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FIRM OUR VIEW

FIRM OUR AIM

The Struggle
of German Social Democrats against Hitler

This is a translation
from a pamphlet in German: "Klar im Erkennen,
Klar im Ziel". It is also published in French

Issued by the London Representative of the German Social Democratic Party,
33, Fernside Avenue, London NW7.

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In these days, when the world is shaken by a war, the duration, gravity and development of which cannot yet been foretold, considering that the war was started by Hitler's invasion of Poland after he had concluded a non-aggression pact with Stalin, we German Social Democrats can draw the consequences from a firm policy, in these days of a world wide whirlwind which bewildered so many minds.

Unlike those who trusted in Hitler's peace claims we had no illusions. We knew from the very first day that Hitler means war, and we could not be deceived or prevented from warning the world by any of his tricks. On the other hand, we did not share the illusion of those who believed that Hitler were the arch enemy of Bolshevism and that the Soviet Union were the arch enemy of the Third Reich, and that we should, therefore, support the barbaric Hitler regime as a bulwark against barbaric Bolshevism, or submit of Bolshevic dictatorship in order to exterminate Hitler's dictatorship.

Now, all those illusions are over. In vain was the belief in an opportunity of persuading Hitler, even by sacrifices, to keep peace, and we see that the policy of concessions came to that result which was made necessarily by Hitler's "dynamic" policy, namely a new world war. At the same time, all hopes and promises made in connection with the alleged leadership of the Soviet Union in the struggle against Facism, and for the liberation of the German working class, have been deadly destroyed by that non-aggression pact which Mr. Molotow concluded with Herr Ribbentrop, and by the cooperation of the resistance of Poland which was the first country daring armed resistance against aggression by the Third Reich.

When Hitler came to power, in Germany in 1933, our party had to make a vital decision. The question was whether to try to continue our existence as a semi-legal workers' party in the framework of National Socia-

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list dictatorship, or to separate clearly from the system of total terror and war, and to begin the difficult but firm policy of illegality and exile. Our late leader Otto Wels said: "We have no arms but honour", when addressing the first meeting of the Reichstag which was elected under Hitler's rule and included the Social Democratic Party and the second party in Germany representing still more than 7 million voters. Otto Wels justified the words he spoke in the presence of Hitler. He refused to cooperate with the totalitarian state. He decided to transfer the headquarters of the party into a democratic country and to start the illegal activity of the party. "No arms but honour" - this was the slogan of our party when we began to organise our struggle against the Hitler regime after it started. It is with arms and with honour that we will start a new activity in Germany after our victory in this fight.

There were many attempts during the last six years to lure us away from this fight which we entered with firm views and resolutions. Many attempts were made to weaken our fight which seemed to cause fresh disappointments again and again. Many offers were made to weaken our fight and to submit to another dictatorship, that of Moscow which offered an alleged guarantee for a definite fight against Nazism. And the agents of this dictatorship went even so far as to invite us to join a "democratic" Popular Front with the Communists. All reports from Germany make it clear that the pact of Hitler and Stalin has caused an enormous confusion among the former Communist workers in Germany. If the Social Democratic Party had not resisted those groups which demanded a cooperation with the Communists even in the illegal activities in Germany, valuable fighters had been victims of the Gestapo, and the confusion of ideas had spread over the masses of German Social Democratic workers ... Someone's mind in the rank and file of the party could be weakened, but the party kept being firm as the leaders were firm, and safe was the view of our policy and the will to reach our aim.

Now, the last and decisive chapter of the struggle against Hitler has been opened. Now, the whole democratic

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world has recognised the dreadful danger of Hitlerism which we pointed out from the very beginning. Now, the illusion of a fundamental opposition of the two dictatorships of Hitler and Stalin has been suddenly annihilated. In this moment, we can recall the declarations and resolutions made and respected by our Party during the last six years.

We saw the danger of war !

We resisted the attempts of Moscow !

We decided to fight against Hitler's dictatorship !

And we will continue this fight until the overthrow of Hitler !

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We saw the danger of war.

