

They have stirred hatreds and incited domestic violence on every continent.

These are the things that stand in the dark shoulder to shoulder with these prisoners.

The real complaining party at your bar is civilization.

- The United States of America present count one of the indictments that all the defendants participated as organizers or accomplices in a common plan or conspiracy to commit crimes against peace, war crimes, and crimes against humanity.

- The aims of this conspiracy were open and notorious.

- [Narrator] The aims of this conspiracy were open and notorious.

It was far different from any other conspiracy ever unfolded before a court of justice.

[man speaking foreign language] Its history is the history of the Nazi party which grew from the brawling streets of Munich in the '20s.

And from the beginning Adolf Hitler and his followers were committed to the use of any means whether or not they were legal or honorable.

Their aim was the highest degree of control over the German community.

Their intentions were blatantly put forth in "Mein Kampf" and the party program.

And they preached their favorite doctrine up and down the land.

They said that persons of a so-called German blood were a master race entitled to subjugate or even exterminate other races.

They said that the German should be ruled under the Fuhrer [speaking foreign language] or leadership principle by which each sub leader owed unconditional obedience to his superior.

And so on right up to Adolf Hitler.

They said that war was a noble and necessary activity of Germany.

And they said that the Nazi party alone had the right to rule Germany and the right to destroy the party's enemy.

Their rise to power was based on fraud, deceit, intimidation, and coercion.

Culminating finally in terror and flame.

[crowds cheering] Into that flame went the democratic constitution of a Weimar Republic and the freedom of the German people.

For the fires set by the Nazis extended to the very Reichstag.

Hans Gisevius a witness who formerly held a high position in the Berlin police administration tells of his investigation of the Reichstag fire.

[man speaking German] To speak briefly and to state the facts.

First of all, he ascertains that quite generally Hitler had stated the wish for a large-scale propaganda campaign.

Goebbels took on the job of making the necessary proposal.

And it was Goebbels who first thought of setting the Reichstag on fire.

A group of 10 reliable SA men was made ready.

And now Goring was informed about every detail of the plan.

As was expected from Goring and he gave his insurances that he would do so that the police would be instructed while still suffering from shock to take up a false trail.

Using the Reichstag fire as a pretext for seizing power, the Nazi conspirators lost no time in tearing Germany away from a policy of peace.

Late in 1933, they led their nation out of the disarmament conference, quit the League of Nations, and embarked on a course of secret rearmament.

By 1934 the new armaments program designed by defendants Goring, Schacht, and Funk was going full blast.

German industry was again turning out the tools of war.

The plants hum and one year later Goring could announce "From the strong foundation "of the national socialist ideology today arises once again "the German armed forces."

A few days later General von Blomberg announced the new law for compulsory military service.

The law was signed by defendants Goring, Hess, Frank, Frick, Schacht, and von Neurath.

The training began.

[military drums and whistles] Finally in the spring of 1936 the Nazis sent their new troops marching into the [faintly speaking].

[man speaking in German] - [Narrator] My Fuhrer on March seventh 1936 soldiers of the army which was created by order of the Fuhrer crossed the sacred river of German history and occupied that form again.

They pledged the Fuhrer whatever decisions he may make unbreakable faith and obedience and they vowed to follow him and to prove their sincerity by their never-ending love for Germany.

The columns grew longer.

The sound of boots grew louder on the streets of Nuremberg but Hitler said, [man speaking German] "The German people is not a people "which welcome the war today, tomorrow, "or the day after tomorrow.

"That is not in the character of the Germans.

"He's by nature not only peaceful and peace-loving "by above all conciliatory.

"He wants to work.

"In our country are millions of peasants "who want to till their fields.

"They want to bring in their harvest.

"There are millions of workers "they want to preform their work."

But the Nazi conspirators in the name of Lebensraum continued to plot new aggressions against peace.

In November, 1937, Hitler called a special meeting with defendants Goring, von Neurath, and Raeder, and Generals von Blomberg and von Fritsch.

The meeting was secret.

But Lieutenant Colonel Darges, Hitler's personal adjutant, faithfully recorded Hitler's words.

The German question can be solved only by way of force.

For the improvement of our military political position it must be our first aim in every case of entanglement by war, to Czechoslovakia and Austria simultaneously.

The annexation of the two States to Germany, militarily, and politically would constitute a considerable relief.

