A critical consideration of precisely these colonial achievements and their results however proves how Holland, through its wealth became dependent. The popular basis, which was at the disposal of the Dutch people was too narrow to protect these distant riches with its own means, was the cause that the Netherlands looked for a protecting power, which if not juridical than anyhow factual was recognized and made the Dutch politics economical and finally socially dependent on England
This Dutch empire, that couldn't defend itself, had to orient itself more and more on international ties relations and ties and become an interested party in a policy of peace at any price. The rich economical bases over-seas moreover caused a complacency in the mother country which in the end led to immobility
Rejection of the Dutch attitude of mind.
It is possible that the Dutchman sees in the Germans an element that causes forever agitation, commotion and unrest, one that is never satisfied, unfinished and forever becoming, The borders of the German people, which were laying open, unprotected and exposed tot the continuous pushing closer of people of foreign blood, forced the Germans to become fighters and through this an eternal seeker and striver.
The Dutchmen, and particularly those from the western provincies, thought to have found as their own a complacent safety. If this situation might be seen as of special importance and as the nature of the Dutch, than it becomes understandable that the Germans could not bring up the same understanding as for those qualities of the Dutch which led to their colonial and cultural achievements. We have even less understanding for this retreat to the ideylle, because this situation was the result of a situation favorable for the Dutch-viz. dissolving the European center of power and moving the center of gravity to the shores of the Atlantic Ocean-but was directed against the vital interests of the German people.
In particular is this situation and the, with it connected, mental attitude very doubtful and probably even a danger for maintaining the core of the people at a moment that the lines of force in the sphere of international politics, which through their tranquility gave life to this situation, now will undergo a change.
This situation led to a mental attitude which we Germans are of the opinion that we conquered in the interest of our own people, viz. to liberalism that open and exposed is to international lines of thinking and ties.
That what us at the moment meets in achievements and is the testimony of the present cultural achievements in the Netherlands in the last decennia, as we also could see that in our society, has the same stamp and shows the same face as the achievements of that type in any other arbitrary country of liberalism. Square dice which present the last revelation of architecture and which are only subjected to the physical laws of the medium used and not formed by the ideas of the artist, are erected in the Netherlands in the same way as they once were built in Germany or in any other country, where a liberal-international depraved mind under jewish control, tried to influence culture, be it in France, England, America and the Orient. And in the same way many other expressions have become, without doubt, foreign to the people, thus foreign to the Dutch, something to which they got used and in which they do not want be disturbed.
If I speak of a stagnation of this people than I have to say that precisely the experiences and events of May 10-15 provide the proof that this people showed a shortcoming, not in its make-up but in its mental attitude and guidance, there where the power of a nation should be demonstrated in the first place. namely in fighting, armed conflicts.
The Dutch soldiers gave a good show and the Dutch people conducted themselves properly during these 5 days but the leadership was totally inadequate. Because, how could otherwise a people of 9 million Germans collapse in such a short time although they faced only a very modest number, but very experienced part of the German Army
I do not mention these facts to raise in some Dutchmen a bitter memory or feeling but only because I feel that I should trace all the aspects of the situation with really caring interest.
In any case we, Germans, ascertain that the Dutch people have extra-ordinary high inner values, that we greet happily all qualities of their German blood, that the Dutch as a German fringe-territory, left to themselves have accomplished extra-ordinary achievements, but that they, due to the results of these achievements became absorbed in an idylle, what in some areas already meant a stagnation in the development of the vital strength of the nation. The disturbing of this idylle now leaves an unpleasant taste but one should not think that this should cramp the style of the Dutch.
Germany as the core of power of the reorganized Europe.
The course of history, which centuries ago, after the shattering of the European regulating authority, moved the power to the periphery of this continent and the Atlantic Ocean, is now returning to a new order in the territory of Europe, with the naturally given center of power of 85 million Germans as the largest and spiritual uniform people that exist on earth.
The way of reorganization is that of the unification of the German empire. It leads via liberation wars to the years 1886,1870-71 and 1914-18 and reaches exactly on the moment when the enemies of this order, the British and the international organized Jewry, free-masons and big business, thought to have definitely robbed this core of its power, the break-through to its goal.
According to the providence of fate the collapse in 1918 and the subsequent treatment, which not only wanted to rob the people of its dignity but also wanted its destruction, was apparently necessary to make the whole German population flare-up to the greatest achievement, beared by the faithful willingness and readiness to fight of national-socialism as it only touched nations and people in those era's, which we now consider a turning point in history. We sense this command, directed to the German people and the German blood in us, but we bow grateful and humble for the fate that was given to us by the Fuhrer as a condition and guarantee for our struggle and victory. Because of the combination of faith in his calling and the will to realize it in the unique appearance of Adolf Hitler is a condition for the rebuilding of the new Europe; with which world history is made.
In the Dutch people there too have been men who sensed the new shape of the community of people and were prepared to commit themselves to it. However we know, that from the moment on, when the movement of the Fuhrer came to power in the country-and March 21 is the day of Potsdam in which, 8 years ago the struggle for the right of the German people had found its constitutional expression along the lines of a legal development-the nihilistic, international forces and the internal enemies of the German people conspired to never legally let a national-socialistic movement come to power, however with disavowal of and tampering with their own rules of the game, which the liberal-democratic system had developed, to suppress with all violent means the national-socialistic parties.