1933:
When Hitler began to rule

"Germany is on a dangerous way. The policy of the Fascist State is that of a mad god. This policy of steadily threatening the German people, but not alone the German one, Germany going back to an old-fashioned type of government, with the spirit of war reviving, with the young generation infected by military thinking, with all the life of the people devoted to the purposes of the totalitarian state, will lead to an incessant danger of war for all Europe." ("Volk in Ketten", 1933.)

("Volk in Ketten", 1933.)

1934:
After the bloody night of June 30th

The decisive fact is; that the Reichswehr is again the basis and the nucleus of the German State. On this principle, the German foreign policy will resume its activity ... That is serious. The German policy of power preparing war has got rid of a heavy burden. This policy is now in a position to act more freely than before, and even without any loss of actual military strength. It is necessary to face seriously the meaning of this new alliance of Hitler and the army. On the home front, the 30th June means the victory of the army, in foreign policy it means consolidation of active nationalism."

("Deutschland-Berichte", Juli 1934.)

1935:
Introduction of compulsory service

"The general compulsory service in Germany - that is an alarming signal for all the world. General compulsory service in Germany - that means blending the spirit of Imperial Germany with the spirit of Hit-

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lerism desiring revenge. It is a symbol of the war strength piled up, in the Third Reich, since two years, a symbol for the sinister thoughts praising the war, the conquest, the revenge, so essential in Hitler's system. That is the ultimate submission of the German nation to the dictator's will, and he can order the German youth at any moment to die for his dream of power.

The end of this way is war. The events have justified our forecast one year ago. One illusion after the other vanished. It is time for the nations to face [...] reality if the statesmen refuse to do so."

("Neuer Vorwaerts", No. 93)

After Stresa

"This system which is oppressing the people by force, embodies the most furious pan-German tendencies, and adores naked force. All its activity is to put all the strength of the people at the disposal of the war. Military force and war, these are the supreme aims of the men of this system. It means war.

But an enormous warning was given, and it was a meaning for the German nation reading: This regime is leading to a new war, and thus to a new defeat. New defeat means fall. There is only one help: overthrow of the system."

("Neuer Vorwaerts", No. 97)

1936:
After the occupation of the Rhineland

"Where treaties voluntarily concluded are broken on invalid pretexts, there is no right, no law, and no peace. New proposals for pacts offered by the violator of agreements have to be suspected.

Hitler incites hatred against Germany. The result will be a terrible one. Hitler hopes that the nations are afraid of a new war, and he gambles with the peace.

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But he will lose the game in the end, and the German Nation will have to pay the price - with their blood."

("Neuer Vorwaerts", No. 144)

1937:
After Mr. Eden's speech of January 19th

"Even Hitler knows not what has to be expected from England. The Foreign Secretary has clearly opposed the military nationalism of the Nazi system, which threatens European peace and the welfare of the nations. He has explained to the German nation that they can count on international cooperation, on joining peaceful world economy no sooner than this military system of nationalism will be abandoned.

That means that the German nation can find only one way out of the blockade established by the Nazi system over Germany, and that way is: to exterminate all the essential evils of the Hitler regime."

("Neuer Vorwaerts", No. 189)

1938:
After the occupation of Austria

"An important platform is gained by the neo-German imperialism. The inborn law of this imperialism reads that its aims become greater by every success. The occupation of Austria in the midst of a world which is petrified by shock and fear, is the second big success of Hitler after he occupied the Rhineland. It is time to be fully aware of what has happened: The Third Reich has established its predominance over Central and South East Europe.

("Neuer Vorwaerts", No. 248)

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We resisted the attempts of Moscow !

On the Moscow trials

"What kind of political discussions, what kind of decisions on the line of Soviet policy is underlying this slaughter? The policy of Soviet Russia has not been clearly determined since months. The official justification for the shooting of the generals reads as follows: They were guilty of a treacherous agreement with Hitler Germany, guilty of espionage, they intended to murder Stalin, and to replace his regime by a germanophile government. That was the general charge against all 'Trotskists', but nobody is prepared to believe it so far as the last trials are concerned. Radek and Sokolnikov gave evidence during the trial of Piatakov and his comrades that they negotiated with German and Japanese agents on a Russo-German approach[...], and that they promised concessions made by Russia in the event of a victory of the plot against Stalin. What kind of policy should be served by those intentionally shaped statements?

