TRANSLATION OF DOCUMENT 447-PS Source: Nazi Conspiracy and Aggression, Vol. III. USGPO, Washington, 1946, pp.409-413Order #21Signed By Keitel Concerning Jurisdiction of Military, SS, and Police Forces During Barbarossa TOP SECRET Top Secret Only thru officer OKW Armed Forces Operational Staff Section L (IV/ Qu) 44125/ 41 Top Secret Fuehrer Hq, 13 March 1941 5 copies, 4th copy Subject: Armed Forces Operational Staff/ Section L( I) #33408/ 40. Top Secret. 18 December 1940 Directives for Special Areas to Order #21 (Case Barbarossa) I. Area of operations and executive power 1. The authorization to issue orders and the regulations regarding supply for an area of operations within the armed forces shall be set up by the High Command of the Armed Forces in East Prussia and in the General Gouvernement at
the latest four weeks before operations are started. The proposal by
the High Command of the Army (OKH) is being made in time, after an
agreement with the Commander of the Luftwaffe (Ob. d. L.) has been
reached. It is not contemplated to declare East Prussia and the General Gouvernement an area of operations. However,
in accordance with the unpublished Fuehrer orders from 19 and 21
October 1939, the Supreme Commander of the Army shall be authorized to
take all measures necessary for the execution of his military aim and
for the safeguarding of the troops. He may transfer his authority onto
the Supreme Commander of the Army Groups and Armies. Orders of that
kind have priority over all orders issued by civilian agencies. 2. The Russian territory which is to be occupied shall be divided up into individual states with governments of their own, according to special orders, as soon as military operations are concluded. From this the following is inferred: a. The area of operations, created
through the advance of the Army beyond the frontiers of the Reich and
the neighboring countries is to be limited in depth as far as possible.
The Supreme Commander of the Army has the right to exercise the
executive power in this area, and may transfer his authority onto the
Supreme Commanders of the Army Groups and Armies. b. In the area of operations, the Reichsfuehrer SS is, on behalf of the Fuehrer, entrusted with special tasks for the preparation of the political administration, tasks
which result from the struggle which has to be carried out between two
opposing political systems. Within the realm of these tasks, the
Reichsfuehrer SS shall act independently and under his own
responsibility. The executive power invested in the Supreme Commander
of the Army (OKH) and in agencies determined by him shall not be
affected by this. It is the responsibility of the Reichsfuehrer SS that
through the execution of his tasks military operations shall not be
disturbed. Details shall be arranged directly through the OKH with the
Reichsfuehrer SS. c. As soon as the area of operations has reached sufficient depth, it is to be limited in the rear. The newly occupied territory in the rear of the area of operations is to be given its own political administration.
For the present, it is to be divided, according to its genealogic basis
and to the positions of the Army Groups, into North (Baltic countries), Center (White Russia) and South (Ukraine). In these territories the political administration is taken care of by Commissioners of the Reich who receive their orders from the Fuehrer.
3. For the execution of all military tasks within the areas under the political administration in the rear of the area of operations, commanding officers who are responsible to the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces (OKW) shall be in command. The commanding officer is the supreme representative of the Armed Forces in the respective areas and the bearer of the military sovereign rights. He has the tasks of a Territorial Commander and
the rights of a supreme Army Commander or a Commanding General. In this
capacity he is responsible primarily for the following tasks: a. Close cooperation with the Commissioner of the Reich in order to support him in his political task. b. Exploitation of the country and securing its economic values for use by German industry (see par. 4). c. Exploitation of the country for the supply of the troops according to the needs of the OKH. d.
Military security of the whole area, mainly airports, routes of supply
and supply-dumps against revolt, sabotage and enemy paratroops. e. Traffic regulations. f. Billeting for armed forces, police and organizations, and for PW's inasmuch as they remain in the administrative areas.
The commanding officer has the right, as opposed to the civilian agencies,
to issue orders which are necessary for the execution of the military
tasks. His orders supersede all others, also those of the commissioners
of the Reich. Service directives, mobilization orders and directives on the distribution of the necessary forces shall be issued separately. The time for the assumption of command by
the commanding officers will be ordered as soon as the military
situation shall allow a change in the command without disrupting
military operations. Until such time, the agencies set up by the OKH
remain in office, operating according to the principles valid for the
commanding officers. 4. The Fuehrer has entrusted the uniform direction of the administration of economy in the area of operations and in the territories of political administration to the Reich Marshal who has delegated the Chief of the "Wi Rue Amt" with the execution of the task. Special orders on that will come from the OKW/ Wi Rue Amt. 5. The majority of the Police Forces shall
be under the jurisdiction of the Commissioners of the Reich. Requests
for the employment of police forces in the area of operations on the
part of the OKH are to be made as early as possible to the OKW/ Armed
Forces Operational Staff/ Section Defense. 6. The behavior of the troops towards the population and the tasks of the military courts shall be separately regulated, and commanded. II. Personnel, Supply and Communication Traffic: 7. Special orders shall be issued by the OKW Armed Forces Operational Staff for the measures necessary before the beginning of operations for the restriction of travel, delivery of goods and communications to Russia. 8. As soon as operations begin, the
German-Soviet Russian frontier and at a later stage the border at the
rear of the area of operations will be closed by the OKH for any and
all non-military traffic with the exception of the police organizations
to be deployed by the Reichsfuehrer SS on the Fuehrer's orders.
Billeting and feeding of these organizations will be taken care of by
the OKH-Gen. Qu. who may for this purpose request from the
Reichsfuehrer SS the assignment of liaison officers. The border
shall remain closed also for leading personalities of the highest
government agencies and agencies of the Party. The OKW/ Armed Forces
Operational Staff shall inform the highest government and Party
agencies of this fact. The Supreme Commander of the Army and the
agencies under him shall decide on exceptions. Except for the
special regulations appIying to the police organizations of the
Reichsfuehrer SS, applications for entrance-permits must be submitted
to the Supreme Commander of the Army exclusively. III. Regulations regarding Rumania, Slovakia, Hungary and Finland. 9. The
necessary arrangements with these countries shall be made by the OKW,
together with the Foreign Office, and according to the wishes of the
respective high commands. In case it should become necessary during the
course of the operations to grant special rights, applications for this
purpose are to be submitted to the OKW. 10. Police measures for
the protection of the troops are permitted, independently from the
granting of special rights. Further orders in this shall be issued
later. 11. Special orders shall be issued at a later date for the territories of these countries, on the following subjects: Procurement of food and feed. Housing and machinery. Purchase and the shipment of merchandise. Procurement of funds and wage-control. Salaries. Request for indemnity-payments. Postal and telegraph services. Traffic. Jurisdiction. Requests of units of the Armed Forces and agencies of the OKW from the respective governments regarding these subjects, are to be submitted to the OKW/ Armed Forces Operational Staff/ Section Defense not later than 27 March 1941. IV. Directives regarding Sweden. 12. Since Sweden can only
become a transient-area for troops, no special authority is to be
granted the commander of the German troops. However, he is entitled and
compelled to secure the immediate protection of RR-transports against
sabotage and attacks. The Chief of the High Command of the Armed Forces Signed : KEITEL Distribution: OKH-1st copy. OKM-2nd copy. R. d. L. u. O. K. L.-3rd copy. Armed Forces Operational Staff-4th copy. Section L-5th copy. |