Wehrmacht World War II Standing Orders: The Commisar Order (June 6, 1941)


Figure 1.--Here soon after being captured, a Red Army soldier is coopertingwith the Germans ans pointing out the Commisars, political officers. This was difficult to do because the soldiers removed insignias from their uniforms. After being identified, the Germans sumarily shot them. It is difficult to know why this soldier is coopeating with the Germans. The Commisars were not popular with the troops, but more must be involved here. It could be that he is seking bettr treatment. Probably more likely is that he or his family has been mistreated in some way by the Coomunist regime. He looks somewhat like a Tartar and they were abused by Soviet authoritie. The photograph is undated, but we would guess was taken about November 1941.

The Commissar order issued a month after the Barbarossa order went much further. The Barbarossa Order was directed at civilians who resisted or were preceived as resisting. Civilians under international law were not susosed to fire on soldiers. The Commissar Order was very different. It was directed at soldiers who had surrenderd and were in German custody. This was muder pure and simple and a violation of international law. Hitler wanted Communist Party officials killed outright. Thus the Whermacht and SS and were ordered to execute captured Red Army Army commisars (political officers) (June 6). The Commissar Order was entitled, "Guidelines for the Treatment of Political Commissars". It read, "In the battle against Bolshevism, the adherence of the enemy to the principles of humanity or international law is not to be counted on. In particular the treatment of those of us who are taken prisoner in a manner full of hatred, cruelty and inhumanity can be expected from the political commissars of every kind as the real pillars of opposition. The troops must be aware that: 1. In this battle mercy or considerations of international law with regard to these elements is false. They are a danger to our own safety and to the rapid pacification of the conquered territories. 2. The originators of barbaric, Asiatic methods of warfare are the political commissars. So immediate and unhesitatingly severe measures must be undertaken against them. They are therefore, when captured either in battle or offering resistance, as a matter of routine to be dispatched by firearms. The following provisions also apply: 2. ...Political commissars as agents of the enemy troops are recognizable from their special badge—a red star with a golden woven hammer and sickle on the sleeves.... They are to be separated from the prisoners of war immediately, i.e. already on the battlefield. This is necessary, in order to remove from them any possibility of influencing the captured soldiers. These commissars are not to be recognized as soldiers; the protection due to prisoners of war under international law does not apply to them. When they have been separated, they are to be finished off. 3. Political commissars who have not made themselves guilty of any enemy action nor are suspected of such should be left unmolested for the time being. It will only be possible after further penetration of the country to decide whether remaining functionaries may be left in place or are to be handed over to the Sonderkommandos. The aim should be for the latter to carry out the assessment. In judging the question "guilty or not guilty", the personal impression of the attitude and bearing of the commissar should as a matter of principle count for more than the facts of the case which it may not be possible to prove." A few Whermacht officers objected. The Whermach high command obsequiosly complied and issued the orders. [Shephard, p. 53.] The Germans soldiers went further than the actual instructions. Actual Wehrmacht procedures varied. One estemed Soviet author describes a common Wehrmacht practice. A Red Army soldier captured by the Germans described his experience. The Germans captured large numbers of Red Army soldiers. Then they did the following. They separated the officers and political officers from the enlisted soldiers. Then they went along the line of the POWs and separated from them all who looked like Jews. As a result, some Byelorussians who had black hair were separated as possible Jews. Then the Germans shot all those who had been separated (officers, Commissars, Jews, and soldiers that they thought looked like Jews). [Sholokhov] The author does not address just who was doing the selection, but it appears to be Wehrmacht officers, not SS men.

Sources

Shepherd, Ben. War in the Wild East: The German Army and Soviet Partisans (Cambridge, 2004).






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Created: 7:53 PM 6/18/2014
Last updated: 7:54 PM 6/18/2014