Economic Staff, East 6000 copies
(OKW/WiAmt/Z l/II Nr. 6250/42 geh.)
SECRET .
DIRECTIVES
FOR THE OPERATION OF THE ECONOMY IN THE NEWLY-OCCUPIED EASTERN TERRITORIES (Green Folder)
Part II (3rd edition)
Supplementary Material to Part I Berlin, September, 1942
PART II
Directives as Well as Fundamental Decrees and Orders of the Reich Minister for the Occupied Eastern Territories Concerning the Eastern Territories Under Civilian Administration A. Excerpts from the Directives of the Reich Minister for the Occupied Eastern Territories for the Civilian Administration (Brown Folder, Pt. I, pp. 25-30)
1. General
The principal task of the civilian administration in the occupied Eastern territories Is to represent the interest of the Reich.
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This basic principle is to be given precedence in all measures and considerations. Therefore, the occupied territories, in the future, may be permitted to have a life of their own in a form not as yet to be determined. However, they remain part of the greater German living space and are always to be governed according to this guiding principle.
The regulations of the Hague Convention on Land Warfare, which concern the administration of a country occupied by a foreign belligerent power, are not applicable, since the USSR is to be considered dissolved, and therefore the Reich has the obligation of exercising all governmental and other sovereign functions in the interests of the country's inhabitants. Therefore, any measures are permitted which the German administration deems necessary and suitable for the execution of this comprehensive task.
High Command of the Army 19 November, 1941.
Gen St d H/Gen Qu Az. L/U98 B (Qu 3/III)
Nr. 1. 36201/41 geh.
Concerning Seizure and Transport of Raiv Materials from the Occupied Eastern Territories
The raw material situation makes it imperative to bring into, and utilize for, German war economy, all available quantities of non-ferrous metals—in particular, copper, zinc and their alloys— and also of textiles, leather, rubber, mineral oil, etc. Satisfactory results of the campaign of collecting scrap, old metals and other used materials can be expected only if forces of the army and of the RAD are made available to the organization for the seizure of scrap and old metals in the occupied territories (Major Schu), appointed by the Reich Marshall of the greater German Reich, representative of the Four-Year Plan. The actual collection must be done by prisoners of war and the civilian population. * * *
1. In the entire field of operations, collection and utilization of metals must be executed with all available forces. Factories, buildings, etc., must be ruthlessly stripped.
Factories and other enterprises are excepted which are necessary for supplying the army (munitions, armaments and leather factories) and for executing the principal economic tasks (the mineral oil economy, the food economy, as also those industries
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which constitute the foundation for the mineral oil and the food economy).
J. Food Supplies for the Civilian Population in the Occupied Eastern Territories
(Special Decree of the Economic Staff, East, dated 4 November, 1941)
The following regulations are decreed for food supplies for the civilian population in the occupied Eastern territories, with the exception of the three former Baltic states. The regulations replace special decree, No. 31 issued by Wi Stab Ost/Fue/La No. 3584/41 of Sept. 4, 1941. '
The Reich Commissars for the Ukraine and Ostland will act upon these regulations, the latter only in the old Russian and former Polish territories.
Food Supplies for the Civilian Population Ruthless looting and destruction by the Bolsheviks have most seriously dislocated economic life and transportation in the occupied Eastern territories. Misery and distress have been the inevitable consequence for the population, especially in the large cities. Responsibility for this rests exclusively with the Soviet rulers who gave the orders for senseless destruction.
It is nevertheless the task of the economic agencies in the zone of operations to safeguard the feeding of the population, insofar as this is possible without prejudice to German interests.
No special food supply regulations are required for the rural population, since it will be in a position, in general, to supply itself. The food supply of the urban population must definitely take second place after the requirements of the Wehrmacht and German agencies, and the delivery quotas for the Reich.
The following maximum ration scales, which can only be applied under the above qualifications, will provide the basis for urban food supplies:
Weekly Maximum Ration Scales (in grams)
a. For consumers not engaged in any significant work:
Meat and meat products ........................... none
Fat ............................:................. 70
Bread ............................................ 1500
Potatoes ...................................... 2000
h. For consumers performing useful work:
Meat and meat products .............
