The German army and nazi policies in occupied Russia

Viac o knihe

Discusses the involvement of the Wehrmacht in criminal Nazi policies in the USSR from 1941 to 1943, analyzing data from two Rear Area command units. Contends that the Wehrmacht identified with Nazi ideology and cooperated with the SS in formulating and carrying out extermination policy. Describes the organization and actions of these units, including extortion of food supplies, war against the partisans, and the destruction of 2-3 million Soviet POWs, emphasizing that the latter may have served as a model for the Final Solution. Ch. 9 analyzes relations with the SS and the SD, dealing with the "Jewish question" on pp. 224-234. The support given by the Army to SS actions in Poland set a precedent for cooperation with the Einsatzgruppen in Russia. Regarding the Jews as dangerous links with the partisans, the Army advocated ghettoization or forced labor as solutions. Concludes that although Nazi indoctrination enabled many soldiers to wage a brutal and unrestricted war, others were depoliticized and apathetic. (From the Bibliography of the Vidal Sassoon International Center for the Study of Antisemitism)