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Schutzmannschaft

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Schutzmannschaft
German Order Policeofficer visiting theUkrainianSchutzmannschaftunitinZarignearKiev,December 1942
ActiveFounded in July 1941 byHeinrich Himmler
CountryGerman-occupied Eastern Europe
AllegianceOrdnungspolizei
Branchϟϟ
TypeAuxiliary police
Size300,000

TheSchutzmannschaft,orAuxiliary Police(lit."protective teams, or guard units"; plural:Schutzmannschaften,[nb 1]abbreviated asSchuma) was the collaborationistauxiliary policeof native policemen serving in those areas of theSoviet Unionand theBaltic statesoccupied byNazi GermanyduringWorld War II.Heinrich Himmler,head of theSS,established theSchutzmannschafton 25 July 1941, and subordinated it to the Order Police (Ordnungspolizei;Orpo).[2]By the end of 1941, some 45,000 men served inSchutzmannschaftunits, about half of them in the battalions.[3]During 1942,Schutzmannschaftenexpanded to an estimated 300,000 men, with battalions accounting for about a third, or less than one half of the local force.[4][5]Everywhere, local police far outnumbered the equivalent German personnel several times; in most places, the ratio of Germans to natives was about 1-to-10.[6]

The auxiliary police battalions (Schutzmannschaft-Bataillonen) were created to provide security in the occupied territories, in particular by combating theanti-Nazi resistance.Many of these battalions participated inthe Holocaustand caused thousands of Jewish deaths. Usually the battalions were voluntary units and were not directly involved in combat. In total, about 200 battalions were formed.[7]There were approximately 21 ethnic Estonian,[nb 2][8]47 Latvian,[9]26 Lithuanian,[nb 3][11]11 Belarusian,[12]8 Tatar,[12]and 71 Ukrainian[13]Schumabattalions. Each battalion had an authorized strength of about 500, but the actual size varied greatly. They should not be confused with native GermanOrder Police battalions(SS-Polizei-Bataillone) which the Order Police formed between 1939 and 1945 and which also participated in the Holocaust.[14]

The Order Police organized theSchutzmannschaftenby nationality:Belarusian,Estonian,Latvian,Lithuanian,andUkrainian.[15]

Formation

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The Germans did not want to use local collaborators on a large scale as they were deemed to be unreliable and inferior (Untermensch).[16]However, the rapid German advance in theEastern Frontand manpower shortages forced Germans to reconsider. Therefore, on 25 July 1941,Reichsführer-SSHimmler authorized creation ofSchutzmannschaft.[17]Initially, it was calledHilfspolizei,but Germans did not want to attach a reputable police title to this force.[2]Schutzmannschaftenwas an integral part of German police structure and dealt with variety of issues, including everyday crimes (except when concerning German citizens).[15]Initially, only a small fraction of local auxiliaries were armed.[6]Due to limited supervision, particularly in rural areas, members ofSchutzmannschaftenhad considerable power and there were frequent complaints of corruption and abuse.[18]

Local policemen serving inSchutzmannschaften
at the end of 1942[5]
Territory Police
battalions		 Police
stations		 Shuma
Total		 German
Orpo Police
Ostland 23,758 31,804 54,984 4,442
Ukraine 35,000 70,000 105,000 10,194
Military
administration 		140,000 14,194
Grand total[5] 299,984 28,830

Initially,Schutzmannschaftenwas organized based on existing police structures and spontaneous anti-Soviet groups that formed at the start of theGerman invasion of the Soviet Union.[3]For example, in Lithuania,Schutzmannschaftenabsorbed units formed by theProvisional Government.Due to this legacy and its semi-military status, Lithuanians associated police battalions with their national aspirations of independent Lithuania.[19]This caused a rift within German ranks: ideologues like Hitler and Himmler saw no place for Baltic nationalism within theGreater Germanic Reich,but the Nazis needed local collaboration and had to maintain at least a shadow of national institutions.[3]

Local men joinedSchutzmannschaftendue to a variety of reasons.[20]A number of them had prior police or military experience and wanted a job which paid steady wages and provided food rations. Joining the German war apparatus also provided certain privileges and protections for the men and their families (for example, exemption fromforced labor).[20]Pensions were available to family members of those killed in anti-partisan operations.[15]Others were motivated by ideological reasons (antisemitism, anticommunism, nationalism) or by opportunities to loot property of murdered Jews. Captured Soviet POWs sawSchutzmannschaftenas a way to avoid concentration camps. Such considerations attracted criminals and other opportunists.[20]Most of them were young: in 1944, about half ofSchutzmannschaftennearMirwere under 25 years of age.[21]Germans complained about their lack of training, discipline, and in some cases refused to supply them with weapons.[3]During 1942, in compliance with orders to enlargeSchutzmannschaft,Germans began to force men to sign up for the service[22]and eliminated service term limits[15](initially men signed up for one-year[17]or six-month[23]terms). There was a marked difference in attitudes of more enthusiastic early volunteers and later forced recruits.[24]To increase their reliability, Himmler ordered the organization of NCO training,[25]which would include political education, that lasted up to eight weeks.[21]