Fat ................................
100
100
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In area of Army Groups, North & Center
Bread ............................................ 1500
Potatoes ............................-.......... 4000
In area of Army Group, South
Bread ........................................... 2000
Potatoes ............................-.......... 2500
c. For consumers permanently engaged on heavy manual work: (Supplements additional to b)
Meat and meat products............................ 100
Fat .................................-.......... 50
Bread .........................................- 500
Potatoes ......................................... 1000
d. For children under 14 and Jews:
(50% of the maxima as under a)
Other products than those listed above may only be allocated to the urban population after other requirements have been satisfied.
It has to be particularly taken into account that:
a. The food and transport situation does not permit a generous treatment of the civilians, and any allocations in excess of the maxima fixed above would result in unbearable disadvantages for food supplies to Germany.
b. Wehrmacht stocks or those earmarked for Wehrmacht or Reich consumption must on no account be drawn upon for feeding the civilian population.
c. The population itself in many cases still disposes of hoards, since, during the evacuation of the Russian forces, existing food stocks were distributed to, or looted by, the population. Therefore, genuine distress will in general only occur later on.
The following specific rules are laid down in agreement with the OKH (Quartermaster-General):
1. The Commandants or other agencies concerned determine as quickly as possible the number of inhabitants and report it to the local Economic Commands or Agricultural Leaders. A percentage of the population, which will depend on local conditions but is not to exceed 20%, is to be recommended for the highest ration scales as under b) above. Supplements as under c) may only be granted to the staff of enterprises which continue operations for German benefit (e.g. armaments plants).
2. Responsibility for procuring food supplies for the civilian population rests with the Economic Commands (Groups La) and their subordinate local Agricultural Leaders.
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3. The Economic Commands (Croups La) determine the weekly ration scales which can be made available after provision has been made for other requirements (Wehrmacht, Reich delivery quotas, etc.), within the maximum scales fixed above. They also determine the percentage of the population which is to qualify for the increased maximum scales according to f>). Finally, as soon as the necessary data can be obtained, they will limit supplementary rations as under c) exclusively to those workers of plants operating for German benefit who, according to German domestic regulations, would qualify for heaviest workers' supplements. In determining the weekly rations, the following has to be observed:
For the initial period, the rations are to be kept as low as possible, in order to force the population to use up its own hoarded food supplies and to prevent encroachments upon Wehrmacht requirements, which are difficult to meet in any case because of the transport situation.
Meat and fat are not to be issued at all for the time being. Potatoes, as far as possible, are to be replaced by beets of all kinds, bread by buckwheat and millet. Gradually the rations can then be raised up to the maximum scales fixed above.
4. The quantities of foodstuffs calculated on the basis of the population figures determined as under 3) will then be released for civilian consumption. The distribution of released food to the population will take place exclusively through the native administrative agencies and distributive services.
For a better utilization of the food allocated, essential plants, if at all possible, will institute factory canteen feeding. In other cases too, when circumstances permit, communal feeding will be given preference.
5. Transportation needed for civilian food supplies is to be taken from local resources. Motor vehicles of the Economic Commands, local Agricultural Leaders or military vehicles may not be used for this purpose.
6. The population -is to be instructed by suitable propaganda media (wall posters, etc.), that the blame for the food supply difficulties is to be found entirely in the destruction and dissipation of food stocks and equipment by their own compatriots.
7. Exceptional provisions for the feeding of Russian workers and employees are contained in the decree OKH/Gen St d.H/Gen Qu Az.1/833/41 IVa (IV, 1) of Aug. 23, 1941; and for the feeding of Soviet prisoners of war in the decree OKH/Gen St d.H/ GenQu/IVa (III, 2) Az. 960 Nr. 1/23 738/41 geh. of Oct. 21 1941.
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The additional food requirements under these regulations are to be balanced by a corresponding reduction in the general rations within the areas of the Economic Commands.
* (signed) DR. MUSSET