Lt. General Manfred Grätz (ret.) and Maj. General Sebald Daum (ret.)

The Duty and the Right To Oppose War

The following is a joint statement by Lt. General Manfred Grätz (ret.) and Maj. General Sebald Daum (ret.), which was read as part of the proceedings of the Schiller Institute’s April 15-16 Conference, “Without the Development of All Nations, There Can Be No Lasting Peace for the Planet” during Panel 1, “The Growing Danger of World War III Underlines the Necessity for a New Security Architecture.” Both generals served as officers of the National People’s Army of the German Democratic Republic (East Germany).

Their statement was introduced by moderator Dennis Speed.

Dennis Speed: We now have greetings from retired military from Germany, Lt. Gen. Manfred Grätz (ret.), and Maj. Gen. Sebald Daum (ret.). We want to make sure people understand something about these two gentlemen. They were responsible for a dramatic and emotional letter that galvanized many a couple of months ago, saying: “Many people’s hair has stood on their heads as the fact remains that German tanks are now beginning to move again toward Russia.”

They spoke about their childhood memories of the period of the Second World War; they talked about the fact that Germany seemed to be heading down the exact same path again. They paraphrased the poet Heinrich Heine saying, “If I think of Germany at night, I shall lose sleep.” They called on the citizens of Germany to resist the idea of fighting Russia again, and sending German troops and soldiers and equipment to fight Russia again, because of the obvious specter that that has raised. That is resonating not only in Germany, but in the military in France, and other people throughout Europe. It’s shaken the foundations of those nations, and we deeply appreciate the message that we are now going to give to you at this point in our conference.

The statement of generals Grätz and Daum follows.

Dear ladies and gentlemen, dear friends of peace, and participants of the conference. We, Lt. Gen. Manfred Grätz (ret.), and Maj. Gen. Sebald Daum (ret.) of the former National People’s Army of the German Democratic Republic, welcome the participants of the conference of the Schiller Institute and wish the conference a good course. With this greeting address, we would like to convey our agreement with the concern of the conference. With our protests against the increased supply of heavy war equipment to Ukraine by the Federal Republic of Germany and other NATO states, which we made public at the end of January 2023, we have drawn attention to our deep concern about the great danger of the extension of war to Europe and the world. The more the NATO countries supply weapons to Ukraine, the greater the danger of the expansion of the war. The deaths in Ukraine will be prolonged.

In doing so, we have also expressed our indignation at the increasingly obvious intention to destroy Russia, and also to drag the People’s Republic of China into a war. We see the causes for this extremely dangerous development first and foremost in the policy of America and its willing partners to dominate the world, to dictate at their own discretion to other countries and states what policy they have to carry out for their populations. International law plays a role only if it serves American interests; security interests only apply to them; and promises only as long as they are to the advantage of the states with the rules-based order.

We must oppose such rules more resolutely, because security interests of any state, especially those of the Russian Federation and China, are legitimate demands of these people according to international law.

We would also like to remind again—Russia does not have its troops on the borders of the U.S. and Europe. China is not arming military bases on the beaches of the United States. But the U.S. and NATO are standing with their military power on the borders of Russia, arming Taiwan against China, and thus endangering the security of Russia and China. In addition, more and more sanctions are igniting an economic and financial war against Russia and China. All of this is accompanied by hate and war propaganda, reminiscent of unfortunate times in German politics. There is always only one culprit and that is the Russian people, and especially their president. This is how a people are prepared for war.

The peoples and nations of the world, especially in Asia, Africa, Latin America, and also in Europe, understand more and more that the policy for a unipolar world of the U.S. is directed against peace in the world, and entails the dangers of war. Thus, more and more peoples and nations are realizing that the multipolar policy of China and Russia will lead to greater security, mutual benefit, and peace. Respect for the sovereign qualities of all nations, renunciation of the threat and use of force are the principles we demand to return to.

Therefore, we also believe that responsible military leaders who are well aware of the horrors of war, who recognize the danger of such policies, have not only the duty, but also the right to oppose such war policies and to demand an end the arms race. You cannot create peace with more and more weapons. Therefore, we call on all peace-loving people to join our protest against war and for a just peace. In the great danger in which our peoples currently find themselves, we no longer have time to argue about political party differences and different socio-political orientations. Instead, we must focus on what unites us: peace in the world, and especially peace with Russia. Because only with Russia will there be peace in Europe.

Both of us have experienced the horrors of war as children, and it is therefore our concern that the future of our children and grandchildren be secured in peace. The preservation of human life on our planet requires that peoples and nations do not fall victim to a policy of Western rules-based order, but turn to a peaceful, multipolar policy. Therefore, we raise our voices even more clearly to stop the war’s spiral. Let us protest against the support of NATO countries to prolong the war in Ukraine, and against all wars. Let us demand an end to this course of war by a NATO war pact that has outlived its usefulness. Let us support, by our voices and deeds, the peaceful solution of all contentious issues in a multipolar world.