▁II ▁in ▁September ▁ 1 9 3 9 , ▁Hitler ▁made ▁H ess ▁second ▁in ▁line ▁to ▁succeed ▁him , ▁after ▁Hermann ▁G ör ing . ▁Ar ound ▁the ▁same ▁time , ▁Hitler ▁appointed ▁H ess ' s ▁chief ▁of ▁staff , ▁Martin ▁B orm ann , ▁as ▁his ▁personal ▁secretary , ▁a ▁post ▁formerly ▁held ▁by ▁H ess . ▁On ▁ 8 ▁October ▁ 1 9 3 9 , ▁H ess ▁co - signed ▁the ▁law ▁that ▁an nex ed ▁the ▁Free ▁City ▁of ▁Dan zig , ▁the ▁Polish ▁Cor rid or ▁and ▁the ▁part ▁of ▁Upper ▁S iles ia ▁lost ▁in ▁ 1 9 2 1 ▁to ▁Germany . ▁On ▁the ▁same ▁day , ▁H ess ▁and ▁Him ml er ▁ordered ▁a ▁ra cial ▁registry ▁of ▁the ▁population ▁be ▁established ▁in ▁these ▁newly ▁an nex ed ▁areas ▁and ▁express ly ▁stated ▁that ▁Pol es ▁and ▁Jews ▁living ▁in ▁these ▁areas ▁were ▁not ▁to ▁be ▁treated ▁as ▁the ▁equals ▁of ▁Germ ans . ▁In ▁the ▁an nex ed ▁areas , ▁a ▁separate ▁legal ▁code ▁for ▁Pol es ▁and ▁Jews , ▁impos ing ▁dra con ian ▁pun ish ments ▁was ▁created . ▁H ess ▁argued ▁that ▁a ▁separate ▁legal ▁code ▁was ▁necessary ▁because ▁" the ▁P ole ▁is ▁less ▁sus cept ible ▁to ▁the ▁inf lic tion ▁of ▁ordinary ▁pun ishment ".   In ▁another ▁dec ree , ▁H ess ▁ordered ▁that ▁none ▁of ▁the ▁buildings ▁destroyed ▁in ▁Wars aw ▁during ▁the ▁sie ge ▁were ▁to ▁be ▁re built ▁as ▁a ▁rem inder