Organization

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TheSchutzmannschaftcomprised four sections:[26]

  • Schutzmannschaft-Einzeldienst(stationary regular police; patrolmen in cities and districts)
  • Schutzmannschaft-Bataillonen(mobile police battalions forNazi security warfare)
  • Hilfsschutzmannschaft(reserve units – guardedPOWsand carried out work-details)
  • Feuerschutzmannschaft(fire brigades)

Police battalions

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Organization

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Men of the 115th Battalion (Ukrainian)Schutzmannschaftholding a flag with thecoat of arms of Ukraine

Police battalions were divided based on their intended functions into five categories:[26][27]

  • Schutzmannschaft-Front-Bataillonen(combat)
  • Schutzmannschaft-Wach-Bataillonen(guard)
  • Schutzmannschaft-Ersatz-Bataillonen(reserve/replacement)
  • Schutzmannschaft-Pionier-Bataillonen(engineer)
  • Schutzmannschaft-Bau-Bataillonen(construction)

Each battalion had a projected number of four companies of 124 men each, one with a group ofmachine gunand three groups ofinfantry.[26]In reality, the numbers varied greatly between occupied territories. Baltic (Lithuanian, Latvian, Estonian) battalions were commanded by a native, while Ukrainian and Belarusian battalions had German commanders.[26]The battalions did not have a prescribed uniform and often used uniforms from pre-war national armies. They were identified by a whitearmbandwhich usually had the inscriptionSchutzmann,a service number and location.[3]InDirective no. 46,Hitler expressly prohibitedSchutzmannschaftto useGerman badges of rank,theeagle and swastikaemblem, or German military shoulder straps. However, members ofSchutzmannschaftenwere eligible for various awards and decorations, including theIron CrossandWar Merit Cross.[28]Schutzmannschaftenwere generally armed with confiscated Soviet rifles and some officers had pistols. Machine guns were used in anti-partisan operations and mortars were employed in the later stages of the war.[29]In general, the battalions were poorly provided for, sometimes even lacking food rations, as priority and preference was given to German units fighting in the front lines.[30]

Battalion numbers

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TheSchutzmannschaftbattalions were organized by nationality: Ukrainians, Belarusians, Estonians, Lithuanians, Latvians, Tatars. Germans attempted to organize police battalions inoccupied Poland,but did not find volunteers and had to use force in forming the single PolishSchutzmannschaft Battalion 202.[31]The battalions were initially allotted numbers as follows (in brackets: re-allotted numbers in 1942; not all numbers were actually used):[32]

Activities and role in the Holocaust

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The battalions were not confined to their locations and could be easily moved to locations far outside their home country. Since formation of the battalions was particularly slow in Belarus, many of them were first stationed there.[3]One of the first tasks of the battalions was mass execution of Jews. Attached toEinsatzgruppenas needed, the battalions rounded up, executed, and disposed of Jews. For example, it is estimated that LithuanianSchutzmannschaftkilled 78,000 Jews in Lithuania and Belarus.[33]The mass executions largely ceased by the end of 1941. By that time German advance into Soviet Union halted and Nazi officials considered using the battalions for more direct military duties. In particular,Franz Walter Stahleckerasked to relieve the16th Armyin theDemyansk Pocket.[3]However, Hitler refused. InDirective no. 46,dated August 1942, he agreed to strengthen and enlargeSchutzmannschaft,but to use it only forNazi security warfareand other auxiliary duties behind the front lines.[34]Some battalions continued to participate in the Holocaust (guarding or liquidatingNazi ghettos).[35]About 12,000 men guardedforced laborers(Soviet POWs, civilians, Jews) working on theDurchgangsstrasseIV,a major road from Lemberg to Stalino (nowDonetsk).[36]The issue of involvingSchutzmannschaftin combat was revisited after theBattle of Stalingrad.SomeSchutzmannschaftbattalions in Estonia, Latvia, Ukraine and elsewhere were reorganized intoWaffen-SS divisionswearing national insignia.[3]

