Field Marshal von Paulus testifies at Nuremberg Trial

(Paris 552) War Crimes Trials, Nuremberg, Germany, February 13, 1946. MLSs, ex-Field Marshal von Paulus on the witness stand. MS, defendants in prisoners' dock. LSs, three defense counselors speaking in the courtroom (one is Dr. Fritz Sauter, talking in German). Attorney questions von Paulus about his strong reserves "against such an enterprise" ("gegen ein solches Vorhaben", probably referring to an attack on Russia). Von Paulus testifies his reserves were of a military as well as a moral nature and were shared also by Generalstabschef Halder, his direct superior, to whom he talked about them. The attorney reproaches him for not doing anything against the plans to invade Russia if he considered them a "verbrecherischen Ueberfall." He asks von Paulus why he chose to follow the call to duty ("Gehorsam") and accept the order to lead the the Army into the battle of Stalingrad (and not surrendering, either). Von Paulus responds that at the time when he accepted the order, he did not and could not have predicted the scope of it all. He said he acted upon the desire to serve his country. LS, former General of the German V Army Corps, Erich Buchenhagen, testifying. Buchenhagen talks about military cooperation agreements with Finland and Norway, meetings in Berlin, Munich, and Salzburg in which Keitel and Jodl participated.