Instructions to the leaders of the security police in the Ukraine to reduce the use of harsh measures (including the shooting of children) in order to facilitate the recruiting of labor for Germany

COPY OF COPY
SPECIAL GROUP 4a Personal
SECRET
No. 173 19 March 1943
To all group leaders of the Security Service [SD]-auxiliary groups.
It is the task of the Security Police and of the Security Service [SD] to discover all enemies of the Reich and fight against them in the interest of security, and in the zone of operations especially to guarantee the security of the army. Besides the annihilation of active opponents, all other elements who, by virtue of their opinions or their past, may appear active as enemies under favorable conditions, are to be eliminated through preventive measures. The Security Police carries out this task according to the general directives of the Fuehrer with all the required toughness. Energetic measures are especially necessary in territories endangered by the activity of hostile gangs. The competence of the Security Police within the zone of operations is based on the Barbarossa decrees. I deem the measures of the Security Police, carried out on a considerable scale during recent times, necessary for the two following reasons :
1. The situation at the front in my sector had become so serious that the population, partly influenced by Hungarians and Italians, who streamed back in chaotic condition, took openly position against us.
2. The strong expeditions of hostile gangs, who came especially from the forest of Brvansk, were another reason. Besides that, other revolutionary groups, formed by the population, appeared suddenly in all districts. The providing of arms evidently provided no difficulties at all. It would have been irresponsible, if we had observed this whole activity without acting against it. It is obvious that all such measures bring about'some harshness. I want to take up the significant points of harsh measures:
1. The shooting of Hungarian Jews
2. The shooting of Agronoms
3. The shooting of children
4. The total burning down of villages
5. The "shooting, while trying to escape," [Fluechten] of Security Service [SD] prisoners.
Chief of committment group C confirmed once more the correctness of the measures taken, and expressed his recognition for the energetic actions.
731
3012—PS
With regard to the current political situation, especially in the armament industry in the fatherland, the measures of the security police have to be subordinated to the greatest extent to the recruiting of labor for Germany. In the shortest possible time, the Ukraine has to put at the disposal of the armament industry 1 million workers, 500 of whom have to be sent'from our territory daily.
The work of the field groups has therefore to be changed as of now. The following orders are given: '
1. Special treatment is to be limited to a minimum.
2. The listing of communist functionaries, activists arid so on, is to take place by roster only for the time being without arresting anybody. It is, for instance, no longer feasible to arrest all the close relatives of a member of the communist party. Also, members of the Komsomolz are to be arrested only if they were active in a leading position.
3. The activity of the labor offices, respectively of recruiting commissions, is to be supported to the greatest extent possible. It will not be possible always to refrain from using force. During a conference with the chief of the labor commitment staffs, an agreement was reached stating that wherever prisoners can be released, they should be put at the disposal of the commissioner of the labor office. When searching villages, resp. when it has become necessary to burn down a village, the whole population will be put at the disposal of the commissioner by force.
4. As a rule, no more children will be shot.
5. The reporting of hostile gangs as well as drives against them is not affected hereby. All drives against these hostile gangs can only take place after my approval has been obtained.
6. The prisons have to be kept empty, as a rule. We have to be aware of the fact that the Slavs will interpret all soft treatment on our part as weakness and that they will act accordingly right away. If we liriiit our harsh measures of security police through above orders for the time being, that is only done for the following reason. The most important thing is the recruiting of workers. No check of persons to be sent into the Reich will be made. No written certificates of political reliability check or similar things will be issued.
True copy
'Signed): Bender (signed): Christiansen
KVR SS Major and C. O.
732
3012PS
Copy
Telephone conversation of the Chief of the W1 staff East, Br. B. No 3663/43 To Inspector Wi Jn South General Nagel
The plenipotentiary for the Arbeitseinsatz, Gauleiter Sauckel, points out to me in an urgent teletype that the Arbeitseinsatz in German' agriculture as well as all the most urgent armament programs, ordered by the Fuehrer, make the most rapid procurement of approx. 1 million women and men from the newly occupied territories an imperative necessity. For this purpose, Gauleiter Sauckel demands the shipment of 5000 workers daily beginning 15 March, 10,000 workers, male and female beginning 1 April from the newly occupied territories.
The daily quota of 5000 (10,000) workers was distributed with the consent of the GBA as follows:
Reich Commissioner Ukraine daily 3,000 (6,000) workers Wl Jn South daily 1,000 (2,000) workers
Wl Jn Center daily 500 (1,000) workers
Commissioner General
White Ruthenia daily 500 (1,000) workers
In consideration of the extraordinary losses of workers which occurred in German war industry because of the developments of the past months, it is now necessary that the recruiting of workers be taken up again everywhere with all emphasis. The tendency momentarily noticeable in that territory, to limit and/or entirely stop the Reich recruiting program is absolutely not bearable in view of this state of affairs. Gauleiter Sauckel, who is informed about these events, has because of this, turned immediately to General Feldmarschall Keitel on 10 March 1943 in a teletype, and has emphasized on this occasion, that, as in all other occupied territories, there, where all other methods fail, by order of the Fuehrer a certain pressure must be used.
I therefore order that in the individual territories quotas are set up which are to be fulfilled with the consent of the native administrative agencies and in the rural areas with the competent LA-leaders pursuant to the service obligation. As far as the quotas cannot be filled by voluntary enlistments, they are to be filled by conscription. For the realization of the service obligation, in the individual case, compulsion may be used if necessary. However, it is not permitted that the workers are procured by collective measures.
3012—PS
I request to direct at once with the consent of the competent headquarters that disturbance of the Reich recruiting program is stopped and that the latter is 'assisted in every respect by the military agencies.
/&/ Stapf Lieutenant General (General der Infanterie)
Received O.v.D.
II March 43 /s/ Dr. Bachmann 2245 hours KVR Forwarded KVS Goth
F.d.R.d.A
[illegible]
KVR