Figure 1.--We do not yet have full details on how the Germans separated out Jewish soldiers from other Red Army POWs. We know that they attempted to do this from an early point because we see groups of newly captured Jewish POWs. This photograph was taken near Minsk, probably during early-July 1941. Minsk in modern Belarus was the scene of a major Germam encirclement. An estimated 0.3 million Red Army soldiers were circled there (June 22–29, 1941). Notice that some of the men have overcoats. This means that they have been separated from other Red army bPOWs at a very early phase of their pricessing by the Wehrmacht.

Germany during World War II captured about about 5 million Red Army soldiers. Only about 40 percent survived the horrendous conditions in German POW, labor and concentration camps. One estimate suggests that 0.1-0.2 million Soviet POWs taken by the Germans were Jewish. Virtually none survived German captivity. The 0.1-0.2 million estimare is probably low. As a result of Soviet atheist campaigns, most were non-practicing Jews. There were also quite a number of individuals with mixed Jewish and non-Jewish ancestors, what the Germans would call Mischings. We are not entirely sure how Mischlings they were dealt with by the Germans. Because of the numbers involved, it probably depended primarily on whether they looked Jewish and wheter or not thy were circumsized. We suspect that men who surrendered in small groups were most in danger. Many Red Army soldiers who looked looked Jewish were summarily shot at this point under the authority of the Whermacht standing orders. This was what had occured to some extent in Poland. [Krakowski, p. 300.] There were, however, massive surrenders of whole Army Groups. We do not know just how strongly thec Whermacht attempted to separate the Jews from other Red Army soldiers. We know that in some cases it was done immediately even before they reached POW camps because we photographs of groups of Jewish POWs. How this was done we are not sure. The Germans may have simply asked who was Jewish. We do not know how many voluntarily came forward. Undoubtedly many had the good sence to remain silent. Of course a person's phsical appearance was a factor. Many looked obviously Jewish. But one of the problems the Germans found after seizing power in Germany is that many Jews did not look particularly what might be called Jewish. Another factor were names. Many Jews could be identified through their names. And a phyical examination would reveal who was circumsized. Soviet POWs considered to be commissars along with all Jewish POWs were to handed over to the Einsatzgruppen to be shot. [Förster, p. 504.] The Wehrmacht turned over an estimated 0.6 million Soviet POWs to the SS during July–October 1941 to SS custody so they could be shot. [Förster, p. 504.] This would have included both individuals thst had been identified as Commisars or Jews. We know that not all Jewish POWs were shot immediately, because some were usec in work brigades. Polish Jewish POWs that had been formed into a labor brigade were, for example to construct the Majdanek concentration camp. This was before the mass killing had begun in earnest. We are not sure if labor brigades were formed weith Soviet Jewish POWs. Again we do not know what happened in the camps. Did other POWs turn in their Jewish comrads? The conditiions were so bad that the POWs died in large numbers. The Germans may have felt there was no imperative to separate the Jews. We believe, however, that efforts were made. We are not sure yet just what happened to the men identified as Jewish. We do know that virtually no Soviet POW identified as Jewish by the Germans.

Jewish POWs

Germany during World War II captured about about 5 million Red Army soldiers. Only about 40 percent survived the horrendous conditions in German POW, labor and concentration camps--especially the notiorious Russenlarger. One estimate suggests that 0.1-0.2 million Soviet POWs taken by the Germans were Jewish. That is probably a low estimate. Virtually none survived German captivity. The 0.1-0.2 million estimare is probably low. As a result of Soviet atheist campaigns, most were non-practicing Jews. There were also quite a number of individuals with mixed Jewish and non-Jewish ancestors, what the Germans would call Mischings. We are not entirely sure how Mischlings they were dealt with by the Germans. Because of the numbers involved, it probably depended primarily on whether they looked Jewish and wether or not they were circumsized. We suspect that men who surrendered in small groups were most in danger. Many Red Army soldiers who looked looked Jewish or admitted to be Jewish were shot at this point. The Germans set up a pricess for identiftying Jews in the mass syrrenders occurung during Brbarossa.

Front Line Small Group Surrenders

Many Red Army Jews were summarily shot as soon as they were taken prisoner under the authority of the Whermacht standing orders. This was what had occured to some extent in Poland. [Krakowski, p. 300.] The thrust of the Whermacht standing orders was to elinate the politican commisars in the Red Army These were political officers that theoretically were there to promote Communist ideology and to identify any soldiers who were potential threats. In Hitler's mind and thus to committed NAZIs, Jews were a major part of the Bolshevik menace. (Of course this did not stop Propaganda Minister Goebbels from pressing the idea that in America and Britain they were part of the capitalist monied interests.) Thus killing Jews was not materially different than killing the Commisars. We are unsure to what extent these summary execution took place at the frontline or in rear areas while there were still relatively small numbers of prisoners. Many wre conducted by the Wehrmact and not the Einsatzgruppen. We are also unsure just how the executions took place. The bodies were presumably burried. Just who dug the graves we are unsure.

Mass Surrenders

The Germans during Barbaross managed to cutoff and surrond major Red Army formations. The Germans took massive numbers of Soviet POWs. There were 11 major encirclement operations (kessels/cauldrons) and many more smaller operations. There were mass surrenders of whole Army Groups. Over 0.6 million Red Army soldiers were captured at Kiev alone (September 1941). We know that the Germans attempted to separate the Jews from other Red Army soldiers. We are unsure, however, about just how this was done, although we have begun to piece together some details.