This meeting set the stage for Nazi expansion and act one came only three months later at [faintly speaking] where defendant von Papen finally engineered a meeting between Schuschnigg the Austrian chancellor and Hitler and defendant Keitel and von Ribbentrop.

Guido Schmidt who was the Austrian foreign minister at the time also attended the meeting and now he takes the witness stand.

Did Hitler demand that Seyss-Inquart be made minister of security?

That was one of the demands on their program.

Were there are also demands made with regard to currency exchange and customs?

There were demands of an economic nature of every kind.

Hitler told you that you had until February 15th to accept his terms didn't he?

And he told you that if you didn't do so he would use force?

The ultimatum as Hitler stated it was that he intended as early as February to march into Austria and that for the last time he was prepared to postpone it.

Faced by these threats the Austrians carried out all of Hitler's demands.

[triumphant music] But the Nazi conspirators weren't satisfied.

A month later when Schuschnigg announced the plebiscite on Austrian independence Hitler and defendant Goring demanded the plebiscite be canceled.

Another ultimatum demanded Schuschnigg resign within three hours.

Fearing invasion Schuschnigg resigned and finally defendant Seyss-Inquart was appointed the new chancellor of Austria.

That same day Goring in Berlin called Keppler of the German embassy in Vienna.

The conversation was transcribed.

Keppler spoke first.

Well we represent the government now.

Yes, that's it.

You are the government.

Wilhelm Keppler.

The [faintly speaking].

Take the notes.

The provisional Austrian government sends to the German government the urgent request to support it in its task to help prevent this.

For this service it asks the German government to send German troops as soon as possible.

Well seeing this as I'm walking through the streets.

Everything has collapsed with the provisional group.

I think I was the only one who [faintly speaking].

Yes, and our troops will cross the border.

[menacing music] The act was written joining Austria to Germany and signed by defendant Seyss-Inquart, Goring, Frick, von Ribbentrop, and Hess.

Hitler of course had said- "Germany neither intends nor wishes to interfere "in the internal affairs of Austria.

"For the next Austria [mumbles].

"21st of May, 1935 Adolf Hitler."

The curtain fell on act one but already the Nazi conspirators prepared for act two.

With this 1938 memorandum from Hitler to his high command.

"It is my unalterable decision to smash Czechoslovakia "by military action in the near future.

"It is the job of the political leaders to bring "about the politically and militarily suitable moment."

Konrad Hemlein was designated political leader.

The plan was labeled operation green and defendant Jodl issued another memorandum reading.

"Operation Green will be set in motion by means "of an incident in Czechoslovakia which will give Germany "provocation for military intervention.

"The fixing of the exact time "for this incident is of the utmost importance."

A few months later, Germany signed the Munich pact with England, France, and Italy.

This pact involved the transfer of the Sudetenland to Germany.

The conspirators called it their last territorial demand.

But before the ink was dry they were making other plans for Hitler's goal was the complete absorption of Czechoslovakia.

And now the Czech president Hacha was called to a meeting with Hitler and defendants Goring, von Ribbentrop, and Keitel.

They gave him the ultimatum.

Bohemia and Moravia would be incorporated into Germany immediately or Czechoslovakia would be invaded.

And Prague destroyed from the air.

Hacha was helpless.

Defendants von Ribbentrop and Frick signed the decree making Bohemia and Moravia a German protectorate.

Speaking some months before about the Sudentenland however Hitler had said- "I have promised and repeated here "that there would be no more territorial problems "for Germany in Europe.

"I would be no longer interested in the Czech state "and I will guarantee it.

"26th September 1938, Adolf Hitler."

[uplifting music] Now according to more of his adjutant notes, Hitler reviewed the Nazi plan of violence and treachery from 1934 to '39.

The notes read- "First rearmament in 1935 "the introduction of compulsory military service.

"After that militarization of the Rhineland.

"One year later, Austria again.

"It brought about a considerable reinforcement of the Reich.

"The next step was Bohemia and Moravia "then followed the erection of the protectorate.

"And was that the basis for action against Poland was late.

"Basically I did not organize the armed forces "nor enough to strike.

"The decision to strike was always in me."

In the name of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland Sir [faintly speaking] presents count two crimes against peace charging that all the defendants participated in the planning and waging of Wars of aggression, wars in violation of international treaties, agreements, and assurances.

- The first step was the Rhineland and then the next step was- - [Narrator] The Rhineland is occupied.