Immediately after this trial which was finished on 30th January 1937, there appeared rumours in the press of Western Europe that the Soviet Government considered a new orientation of her policy. It was pointed out that there were contacts between the German Army and the Red Army since the time of the Rapallo treaty, and that there were economic and international connections and tendencies within the Red Army. The question remains: Have contacts been made, by whom, and was Stalin fully informed?

There has been a revival of economic relations between Hitler Germany and Soviet Russia which, in any case, are promoting Hitler's rearmament. Who is responsible for that? Is that just treachery and wrecking, or is it in accordance with the official policy?

The foreign policy of Russia has been strikingly inactive since months. That was obvious recently when

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negotiations took place on the case of Almería as they were carried out exactly in the framework of the Four Power Treaty. There was a striking coincidence of this inactivity in foreign policy and of the stimulated activity of Communist propaganda. Is that an effort to conceal the interior struggle about power, or is it political uncertainty which resulted in inactivity?

What guarantees of political steadiness can be given by a dictatorship where the wanton will of a few individuals is the vital thing, and where all depends on the odd results of private feuds on power?"

("Neuer Vorwaerts", No. 210, June 20th, 1937)

On the Spanish war

"The split of the working class dividing it in a Socialist and a Communist Party has doubtless historical and philosophical reasons. Communism regards the overthrow of the existing order as its foremost aim whereas Socialists do not think that the extermination of the old order is in itself a guarantee for preventing a new establishment of power and serfdom on the ruins of the things destroyed.

Since the split happened, Fascism invaded Italy, Germany, and Austria, and is raging in Spain. Did the Communist Party resist, in any of these countries, in a stronger and more effective way than the Socialist Party? No. The strongest resistance was made and is being made in those two countries where the Communist movement was extremely weak, that means in Austria and in Spain.

Let us consider the revolutionary effects, not the victims. Let us ask in which country the Communist Party has shaken the Bourgeois Government? The answer is: those countries which had the strongest and loudest Communist parties, namely Italy and Germany, are first rate victims of Fascism. In those two countries, Communists preached the advantage to use force without using force themselves,

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but the terrified Bourgeoisie called the force of Fascism for defence. Had Communism not existed, they had to invent it. Fascists need Communism, so much that they had to import it into Spain where Communism was hardly existing before the German-Italian invasion."

("Neuer Vorwaerts", No. 213, July 11th, 1937)

On the Anglo-Russian negotiations

"The obscure and fatal part played by the foreign policy of Russia after the Great War should warn the German opposition not to let their destiny and the future destiny of German democracy depend on Soviet Russia. We explained, in 1925, to the German Communists how crazy and misleading it was to demand an 'alliance' with Soviet Russia, and we pointed out that the next problem after the conclusion of the Locarno Treaty would be the joining of the League of Nations by Soviet Russia. But Russian policy never intended to take this step as long as democracy was alive in Germany. We feel compelled to criticise the attitude of the Western democracies towards the German republic. But we must not overlook this: It was the policy of Russia which favoured mostly the victory of the counter-revolution and of the desire of revenge. When it was too late, when the big chance of European Peace was over, after the fall of the Weimar republic, Soviet Russia entered the League of Nations, - not for love of democracy but for own international need.

We should regard Soviet Russia as our model? We should connect a German planned economy with Soviet Russian economy although just this planned economy of Soviet Russia has shown to us how barbaric a planned economy can be if not based on liberal principles. Nobody knows that conditions will be for economic cooperation of nations after the overthrow of Hitlerism, and whether to insist on orthodox ideas of planned economy would not mean to raise new bars of autarchy and to form new military powers.

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We do not permit ourselves to be deceived by the international position of today, and in no case we can be prevented from plainly telling our view, if the propaganda made by semi-Communists or Communists wants to make the best of the international situation. We should join a new 'Popular Front' with the slogan 'Alliance with Soviet Russia', because the great powers England and Russia are considering a pact of assistance? Oh no! The followers of Soviet Russia are not the 'German opposition', and the German opposition will not become follower of Soviet Russia on the pretext of an alliance."

