The source: Politischer Informationsdienst der NSDAP. Gaupropagandaleitung Sachsen, Folge 7, 8 February 1945.
Gaupropagandaleitung Sachsen
Folge 7: 8 February 1945
At the first sight of tanks, the people’s comrade is filled with terror and fear because he does not know how to hide from tanks and how to fight a tank. The Bolshevist strategy is to send their tanks on lightning attacks in cities near the front to cause fear and set the population in panic.
Mostly just a few enemy tanks appear, slipping through gaps in the front. Experience has shown that a courageous people’s comrade, whether man or Hitler Youth, can defend against this danger with the Panzerfaust.
Panic occurs only where men lose their nerve. It is necessary to prepare the population in areas near the front for these surprise incursions by enemy tanks. For us propagandists, the most important task is to eliminate this fear of enemy tanks from the populace. Four tanks tried to get into Eibing to capture the city. Courageous men fired at these tanks with the Panzerfaust and hindered a further advance near Eibing for two days.
The Panzerfaust is the best destructive weapon. Its handling and use is so simple that each people’s comrade can use it. The new Soviet tank “Joseph Stalin” also cannot resist the Panzerfaust. Countless of them have already been destroyed.
Local [propaganda] rings can be active here. In a local ring meeting, for example, where all the leaders of the affiliates and subordinate organizations meet, propaganda material about tank combat can be given. Training itself, however, is a matter for the Volkssturm.
Although there is no enemy danger in our Gau yet, we should nonetheless use every hour to increase the population’s morale strength to resist.
Both sides are at the knife’s edge. We have to use all our strength to turn things in our favor. No situation is hopeless. The points of resistance must be strengthened. Quietly prepare major countermeasures.
To organize resistance against the Bolshevist hordes means: fanatic service in the Volkssturm, maintaining and increasing production, saving coal, gas, and light, holding the head high and helping those who are wavering. Faith and will, as always in life, move mountains!
The Bolshevist advance is slowing. Outstanding officers are organizing strong positions and bases. Tank groups and flexible units are used against enemy tank columns. Several shock divisions and experienced tank corps are on the march, being unloaded, or in motion. They will not be used individually, but used together at the proper time.
A more sensible mood has replaced optimism in Moscow. Naturally, the Bolshevists attempt fanatically to expand their incursions and threaten Berlin. The will or our leadership and the faultless behavior of our soldiers frustrates this to an increasing degree.
Weaklings and rumor-mongers base horror stories on tales from refugees. We must resist these rumors fanatically and energetically, after the principle: “The first hours after an air attack are the worst.” This also applies to what we are experiencing on the Eastern Front. The OKW Report hides nothing. It is a reflection of the current military situation. The individual soldier, on the other hand, is a dubious source of information for he sees only a small part of the war. Fleeing civilians generalize their experiences with an anxiety that is sometimes understandable from the human perspective. The party’s local leadership must remain firm. It provides information and advice that must be followed by all party members. The local group propaganda leader must be at his post in these days.
The front troops face the enemy. The behavior of these troops is beyond reproach. Scattered troops are collected by Wehrmacht units. The military leadership deals ruthlessly with cowardly elements. Enemy agitation attempts to spread rumors of war-weariness in the Wehrmacht. These rumors should be shown to be a particularly treacherous attack on our morale.
Besides the last attacks, the enemy has significantly increased his leaflet agitation. That shows that he still believes that he can undermine German morale. We need to make the population immune to such efforts. Enemy leaflets and ration cards are a particular nefarious weapon against a people. The enemy will never say anything that benefits us, only what benefits him.
There is a conference in Yalta between Stalin, Roosevelt, and Churchill. They plan a proclamation to split the German people and leadership. They want to give the treasonous generals in Moscow a political role. It is just these traitors who have shown us clearly that leadership and people must stand together closely. There already the first differences of opinion within the enemy powers about these treasonous generals. These differences of opinion will not stop our enemies from striving for Germany’s destruction. In 1918 we fell for Wilson’s betrayal. They think that we are just as dumb today, and that we will give up the fight a second time. We know today what is at stake and we know the enemy’s plans to destroy the Reich. We can avoid these destructive plans only with the most extreme determination, courage, faith, and loyalty to the Führer.
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