Transit camps

The Red Army prisoners were were processed by German troops whose principal task was to make sure they did not have any weapons. Another priority task was to separate Jews from the other POWs. We know that was done immediately before they reached POW camps because we note photographs of groups of Jewish POWs. Precisely how this was done we are not yet sure. The Germans may have simply asked who was Jewish. We do not know how many voluntarily came forward. We do not know what the Red Army soldiers were old about the Germans before Barbarossa. We suspect anti-Semitsm was not emphasized. Undoubtedly many had the good sence to remain silent. Of course a person's phsical appearance was a factor. Many looked obviously Jewish. But one of the problems the Germans found after seizing power in Germany is that many Jews did not look particularly what might be called Jewish. Another factor were names. Many Jews could be identified through their names. And a physical examination would reveal who was circumsized. This process was called Aussonderungsaktionen (weeding-out programs). The Germans were not only after Jews, but also Communist Party and state officials, commissars, academicians, and other 'undesirable' or individuals considered dangerous that had survived the initial Commissar Order selections. Here we are not sure who cinducted this weeding out. We do not know if it was done entirely by Wehrmacht officers or if G=security personnel were involved. Soviet POWs considered to be commissars along with all Jewish POWs were to handed over to the Einsatzgruppen murder squads to be shot. [Förster, p. 504.] The Wehrmacht turned over an estimated 0.6 million Soviet POWs to the SS during July–October 1941 to SS custody so they could be shot. [Förster, p. 504.] This would be over 10 percent of total Soviet POWs. This would have included both individuals that had been identified as Commisars or Jews. Some Soviet POWs, including Jewish POWs, were also sent to concentation camps including some of the death camps. We are sure how the decesions were made as to these different destinations. Virtually all of these men perished.

POW Camps

The POWs were the responsibility of the Wehrmacht whose priority was to move east as rapidly as possible. The Soviet POWs were processed, guarded, force marched, or transported in open rail carsv if available. Caring for these men would have strained the capacity of any country even if they were committed to humanitarian care and the Germans were not. Existing POW camps in the Reich were not capable of handling the numbers involved and NAZI officials did not want to bring the Soviet POWS into the Reich. New camps were rapidly established to secure the Soviet POWS. They were called Russenlager. The POWs were croded into these camps which had virtually no facilities except a perimeter fence and watch towers with machine guns. The Russenlagers were often simply open fields with no housing of any kind except for the guards. The men began digging holes in the ground for shelter. Beatings and other abuse by the guards were repotedly common. Only minimal food was provided. Most men got only a few hundred calories daily. No medical supplies were provided. Hitler personally rejectef a Red Cross offere of assistance (1941). [Nor] Most of the Red Army prisoners were taken in the first monts of Barbarossa (June-September). Thus most were wearing light clothing when taken into captivity. Relatively few had overcoats. And those who did have overcoats had them taken away. We think this was primarily done to make sure they were noy hiding weapons or valuables, but we are not positive about this. Wht ever the reason, it mean that few Soviet POWs had warm clothing when the cold weather began. And because the Germans often did not provide any kind of shelter for Soviet POWs or adequate food, they began dieing in large numbers because of both exposure to the weather and because the men were already weakened by the starvation ration. As the war progressed, Soviet POWs did appear in established POW camps in the Reich. They were, however, kept separated from other POWs and treated differently, in particular they were provided lower food rations. The Germans conducted further selections at the POW camps. We know that not all Jewish POWs were shot immediately, because some were usec in work brigades. Polish Jewish POWs that had been formed into a labor brigade were, for example to construct the Majdanek concentration camp. This was before the mass killing had begun in earnest. We are not sure if labor brigades were formed with Soviet Jewish POWs. But this is likely. Again we do not know what happened in the camps. Did other POWs turn in their Jewish comrads? The conditiions were so bad that the POWs died in large numbers. The Germans may have felt there was no imperative to separate the Jews. We believe, however, that efforts were made. And most of the Jews were probably identified before reaching the POW camps. Any Jews found at the camps were presumably turned over to SS custody, but we are unsurec an=boiut the process and the number of individuals involved. A factor here is that conditions in the Russenlager were for the most part worse than in the cioncentration camps, other than the death camps. This changed when because of battlefielkd losses and labor shortages, Hitler relented and conditiins for the Soviet POWs wre upgraded somewht (1942).

Sources

Förster, Jürgen. "The Wehrmacht and the War of Extermination Against the Soviet Union," (pp. 492-520) in Michael Marrus. The Nazi Holocaust Part 3 The "Final Solution": The Implementation of Mass Murder Volume 2. (Westpoint, CT: Meckler Press, 1989).

Krakowski, S. "The Fate of Jewish Prisoners of War in the September 1939 Campaign," YVS (1977) vol. 12.

Nor, Jonathan. "Soviet Prisoners of War: Forgotten Nazi Victims of World War II" TheHistoryNet.

Weingartner, James. "War against subhumans: comparisons between the German War against the Soviet Union and the American war against Japan, 1941-1945" March 22, 1996.

"Case Study: Soviet Prisoners-of-War (POWs), 1941-42". Gendercide Watch.

Created: 9:14 PM 10/23/2011
Last updated: 5:51 AM 12/28/2011