TOP SECRET
Dept. National Defense (IV/Qu.)
Fuehrer H. Q. May 12, 1941 Affair for Chief! By commissioned officer only!
Subject: Treatment of political and military Russian officials.
Report notice '
I. Army High Command presents a statement of the instruction from March 31, 1941, concerning "Directives regarding treatment of political representatives, etc., for uniform execution of this mission," enclosed as Annex 1.
This draft provides:
1. Political representatives and commissars are to be eliminated. '
2. Insofar as they are apprehended by the troops, decision rests with an officer of disciplinary power whether that person is to be eliminated. Identification as political functionary is sufficient proof.
3. Political commissars of the Army are not recognized as
Prisoners of War and are to be liquidated at the latest in the transient prisoner of war camps. No deportation to the rear areas. '
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4. Professional directors (commissars) of economic and technical institutions are to be apprehended only if resisting the German Armed Forces.
5. The execution of the operations must not be interrupted by this measure. Coordinated search parties, and razzias are not to take place.
6. In the rear army areas political functionaries and commissars, with.the exception of political military commissars, are to be handed over to the commitment Kdos. of the political security police. '
II. In opposition to this, Memorandum 3 of The Reichsleiter Rosenberg, suggests that only very high and topmost functionaries be liquidated as the state, communal, and economic functionaries are indispensable for the administration of the occupied territories.
III. Therefore a decision of the Fuehrer is required which principles shall be valid.
Proposal L. for case II:
(1) Functionaries revolting against the army, a thing to be expected from the radical element, come under the decree of rules for military tribunals of the territory Barbarossa. "They are to be liquidated as partisans. The same provision is accepted in Directives for conduct of armed forces in Russia."
(2) Functionaries, committing no hostile act, are to be left in
peace for the time being. The armed forces can hardly be expected to segregate the different grades of authority in the separate sectors, only after more complete penetration of the territory will it be possible to decide, if the remaining functionaries may stay at their present location, or will be handed over to the special commandos, insofar as commands themselves are not in a position to conduct the scrutiny. ,
(3) Military functionaries [commissars] are to be dealt with according to proposal GKH. They are not recognized as prisoners of war and are to be liquidated at the latest in the transient P of W camps and under no circumstances to be removed to the rear areas.
W.
[initial of Warlimont]
Distribution : Chief of W.F.St. Chief L.
L IV.
Ktb.
News: W.R.
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