Deserters were a constant problem for the battalions. For example, some 3,000 men deserted LithuanianSchutzmannschaftbetween September 1943 and April 1944.[37]After the war, many former members ofSchutzmannschaftfled to the West. A survey of about 200 men revealed that more than 30% had escaped from the Soviet zone. Western authorities showed much less interest in members ofSchutzmannschaftthan in German Nazis and did not prosecute them.[38]Soviet Union persecuted members ofSchutzmannschaft,often sentencing them to death. For example, in Lithuania, 14 men were sentenced to 25 years inGulagin 1948, 8 men were sentenced to death in 1962, one man executed in 1979.[39]After thedissolution of the Soviet Union,several former members ofSchutzmannschaftweredenaturalizedby United States or Canada and deported back to their countries.[40]

Ranks

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Estonian, Latvian, Lithuanian[41] Ukrainian, Belarusian[42] Equivalent in the
Ordnungspolizei[41][42]		 Equivalent in the
Army[41][42]
(June 1942) (November 1942) (June 1942) (Later)
Schutzmann Schutzmann Schutzmann Schutzmann Anwärter Schütze
Unterkorporal Oberschutzmann Unterkorporal Unterkorporal Unterwachtmeister Gefreiter
Vizekorporal Revieroberschutzmann Vizekorporal Vizekorporal Rottwachtmeister Obergefreiter
Korporal Hauptschutzmann Korporal Korporal Wachtmeister Unteroffizier
Vizefeldwebel Stabsschutzmann Vizefeldwebel Vizefeldwebel Zugwachtmeister Feldwebel
Kompaniefeldwebel Revierstabsschutzmann Kompaniefeldwebel Kompaniefeldwebel Hauptwachtmeister Oberfeldwebel
Zugführer Leutnant Zugführer Lieutenant Leutnant Leutnant
Oberzugführer Oberleutnant Oberzugführer Starshiy Lieutenant Oberleutnant Oberleutnant
Kompanieführer Hauptmann Kompanieführer Kapitan Hauptmann Hauptmann
Batallionsführer Major Bataillonsführer Mayor Major Major
Oberstleutnant Oberstleutnant Oberstleutnant

See also

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  • Walloon Guard—a collaborationist police unit in German-occupied Belgium

Notes

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  1. ^SchutzmannandSchutzmannschaftshould not be translated literally. It is an old-fashioned German word for police, which was adopted to distinguish the indigenous police from the German police.[1]
  2. ^26 battalions were planned for Estonia, but only 21 were actually formed.[8]
  3. ^The short-lived 13 battalions of theLithuanian Territorial Defense Forcewere numbered asSchutzmannschaftbattalions 241–243 and 301–310, but the force is usually not included in discussions about the LithuanianSchutzmannschaft.[10]

References

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  1. ^Brandon & Lower 2008,p. 268.
  2. ^abSchiessl 2009,p. 39.
  3. ^abcdefghBreitman 1990.
  4. ^Dean 2003,p. 60.
  5. ^abcArad 2009,pp. 107–108.
  6. ^abBrowning 2002,p. 257.
  7. ^Stankeras 2008,p. 459.
  8. ^abJurado & Thomas 2012,p. 12.
  9. ^Jurado & Thomas 2012,p. 20.
  10. ^Bubnys 1991.
  11. ^Jurado & Thomas 2012,p. 36.
  12. ^abAbbott 1983,pp. 15–16.
  13. ^Abbott & Pinak 2012,p. 38.
  14. ^Goldhagen 2007,pp. 181–282.
  15. ^abcdDean 2003,p. 69.
  16. ^Schiessl 2009,p. 38.
  17. ^abArad 2009,p. 106.
  18. ^Dean 2003,pp. 70–71.
  19. ^Bubnys 1998,pp. 133–134.
  20. ^abcSchiessl 2009,pp. 41–43.
  21. ^abDean 2003,p. 73.
  22. ^Dean 2003,pp. 66–67.
  23. ^Bubnys 1998,p. 116.
  24. ^Dean 2003,p. 72.
  25. ^Arad 2009,p. 109.
  26. ^abcdAbbott 1983,p. 15.
  27. ^Stankeras 2008,p. 465.
  28. ^Bubnys 2017,p. 304.
  29. ^Dean 2003,p. 68.
  30. ^Bubnys 1998,pp. 126–127.
  31. ^Niewiński 2005,p. 491.
  32. ^Stankeras 2008,pp. 464–465.
  33. ^Bubnys 2000,p. 32.
  34. ^Dean 2003,p. 66.
  35. ^Schiessl 2009,p. 46.
  36. ^Angrick 2008,pp. 212, 218.
  37. ^Bubnys 1998,p. 138.
  38. ^Rudling 2011.
  39. ^Stoliarovas 2008,pp. 63–64.
  40. ^Stoliarovas 2008,pp. 65–66.
  41. ^abcNiglas & Hiio 2006,p. 833.
  42. ^abcMollo 1992,pp. 24–26.

Bibliography

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