("Neuer Vorwaerts", No. 309, May 21st, 1939)

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We decided to fight against Hitler's dictatorship !

Extract from the speech made by Otto Wels
in the Reichstag on the 23rd March, 1933.

"You may take our liberties and lives but not our honour."

"We Social Democrats took the responsibility in the gravest hour, and you have thrown stones upon us. Our achievements in [...] rebuilding the State and the economic life, and in liberating the occupied districts will be appreciated by history.

We established equality of rights, and we created social labour laws. We helped to create a Germany where not only princes and baronets but also men of the Working class could come to the leadership of the State.

The attempt to put the clock back will fail. We Social Democrats know that political events cannot be averted by more legal appeals. We face the fact of your present rule. But the popular conscience of justice is also a political power, and we will not cease to appeal

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to this conscience. The constitution of Weimar is no socialist constitution. But we stick to the principles of law, of equality, of social justice, which were secured by that constitution. We German Social Democrats acknowledge solemnly, in this historical hour, the principles of humanity and justice, of liberty and Socialism. No exceptional law can give you the might of destroying ideas which are eternal and immortal ...

The Anti-Socialist laws could not destroy the Social Democratic movement. And this movement will gain new strength by new persecutions. We greet the victims of persecutions. We greet our friends. Their resolution and their faith have to be appreciated. Their courage, their unbroken belief are guarantees for a better future.

Break the chains !

(The proclamation which opened our struggle.)

Brutal terror is oppressing every political activity in Germany. We stand up against despotism, and we call you to fight for freedom.

We are fully aware of your grave defeat, and of the difficult character of the struggle laying before us. But if we are supposed to resign to fight, our reply is: Never !

The defeated of today will be the victors of tomorrow.

The Reichstag fire was the opportunity for the Hitler-Government to make the people believe that a Communist revolution should begin, which was not considered by anybody in that moment. In spite of the own knowledge, they accused the Social Democratic Party of being guilty of arson. It is with lies of that kind that they incited terror against Marxism on the eve of the election. They interdicted the worker's press, they annihilated the free vote, they gave arms to the brown gangs, and they gave them rights of police.

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The constitution sworn by the President, the Chancellor, and the Ministers, was treated as a scrap of paper and was torn.

All Communists and several Socialist members of Parliament were prevented, by force, from doing their duty. That Parliament which was left had to consider a law of full power for the Government, and nobody but the Social Democrats refused to consent. By this law, the foundation of any safe order was destroyed. Germany ceased to be a legal state.

The right was proclaimed, of the ruling party, to kill their opponents. Thousands of people who had committed no crime but to be Marxists became victims of persecution. In the stormtroop barracks, men and women were stripped and flogged, ten thousands were kidnapped and brought to prisons and concentration camps. Women and children were taken as hostages for refugees. Anti-Jewish campaigns of a mediaeval character were arranged. Scholars of world wide fame were expelled, books were burnt on a pile. Germany was submerged in disgrace. But they called it 'national resurrection'.

This system can exist only by oppressing the truth. It lives from lies.

It is our task to tell the truth, and to open the way of the truth into Germany.

We demand resurrection of the right, punishment of the criminals, reparation of the injustice committed. But we are fully aware that the freedom of the people can only be secured, in the future, by a regardless fight against the enemies of freedom.

We want a strong and true rule of the people, we want a fighting democracy which bars the way for all followers of despotism and all conspirators against freedom.

We want to make safe right and freedom of the individuals.

We want to secure the economic foundations of Germany by making her a member of European economy.

We do not want the war. We want peace !"

("Neuer Vorwaerts, No. 1, June 18th, 1933)

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To the German people !

(The proclamation of our Party at the outbreak of war.)

"It was by a criminal aggression that Hitler started this war.

At this historical moment, the Executive Committee of the German Social Democratic Party addresses itself to the German people and to the world. It is the body last elected by the large Social Democratic organisation in Germany. We speak for the Party but, moreover, for those sections of the German nation which hate war and dictatorship, and want to live in peace and freedom.

