This was germany, a beautiful country. music a historic country. music a prosperous country. A modern country. The german people, a clean and tidy people. An educated people. A musical people. An industrious people. These people look all right. The mailman, the farmer, they all look like the folks back home. Holding jobs. Raising families. Enjoying life. They certainly look like the kind of people we can understand. Or can only . A quiet decent people who prepared 20 years to bring more war into the world. A religious people who burned churches, imprison ministers, persecute the faithful. The kindly people who accept blood purchase, concentration camps. The gentle people who tortured, starved, exterminate. These were men, they died in german concentration camps. music these too were men. They did not quite die. These bones were men, women and children sent to be exterminated in the german death factory. This is the scientifically designed gas chamber. This the furnace for burning the corpses. This, the clothing of the victims wich the germans methodically salvaged. These, the childrens toys, carefully collected for the use of german children. These made by german guards. Objects of art made of human skin. These were polls murdered by the germans. These were italians murdered by the germans before they left rome. These were belgians murdered by the germans. These were americans, defenseless prisoners of war murdered by the germans. These are some of the reasons why the german farmers, the german mailman in the german cop cant be quite like the people back home. Thats why we got to look a little deeper into the german character. The character of the people who plunged the world into two wars in one generation. And each time claiming they were a victim. That is the puzzle weve got to solve if we are to save our children from the third ward. The puzzle of that clean, industrious people. Fond of kids, fond of music fond of tyranny, fond of aggressive and fond of gas chambers. What gave the germans that character . What makes them think, act, feel this way . Hitler would have answered, german blood. Too many of our friends and neighbors have had german blood. That same blood we have seen in great americans. For what makes an american is not any special precious sort of blood, but the tradition we inherited. Tradition, not blood, that patterns the way we think, act and feel. Our ancestors came here to escape tyranny. Thats part of the american tradition. Thats why no american can believe in any government that is not of the people, by the people and for the people. They came to be able to pray in any way they wanted or in any church they wanted. Thats why freedom of religion is part of our institution. In school we learned none of us are any better than any other american, or any of us in the world. There is no privileged few, that all men have equal rights. That is the tradition we are brought up in, at home, at school, at work that is the tradition that made us what we are. What is the tradition that has made this man . How does it differ from hours . Thats a we have to find out. These were ideal german types. Lets call one of them carl schmidt. A member of the master race who goose stepped his way across an entire continent. His father did the same goosestep and followed the same road of conquest. And the grandfather of carl schmitt did the same goosestep entered the same path of aggression. The same goosestep, the same will of aggression, the same lust for conquest. You knew that leader as hitler. Your father, he was known as the kaiser. Your grandfather remembers bismarck. Your fathers generation was threatened by the huns. And your grandfather the nazis and the prussians. Three different names for three different generations of germans attempting to inflict their will on others by force. Three generations following a tradition so different from ours. Lets go back further and see how this tradition began. 150 years ago there was no single country. Instead, a loose conglomeration of 300 little states without a common history, religion or literature. In america we were living under the democratic cnstitutions we enjoy today. The british could look back on hundreds of years of parliamentary government. The french had made their revolution in the name of liberty, equality, fraternity. But 300 Little German states were still property and ruled without the consent of their peoples. Not one had a constitution, not one had a parliament, not one had freedom of speech or of the press or of assembly. Instead, a rigidly organized medieval society, with all power centralized in the hands of a few lords. A prime example was prussia, the most aggressive of the german states. Where the military cast of land owners ruled their peasants with iron discipline. To perpetuate this futile militaristic society, the prussian king established a rigid code of laws, administered by a host of state officials, answering only to him. This was the perfect system to prevent any rise of liberty among the subject and it was also the perfect system to make possible ruthless aggression against the world. I begin by taking i shall find scholars afterward to demonstrate my perfect right. And he took. First he invaded prussias brother country without a declaration of war. [gunshots] the result, victory. For seven years he fought singlehanded against austria, russia, sweden and france. Thus creating throughout the other german states the myth that the prussian arms were invincible. In 1786, frederick died but his dream of conquest lived on. Nurtured and developed by the prussian militarist, was a guard at each war is only one campaign in an unending war for prussian supremacy in europe. To this end, the organizer and the strategist established the prussian general staff. The theorist set down their gospel in his famous book, on war. He has been slated to be the core of germany so germany can be the core of the future german empire of the west. The book became the bible of the prussian militarists. Conquered should be left with nothing of their eyes to weep with. Even as the militarists were plotting, the waves swept over europe. In ordinary men begin to fight for themselves and demand what had long been accepted in england and france. A constitution. The king of prussia answered, never