-4-                             
 
 
no need for an immediate German occupation of further Polish terri-
 
tory.
 
 
                             V.                             
 
 
As regards the West, Germany does not expect Great Britain and 
 
France to favour an aggressive war against her, especially if the 
 
hopes of Russian help provo illusory.    Should the Western Powers 
 
nevertheless attack her, Germany's Western army will stand on the 
 
defensive until the Polish Army has been crushed.  Then the main 
 
German forces would be switched over to the West, though there would 
 
be no air raids on England or France as long as these two countries 
 
should refrain from aerial attack upon Germany.    Simultaneously, 
 
with her military concentration on the West, Germany would begin a 
 
propaganda peace-offensive in which she and the Axis would offer im-
 
mediate peace to the Western Powers who, if they rejected the offer, 
 
would be made responsible for the devastation that would ensue.
 
Special appeals would be issued to the Governments and peoples of 
 
Holland, Belgium and Switzerland.    Meanwhile, the Italian army and 
 
air force would be concentrated in Libya, not for the purpose of an 
 
immediate attack upon Egypt, (since this might ruin the peace-
 
offensive), but as a persuasive threat.    Tension would be increased 
 
between Japan and the Western Powers in the Far East.    Hitler be-
 
lieves that the success of this peace-offensive would cause him to 
 
be acclaimed as the saviour of the peace of the world.
 
 
The "combined strategy" of this method is based on the assump-
 
tion that the German forces in the West could hold up a French attack 
 
long enough for the Polish army to be crushed and the main German 
 
forces to be switched over to the West.    During this period Italy 
 
would remain "neutral" so as to prevent an Anglo-French naval attack
 
upon her, and to awaken hopes in England and France that Italy might
 
be detached from the Axis.    There would be no "counter-attack" by 
 
the Axis in the West until the whole German army and air force had 
 
been concentrated against England and France.
 
 
Germany assumes further that Russia will remain neutral until 
 
and unless the Western Powers and the Axis are at death grips in a 
 
long struggle.    Germany is not prepared to face a long struggle yet.
 
 
To sum up: Hitler and his helpers are convinced that under
 
present conditions the Axis cannot win a long war against the West.
 
Hence everything depends, in their eyes, upon a diplomatic and moral
 
defeat of the West that shall preclude any further coalition between
 
Western and Eastern Europe. Germany could then organise her
 
"Imperial Space" up to the borders of Russia, and lay the foundations
 
for her continental "Eurasian" World Empire. With this empire the
 
Western Powers could make peace on condition that they give up all 
 
idea of poltical cooperation with Eastern Europe, including Russia.
 
As compensation Germany would be prepared to "guarantee" the British
 
and French Empires.
 
 
These are the ultimate aims which guide Hitler and his helpers
 
in their handling of the present conflict with Poland. Their motto
 
is: "No war; at all events no world war".
 
 
The Third Reich aims at world empire without a world war.