This is a document which you have. It says:
‘I hereby declare that
I, Karl Ernst, and 2 other SA men (Heines and Schultz) set fire to the
German Reichstag. Goring told me to do it, and he and Goebbels planned
the fire. There was a young man
called Van der Lubbe. We tricked him into setting a small fire in the
Reichstag, but we set the main fires in the main Chamber. One of my men
stayed with him all afternoon, so that we would be sure he would turn up
and get the blame.
We met at 8 pm. We went into Goring’s room, and went into the
Reichstag by an underground passage. We put paraffin on the chairs and
curtains. We started the fire at exactly 9.05 pm. But I do not trust
Goring and Goebbels. If I die, you must publish this letter to the
world.
Signed Karl Ernst,
Berlin, June 1934.’
Koestler was a Communist and hated the
Nazis. Koestler and the Communists did not believe that Van der Lubbe
started the fire. They held a mock trial in Paris in 1934 to ‘prove’
that the Nazis started the fire. Karl Ernst was an SA man who had been
killed in 1934. This ‘confession’ was published at the trial.
But in 1954, Koestler admitted that the
confession was made up.
1.
Who claimed to be the author of the document you have?
2.
What was Karl Ernst?
3.
Who, according to Ernst, started the Reichstag fire?
4.
Who, according to Ernst, planned the fire?
5.
Did Ernst say that he tricked Van der Lubbe into getting the blame
for the fire? How did he do this?
6.
How, did Ernst say, did the SA men get into the Reichstag?
7.
What time did they meet?
8.
What time did they start the fire?
9.
How did they start the fire?
10.
Why, did Ernst say, did he write down this amazing confession?
11.
What political party do you belong to?
12.
So do you hate the Nazis?
13.
Do you think that Van der Lubbe started the fire?
14.
When did you publish this confession.
15.
Was this trial a ‘mock’ trial, held purely to prove that the
Nazis started the fire?
16.
Did you make up this confession? |