must a scrap of paper come between me and my country. A constitution, a scrap of paper. Some citizens determined on liberty went to the barricades. The machinery of the prussian state went into action. The revolt died. The will to liberty was not Strong Enough for the people to defy the voice of authority. One result of which was one with the love of liberty began to leave prussia. In the next 30 years, 2 million of them came to find freedom in the United States alone. While their cousins remain behind, were molded into ruthless ready to follow blindly the will of the leader. That leader arose, otto von bismarck, appointed Prime Minister of prussia in 1862. A clever man a shrewd man, but devoted to the prussian dream of conquest and a master of the prussian method of achieving it. The Great Questions of the day will not be decided by revolutions of majorities, but by blood and iron. And to go with it, ruthless discipline at home. As soon as anybody can show me sound policy, i shall be equally satisfied to see our troops fire at the french, russians or the austrians. Two years after bismarck became Prime Minister he provoked a war against bismarck. The result, victory. Two years later, against austria. The result, another victory. Four years later the great test against france. An amazed world stood by as prussia, until then a minor power, dared to challenge the strongest nation in europe. The result, another victory. This was the moment of triumph that changed the history of the world. The prussian dream of conquest was no longer a dream. The germans saw the prussian Eagle Soaring triumphant in the european sky. Now they carried on the bandwagon and united them to prussian leadership to join the german empire. And in the hall of mirrors and the heart of defeated france, bismarck saw prussian king crowned german emperor. Absolute monarch of a new emperor. Founded on blood, iron and conquest. Its simple, victorious. Emblem of victory. Not the liberty bell, not the magna carta, not any symbol of freedom, but victoria, the symbol of conquest. Thus, prussia had created germany. And the myth of prussian superiority had become the myth of the master race. And if the carl schmitt of that generation had any worry about the liberties that had been denied, they were now forgotten. In this moment of triumph, just to be a german was enough. In the newly created reich industry flourished as never before. The merchant fleet grew larger every day. German harbors were jammed with commerce. And german stomachs filled with beer and sausage. Germany had achieved unity, become rich, no other country threatened her. The world hoped for a peaceful, good neighbor. But the world had forgotten the prussian inheritance. A tradition not of peace and friendship but of war and conquest. [gunshots] [singing] and by now, carl schmitt of the Second Generation. The father of the carl schmitt we had to fight was arrogantly singing germany, germany overall. As he probably watched his father land becoming the most aggressively nationalistic country in the world. Industry was carefully controlled for the policies of the great general. But in the new reich, bismarck added a fourth pillar to the structure of a warlike state. Fredericks militarist, landowners, and state officials had been joined by the big industrialists. A gigantic Railroad System was laid out, more according to strategic war plans than in the necessity of peacetime trade. One of the largest navies was constructed. The army was built up to staggering proportions. The personification of the german ambition. The sport of german use was not football, but the deadly duel. The scar was the badge of honor. The more scars of the handsome. Did they not for the man in arms. And competitively watching all stood the great general staff. Still directed by the prussians. Secure in the knowledge that their power and knowledge was indisputable. Germany was geared for war. All it needed was a new leader to give the word. And again, that leader was at hand. William the second. The kaiser that your father knew. Not a shrewd, clever cynic like bismarck, but in arrogant , yet a leader in the german tradition. We germans like to bear arms and we like the game of war. What it Carl Schmitts father say to all that . [chanting] a german spark is always ignited by the fire. Soon everything will be a flame. [chanting] through one International Crisis after the other, the kaiser rattled his sword, loudly demanding germanys place in the sun. Proposing international agreement, but disarmament did not suit the plans of the german military, landowners, state officials, or industrialists. They wanted their own way and their own way meant war. War was inevitable. music [explosion] it only needed an incident. How did this Second Generation react to the prospect of world war . Berlin took on the air of a carnival. Blindly, joyfully the people cheered the kaiser, eager to follow the leader under a new conquest. In august of 1914, carl schmitt of the Second Generation, indoctrinated with 150 years of prussian tradition, marched off to set the world aflame. Had he not been taught . Did he not believe that whatever germany demands is right . Even when he marched through belgium, dismissing the scrap of paper. Even when german scientist developed poison gasses in violation of international agreements, which germany had solemnly signed. Even when, in violation of all the agreed codes of war, german uboats had unarmed merchant ships without warning. Thus what his father had done to france, to denmark, to austria, the secondgeneration carl schmitt attempted to do to the world. Our own president wilson said, i was for a little while, unable to believe that such things would in fact be done by any governments, that it describes the human practices of civilized. Nations but only when we realized we were directly threatened, when every protest was ignored, and germany carried dont war did we feel compelled to born fight. music [singing] music [shouting] [gunshots] [explosion] bombs bombs finally, under the combined attack of the allied, the german army started to crumble, to fall back, to run from battle. Germany was at the mercy but the allies. General von ludendorff, the general chief of staff and dictator was forced to send a secret message to the berlin