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December
2, 1941
Armament
in the Ukraine
Inspector
Secret
To
The
Office of Wi Rue [Industrial Armament Department]
OKW
[High Command of the Wehrmacht]
General
of the Infantry Thomas
Berlin
...c.
The Jewish Question
The
settling of the Jewish Question in the Ukraine has been made
more difficult because in the cities the Jews constituted a
major part of the population. What we have here is therefore,
just as in the Government-General, a massive population policy
problem. Many cities had more than 50 percent Jews. Only the
rich Jews fled before the German troops. The great majority of
the Jewish masses remained under the German Administration.
The entire situation was complicated by the fact that these
Jews carried out almost all the work in the skilled trades and
even provided part of the labor for small- and medium-sized
industries; apart from trade, some of which had become
superfluous as a result of the direct or indirect effects of
the war. [Their] elimination was therefore bound to
have profound economic consequences, including even direct
effects on the military economy (supplies for troops).
From
the outset the attitude of the Jewish population was
anxious-willing. They tried to avoid anything that might
displease the German Administration. That they hated the
German Administration and the Army in their hearts is obvious
and not surprising. However, there is no evidence that the
Jews, either as a body, or even in any considerable numbers,
have taken part in sabotage, etc. Without doubt there have
been some terrorists or saboteurs among them, just as there
have been among the Ukrainians. But it cannot be claimed that
the Jews as such present any kind of danger for the German
Wehrmacht. The troops and the German Administration have been
satisfied with the work output of the Jews, who are of course
motivated by no emotion except fear.
Immediately
following the military operations, the Jewish population
remained undisturbed at first. It was only weeks, in some
cases months, later that systematic shooting of the Jews was
carried out by units of the Order Police specially set up for
this purpose. This Aktion moved in the main from east
to west. It was carried out entirely in public, with the
assistance of Ukrainian militia; in many cases, regrettably,
also with the voluntary participation of members of the
Wehrmacht. These Aktionen included aged men, women, and
children of all ages, and the manner in which they were
carried out was appalling. The gigantic number of executions
involved in this Aktion is far greater than any similar
measure undertaken in the Soviet Union up to now. Altogether
about 150,000 to 200,000 Jews may have been executed in this
section of the Ukraine belonging to the RK [Reichskommissariat];
up to now no consideration was given to the interests of the
economy.
To
sum up it could be said that the solution of the Jewish
Question as carried out in the Ukraine, evidently motivated by
ideological principles, has had the following consequences:
a)
Elimination of some, in part superfluous, eaters in the
cities.
b)
Elimination of a part of the population which undoubtedly
hated us.
c)
Elimination of urgently needed craftsmen, who were in many
cases indispensable for the requirements of the Wehrmacht.
d)
Consequences in connection with foreign propaganda that are
obvious.
e)
Adverse effects on troops which in any case have indirect
contact with executions.
f)
Brutalizing effects on the units (Order Police) which carry
out the executions....
PS-3257. |