Hitler has to take all the responsibilities for the immense crime against peace and mankind. To annihilate freedom and to destroy the peace of the world, that was the aim of the policy of National Socialism from the very beginning. The overthrow of Hitler is, therefore, the aim of that fight which will be carried on by us and all the democratic powers in Europe.

Hitler and the new German militarism are the same thing. The defeat and the ultimate extermination of this militarism are conditions for the peace and the reorganisation of Europe.

We will act in this war as an allied power on the side of all enemies of Hitler in the fight for freedom and civilisation of Europe.

We carry on this struggle for the German people and for the great aim of securing freedom, peace and democracy in Europe.

We tell the German people: Fight for your freedom ! Overthrow Hitler !

The fall of the Nazi regime will shorten the war, spare millions of lives, save the people.

The policy of Hitler is not executing national necessities. It is a setback, a superstition that future and welfare of the nation depend on the conquest of territories.

The aim of our policy is a peace which repairs the results of Hitler's forcible actions, makes an end to

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a totalitarian system, and returns the rights and the freedom to all oppressed nations.

History calls to beat the criminals and then to begin a peaceful reconstruction of Europe.

Thus we are fighting:

for peace, freedom and bread !

The voice of our friends in USA

In the "Neue Volkszeitung", New York, our comrades published the appeal of the Executive Committee of the German Social Democratic Party in full, and the German Labor Delegation added the following words:

"We are informing hereby the American public on this appeal. As we know that the largest part of the American public opinion is carefully discerning between the German adherents to the totalitarian parties of Hitler and Stalin on the one and the Democratic powers of the first German republic on the other side, we regard it as our task to contribute to the overthrow of Hitler and National Socialism, wherever that will be possible.

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The German Trade Unions
back the Social Democratic Party

"The members of the former free German Trade Unions now living in Great Britain reaffirm their determination energetically to cooperate in the decisive struggle for the destruction of National Socialism.

The best and most active fighters for the maintenance of German Democracy belonged, in pre-Hitler Germany, to the free Trade Unions. Tens of thousands of them had to suffer for their convictions. They were killed or put into concentration camps and persecuted by the terror of the Third Reich.

Despite this, the old fighters remained loyal to their ideals. Since 1933, the illegal groups have carried on, and are still carrying on through their underground movement the fight against National Socialism. In close association with those comrades who were forced into exile, these groups maintain their struggle, their function being the reconstruction of a free Germany.

This war has been wantonly unleashed by National Socialism. It is not a struggle of one people against another, but a struggle

of political conviction against political opportunism;
for humanity against inhumanity;
for justice against the crime against the world;
for liberty against slavery.

We, the fighters for a free Germany, are fighting for:

civilisation and the preservation of democracy;
the dignity of man,
the rights of man and liberty;
the liberation of the world from the menace of National Socialism.

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The leaders of Communism have abased themselves into becoming the accomplices of National Socialism by the conclusion of the Russo-German Agreement and by their participation in the cowardly attack on Poland, thereby lining up with the assassins of liberty. They deserve to be appraised at the same valuation and to be accorded the same treatment.

The fighters for the liberty of Germany are prepared to stand shoulder to shoulder with all the fighters for liberty.

Onwards to a free Europe, to a free Germany.

Hitler's downfall will bring peace to the world.

London, September 18th, 1939."

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[Hinweis]

" Germany "
==========

Monthly Reports by the Executive Committee of
the Social Democratic Party of Germany

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The "German Reports" give extracts from the

"Deutschland-Berichte" which the Vorstand

der Sozialdemokratischen Partei Deutschlands

(Domicil Paris) has been publishing monthly

since 1934. It is the task of the "Deutsch-

land-Berichte" to follow the development in

all important social spheres in Germany. They

are founded upon the work of an organized

political body of reporters.

= = =

Please write for particulars to

Dr. Erich Rinner, Bureau Sopade

30, Rue des Ecoles - Paris 5 e.

Zu den Inhaltsverzeichnissen