government. The author of peace must be transmitted immediately. The army cannot wait another 48 hours. The allies could grant an armistice or fight on to unconditional surrender. The wartime french leader urged that the allies should march triumphant into berlin. Our own journey general purging said holy complete victory can only be obtained like continuing the war until we are forced under conditional surrendering. But the world would not listen. So golden was the thought of piece that the armistice was granted. We celebrate. Not only because the war was over, the because it seemed we put an end to german militarism forever. Hadnt the german army been beaten . Hadnt the german plan for conquest failed . Cheering] wasnt germany now hugging the kaiser had to run away to haul . And and his war leader looted or seek refuge in sweden . Cheering] wasnt germany now in the public, apparently like our own, facing a liberty and equality . Didnt that prove carl schmitt rid himself of the old german tradition . Thats what your father fought as he celebrated in 1918. Lets see what really happened. When defeat was imminent, the men who caused the war stepped conveniently into the leaving the week opposition parties to take over. That is how germany became a republic. It had elected representatives all the appearances of democracy. But beneath the surface the old german system when on as before. The state officials of the kaisers empire were the state officials of the new republic. The industrialists of the empire around the industries of the republic. Even the same teachers presided over the same classrooms, preaching the same gospel of nationalism and german racial superiority. And above all, the general staff of the empire continued to function, even though secretly. The old germany still lived and carl schmidt had never really changed. In the first place he never believed that his army had been defeated. During the four years of the war he was told only of on an unending string of victories. News of defeat had been kept from him. When the fighting ceased, was in his Glorious Army still on soil. Germany itself still on invaded. And because germany was granted an armistice instead of being forced to unconditional surrender. Carl schmidt never saw allied soldiers marching through. Instead, the german army home again after the armistice. Bands playing colors flying. Like the army of frederick the great, like bismarcks army. Certainly not like a conquered army army. Why then did germany sign an armistice . Why then did the southern armistice carl schmidt asked himself. Why when youre in a half later was he called the shame treaty of their site . Why was gm germany in his judgment and undefeated germany, excepting the penalties of defeat . Bitter karl schmidt was looking for a scapegoat. He found one. The one the german war leaders always planned that he should find. Call schmitt never blamed the man who had caused the war. Instead, he blamed the men who would assign the peace. The illfated german republic met a bunch of traders that would stab the fatherland in the back. The general staff, the great landowners, the industrialists, state officials smiled content. Not only did they escape blame themselves, but they smeared the idea of democracy in germany. It was a blow from which it would never recover. Carl schmitt would go back to the old tradition. The tradition of frederick and bismarck and the kaiser. The tradition of militarism and war. But wasnt the versailles treaty designed to prevent call schmitt starting another war carl schmitt starting another war . By this treaty the germans agreed to limit their army to 100,000 men to hand over their fleet, to demilitarized postal fortification. They found themselves never again to build an air force or submarine and to force the treaty. The cologne sector for five years there berlin sector for ten. Further there was the league of nations designed to prevent germany or any other country from starting a war of aggression. Yet only 20 years later, the Carl Schmitts of our generation were on their way again for another try of smashing the world into submission. How was coral schmitt unable to resign . and rearm so quickly . Like every other country germany faced hard times. But in germany, careful manipulation made its results much worse for the millions of Carl Schmitts. Inflation made clever germans rich and canceled the huge debt of the landowners. It broke carl schmitt. Then came the depression. That cost him his job. So hunger was added to his resentment and bitterness. This was the moment the unholy courts had waited for. Now the militarists, the landowners, state officials, the industrialists emerged from their obscurity. Their plans were ready. Now they went to work. What is the cause of your troubles . The treaty of very tsai. Who signed the treaty asked the reactionary newspapers . The democrats. And why are you starving . To pay for reparations. Who started the war so the crown prince and the french . Who lost the war . The democrats, the communists, the traders. Carl schmidt listened. He was hearing the story he wanted to hear. The victim of a vast conspiracy he told himself. The world was against him and once again he was being taught to hate. Once again he was looking and first thing for revenge. And revenge was possible because the world allowed him to tear up the various side treaty, clause by clause. Instead of enforcing it we americans refused to sign it and withdrew our army of occupation after only nine months. The british even though germany was consistently violating it the treaty pulled out after five years. French made one final attempt to enforce the versailles treaty. But this made them so unpopular in a world drenched with heartbreaking propaganda. Now, lets see what would have happened had the treaty been enforced. Without a general staff, germany could not have planned world war ii. From a demilitarized land he could not attacked france. Without an air force she could not a blitz britain. With an army of 100,000 she could not attack the soviet union. Without submarines, she cannot threaten our own atlantic lifeline. The treaty of versailles was not important. As for the league of nations, we refused to join it. And another countrys paid it a little more than lip service. Once again, the germans