If therefore these parties in any other country did not come to power through collecting votes and getting a majority, then you can't hold that against national-socialism, but only proves with what kind of terror these disappearing forces defended their fortresses.
Precisely we, from the "Ostmark" know that, although the vast majority of the German people in the,now forgotten state of Austria, had had enough of their Austrian nationality, something that endlessly was mentioned, but only wanted to return to Germany, but that all forces of international and confessional groups resisted the realization of the will of the people. We salute all these comrades in the fight for a new, happier order in our part of the world, who are possessed of the importance and duties of the national- socialistic idea.
The Dutch people that in general stayed away from the great event, which was coming to the world, let them- selves, in order to maintain the idylle, to be fooled by their leaders-in general sworn enemies of the new Germany fooled about everything that argued against the German state and national-socialism. It is not at all necessary anymore to dwell upon it, how "un-neutral" this attitude was in that time and how the Dutch people tolerated that at all occasions where publicly and also privately an opinion was aired, the poison of hate was injected by the enemies of the German state.
We would like to believe that the Dutch people itself was not so much impressed by these things but that it was used too much to let form its political opinion by a few individuals so it could stick to its peaceful life. The objective guilt remains because for us, national-socialists, who fight for realization of our idea, the more or less indifference of a majority does not have a meaning, but certainly the hate and will to destroy of those who spoke for that majority did.
It looks like as if now again a group of blind, irresponsible brewers and screamers will try to form the opinion of the Dutch people and represent them.
If the Dutch accept this, they again will suffer the consequences of such an attitude. When in a fight for or death someone, who watches this fight,shows his distaste through sarcastic and hate-filled remarks for one of the fighters, than this interested watcher should not be surprised when the fighter has the chance or the elbowroom, removes the interested watcher from the arena.
Because the highest command, viz. the care for the existence of his own people, makes it also mandatory to remove the chances of danger which might result from the presence of such an "un-neutral" observer. This is also true for this battle for the existence of the German people, apart from the fact that we have tangible proves that our enemies, in their plans, did not feel themselves in any way restricted by the neutrality of the Netherlands and perpetrated on Dutch territory mortal conspiracies against the Fuhrer and the State and that some leaders in the Netherlands consciously watched these plans and cooperated with it.
So we reached May 10th and after the shattering of the resistance of the Dutch the installation of the "Rijkscommissariaat" - the representative of the German Gouvernement. From the fact that in the occupied territories west of the old border of Germany, only in the Netherlands a civil gouvernment was introduced, it can be concluded that the Fuhrer didn't want the Netherlands to be treated as a territory occupied by the German military. This intention can be misunderstood and many who unconditionally want to play the roll of an enemy of the German people and state, are free to do so at their own risk.
Well, these people can be helped but the decision had already been made, because than we do not confront each other as enemies but as conquerors and conquered. With what intentions we Germans came here had been repeatedly and adequately explained.
Already in the appeal when the commissionar (Seys-Inquart) was installed, did we explain that the Dutch judicial system will remain intact as much as possible and gouverning by the Dutch authorities will be continued under the additional conditions that the Dutch people will follow, with understanding and composed, the instructions issued by the occupying forces. But in particular the Dutch were informed that they could guarantee the future safety of their country, their liberty, if they performed the task which results from our common fate. These assurances, of a kind that probably never in history have been given to a conquered people, did we give voluntarily because of our conscious responsibility for the Germanic blood, even though the understanding of those who were endowed with these assurances or the significance of our incentive, is wanting. According to these principles we arranged the gouvernment and leadership in the Netherlands and after studying the political situation as it was, I did state on July 26 in a speech to the "Arbeitsbereich"-labor organization, that the forming of their political will was for the Dutch to decide, but we Germans will reserve our standpoint depending on how this will turn out and that under no circumstances we will tolerate the return of a situation which again could lead to another May 10.
The liberty of political decisions, given to the Dutch, will only have any significance when the attitude which the Dutch, in this decisive battle of the German people for the future form of Europe, will adopt and will decide what the place of the Dutch in the future Europe will be.
I believe that these statements are clear and plain. Anyhow it is not possible for me to see how one can speak clearer and plainer.
I have thought it incorrect to add much more to the rest of my statement, because I am still decided to see the Dutch people, at least the vast majority, as level-headed, sincere people, capable of understanding its words and its true meaning. To repeat this statement again and again, seemed to me unbecoming and wrong to the Dutch people in connection with the seriousness of my words. Therefore, I made it clear in my New Years message of 1941, that the die will be cast, because the rebuilding of Europe has begun and has every- one confronted with the decision: for or against us-tertium non datur. In the future only actions will speak and count. Now there were realistic and hard actions and probably there is nobody anymore who doubts that the occupying power, supported by the gameness of national-socialism, included in it and as I has decided to realize relentlessly the timely publicized goals and intentions. At the same time does this give an occasion to continue the exposition about the common destiny of the Dutch and the German people,which in some places still will be denied, but which in reality already became a fact, and also to compare the experiences and reactions so far, in order-for my part anyhow-to reach conclusions which are useful for both parties.