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Excerpts from Hitler’s Speech before the first "Greater German Reichstag" (January 30, 1939)

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For example, whether Germany maintains economic relations and does business with South and Central American states concerns no one but these states and us. Germany, at any rate, is a great and sovereign Reich, and is not subject to the oversight of American politicians.

Moreover, I believe that all states have so many domestic problems to resolve today that it would be a blessing for the nations if the responsible statesmen would worry only about their own internal affairs.

As far as Germany is concerned, I know from personal experience that the tasks it faces are so enormous that they almost exceed the powers of wisdom and energy of a single man.

I can therefore only say for myself and for all those who work with me that we see our life's work as consisting solely in the care and preservation of our Volk and Reich, both of which can look back on a glorious, thousand year-long history.

My delegates! Men of the first Reichstag of Greater Germany!

As I now conclude my remarks to you today, I look back once more on the years of struggle and fulfillment that lie behind us. For most of us they represent the meaning and content of our entire existence. We know that nothing greater can be granted to our Volk and thus to ourselves.

Without bloodshed, we have succeeded finally in erecting the great Reich of the German Volk. Still, we should not forget that this process, too, brought painful losses for some. Many cherished traditions, many dear memories and symbols had to be eliminated by us. States were wiped out, their flags taken down; their traditions have lost meaning. May all of us, however, find comfort in the realization that, in our history, no generation that worked on behalf of Germany was spared similarly painful experiences.

Ever since the first German dukes struggled to create higher entities out of savage tribes, their efforts had to tread upon cherished institutions, dear memories, manly obligations of loyalty and so forth.

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