Heinrich Himmler by Peter Longerich

Author:Peter Longerich [Longerich, Peter]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: Europe, World War II, Historical, Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiter-Partei, Nazis - Germany, Germany - Politics and Government - 1933-1945, Political, General, Holocaust; Jewish (1939-1945), Germany, Himmler; Heinrich, Biography & Autobiography, Military, Nazis, History
ISBN: 9780199592326
Google: wftPhw3wPKAC
Amazon: 0199592322
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Published: 2011-12-31T18:30:00+00:00

Phase II: Women and children

With Hitler’s instruction of 16 July and the decision in principle it indicated about the structure of the civil administration, the moment had come for Himmler, in spite of his clear setback, to deploy the three SS brigades of his Commando Staff for their actual purpose—for those ‘special tasks I shall give them’, as he had announced in his order of 21 May.70

Himmler probably discussed the planned deployment of the SS cavalry units71 with von dem Bach-Zelewski as early as 8 July, when he visited Bialystok. With the orders of 19 and 22 July—in other words, immediately after Hitler had given him control of‘providing security in the newly occupied eastern territories through the police’ and had significantly enhanced the status of the HSSPFs—Himmler placed the two cavalry regiments, which were to be concentrated into one cavalry brigade at the beginning of August, under von dem Bach-Zelewski’s command and the 1st Infantry Brigade under the command of the HSSPF Russia South, Jeckeln.72 On 21 July Himmler had a meeting with the commanding officer of the rear area of army South, Karl von Roques, presumably in order to discuss the activities of Jeckeln’s 1st Infantry Brigade within von Roques’s sphere of responsibility.73

Himmler personally planned the first deployment of the SS cavalry, which was to be in the Pripet marshes. He travelled there via Kaunas and Riga. On 29 July he flew to Kaunas, looked round the city, and spoke with Hinrich Lohse, the new Reich Commissar for the Ostland (the Baltic States and Byelorussia). On 31 July he continued his journey to Riga, where amongst other things he inspected the central prison and its new inmates. The following day he met Lohse again and also the HSSPF Hans Adolf Prützmann.74 Immediately after Himmler’s visit the latter’s men extended the mass murders of Jews in Lithuania and Latvia. From 5 August Einsatzkommando 3, as the detailed report of its leader, Karl Jäger, shows, began with the help of Lithuanians to shoot men, women, and children indiscriminately.75 Einsatzkommando 2, stationed in Latvia, also began in August to shoot women and children; in September 18,000 people had been murdered.76 Einsatzkommando ‘Tilsit’ likewise began, at the end of July or beginning of August, to shoot women and children in considerable numbers.77

On the afternoon of 31 July Himmler flew from Riga to Baranowicze, where he gave the final order for the creation of the Cavalry Brigade led by Hermann Fegelein from the two regiments. He then discussed with von dem Bach-Zelewski the SS cavalrymen’s continuing ‘pacification’ campaign.78 For this deployment Himmler had already issued the brigade with special ‘Guidelines for Cavalry Units Combing Marshlands’: ‘As, nationally speaking, the population is hostile, racially and humanly inferior, or even, as is often the case in marsh areas, composed of criminals who have settled there, all those who are under suspicion of helping the partisans are to be shot, women and children are to be deported, livestock and food are to be confiscated. The villages are to be burnt to the ground.

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