Milch testifies at Nuremberg Trial

(Munich 41) War Crimes Trials, Nuremberg, Germany, March 11, 1946. LSs, rear views, courtroom as German attorney questions Erhard Milch (in German). Milch confirms that the German Luftwaffe had not been prepared in 1939, no cooperation or agreements (ROE, command structure) existed with other parts of the Wehrmacht, at least he did not know of any and he should have been informed. Cooperation within the different departments of the Luftwaffe was "loose," the technical department and human resources worked independently. He defines and explains the "Generalstab" as "Fuehrergehilfen" [young officers with special education assisting several division commanders]. Greater preparations for war (length and strength) had not yet been decided although preliminary consultations had taken place. Plans were for the years 1944-46. Chief Justice Sir Geoffrey Lawrence says, "Not only is there technical difficulties getting two translations at once, but both the defense and the witness are going too fast." Rear views of Chief Prosecutor Robert H. Jackson cross examining Milch. He asks, "Did you know that forced labor was being brought from occupied territories and being forced to work as slave laborers?" Milch says he knew they came voluntarily and that many of them were happy, but as Germany's military situation worsened he got word of a "deterioration of the mood" among these forced laborers. He stresses that the reason for this seemed to have been bad food provisions and that the department in charge (Speer?) worked hard to alleviate the situation. Jackson asks Milch to answer the question directly. He says that he knew the French government forced people to work in German industries. See published proceedings of IMT, Nuremberg, Vol. IX, pp.44-134.