Austria and Czechoslovakia are seized by Germany.

And now the Nazi conspirators turned to the next problem.

The conquest of Poland.

Again, an adjutant Lieutenant Colonel Schulz transcribed Hitler's words.

"The solution of the problem demands courage.

"It is impossible without invasion of foreign States "or a tax on foreign properties.

"Therefore, no question of sparing Poland "and we are left with the decision to attack Poland "at the first suitable opportunity.

"We cannot expect the repetition of the Czech affair.

"There will be war."

Meanwhile, according to their well-established practice, the conspirators stirred up the daunting issue the furnished frontier incidents which could justify an attack on Poland.

Then on 23 August the Nazis signed their nonaggression pact with Russia.

Then Hitler told his high command.

"Now Poland is in the position in which I want them.

"I'm only afraid that at the last moment "some will make a proposal for mediation."

Appeals were made twice by the Pope and by President Roosevelt.

[people cheering] Finally Mr. Roosevelt asked that assurance be given him that the German armed forces will not attack and above all not invade in the territory or possession of the following independent nations."

He then named that those coming into question.

[man speaking in German] [bomb exploding] On one September 1939 the Nazis sent air smashing into Poland and into a new world war.

For France and England faithful to their mutual assistance pact with Poland immediately declared war on Germany.

The Luftwaffe opened mass attacks on Polish towns and cities.

And Hitler according to notes said, "Destruction of Poland in the foreground.

"I shall give a propaganda score starting the war.

"Nevermind whether it is plausible or not.

"Have no pity, take a brutal attitude."

But as usual before the attack on Poland Hitler told the world- "During the troubles months at the past year, "the friendship between Poland and Germany has been one "of the reassuring factors in the political life of Europe.

"30th of January 1939, Adolf Hitler.

The path of destruction started in Poland.

But soon it led North and South across all Europe and each new regression was based on Hitler's principle that in war victory not rights is what matters.

"Non-aggression treaty.

"It is firmly resolved to maintain peace "between Denmark and Germany in all circumstance.

"31st of May, 1939, Ribbentrop."

But on nine April, 1940 German troops invaded Denmark.

The German Reich Government is determined in the view of the friendlier relations which exist between Norway and Germany under no circumstance to prejudice the inviolability and integrity of the Norwegian state.

Second of September, 1939.

But on nine April, 1940 German troops invaded Norway.

[dramatic music] [bombs exploding] [soldiers marching] "I assure the government of Belgium, Holland, "and Luxembourg, that Germany "will not violate their neutrality.

"Sixth of October, 1939, Adolf Hitler."

But on May 10th, 1940 German troops invaded Belgium, Holland, and Luxembourg.

"The firmly established reliable relationship "of Germany to Yugoslavia "will represent an element of calm "to our nerve-wracked continent.

"This peace is the goal of all who were disposed "to perform really constructive work.

"First of June, 1939, Adolf Hitler."

But on six April, 1941, German troops invaded Yugoslavia.

[bombs exploding] These criminal methods of the Nazi conspirators brought them early success.

And by 1941, they had most of Europe under their heels.

Now an evil ambition for power and more power drove them on.

But two of the world's mightiest nations, the United States and Soviet Russia remained to block the Nazi drive for world supremacy.

They had to be dealt with firmly immediately.

And now Germany asked for cooperation from her full partner in aggression to the East and from her junior partner to the South.

In Berlin, they drew up the Axis Pact the blueprint of the new order and parceled out the continents of the world for axis domination.

Italy was to get the Mediterranean sphere.

Japan was to get the orient and to Germany would go the rest of the world.

In June, 1941 in violation of their nonaggression pact, the Nazis sent [faintly speaking] deep into Soviet territory.

According to military plans long made.

As usual there was no declaration of war.

[canons blasting] Hitler had said, "Today Germany, tomorrow the world "and this was tomorrow."

Land warfare in the East, air warfare in the west.

For now defendant Goring were thrown with full force against the people and cities of Britain.

Hitler after all had told the Reich, "I will flat out there."

[guns blasting] And then on seven December, 1941 the Japanese keeping their end of an infamous bargain struck at the United States also without declaration of war.

Japanese bombs rained on Pearl Harbor spreading war finally to the Pacific.

The new order was on the march.

World War Two flamed around the globe.

- [Announcer] The Pare Lawrence film "Nuremberg" will continue after station identification.

This is N.E.T.

National Educational Television.