Garrisoning the Eastern Front.

How exactly did the Germans garrison their territories they captured during Barbarossa? I am interested mostly around the Ukraine and Russian area.

I know that the forward troops had to keep advancing, but surely garrisons would have to be left? I know there were some units that traveled behind the main ones (Einsatzgruppe, some small S.S formations etc), but these were not garrison troops.

I understand there were axillary police units and a militia, but these could not garrison fully, and they were not totally loyal. Surely garrisons would have to be left in the towns to keep out partisans etc, who were in a large number at the time.

And if they were, they must have been a significant number. Would they only be in the big cities, or would they spread out forces into small towns with a few thousand inhabitants?

Thanks guys. I actually have no idea about the strategy used around this time.

 

CC;

The Axis forces in Russia found themselves fighting a two front war (that was caused largely by genocidal NAZI policies);
Rear Area Security in Russia: the ... - Google Books
The Numbers engaged are difficult to access but here is a US Gvt estimation;

To guard their lines of communications in the spring of 1943, the Germans employed about 250,000 men on security missions (150 German security battalions, 90 collaborator battalions, 30 satellite battalions, and more than 50,000 auxiliary police). In addition 10 training and reserve divisions had to be moved from the zone of the interior to Russia, and combat troops (divisions and corps) had to be withdrawn from the front for periods of weeks and even months. Conservative estimates would place German and Axis manpower employed in anti-partisan and security actions at 400,000 men. German commanders estimated that they would have needed twice the number to eliminate the guerrillas.
[Note: This manuscript was prepared during the Korean War by the deployed combat historians assigned to the Military History Section, United States Army Forces, Far East (USAFFE), and forwarded to the Office of the Chief of Military History (now US A

JeffinMNUSA

 

To C-C:
Political governance of capturied territories was carried out on the basis of the plan "Ost". The plan was developed by Alfred Rosenberg on the orders of Hitler. In this regard, with characteristic German thoroughness were all painted in detail. How much and where to remove the local people. How many Germans should move to the occupied territories. What county and districts should be formed. And so.
I think you can find parts of this document in the Internet .
It was envisaged that the control will be performing as governors, as with the help of local residents (especially in the Baltic States and Ukraine), and without them (in Russia). For the protection supposed to involve a small number of troops, consisting mostly of men unfit for military service.

When the Germans encountered resistance of local residents, they were forced to increase the number of troops in the rear. In fairness I would like to note that there was no resistance once and everywhere. In some cases, the first of sabotage perpetrated by special detachments of the Red Army. Germans responded to this terror of local residents. In response, they become avengers. In general it was a usual situation for any war.
And another important point.
The territory of Russia is very big. The war in it walking along and near roads. In Belarus, Ukraine and Russia were so many villages, where residents have not seen any Germans for whole war.
Also I was interested to read memoirs that in the Pskov region came a few German landowners for land development. Brave people, but I think they did not succeed. Although, again, that the program is to liberate their lands and move in by the Germans was developed. Plan "Ost".

By the way, in 1812, when Napoleon invaded Russia and reached Moscow, he did not leave any troops in the rear. Historians say that he hoped that the Russian peasants would be grateful to him for deliverance. But they greeted him with pitchforks and axes.

 

I believe IRu is referring to the General Plan Ost;

Summarised here;

http://histclo.com/essay/war/ww2/leb/east/sov/es-gpe.html
Generalplan Ost - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

and here is the full document of the plan in German if you want to translate it

Der Generalplan Ost

this is not exactly what happened in reality, merely one of the parts of the German Goverment's idea for how to achieve Hitler's goals

 

Thanks for the help guys! This is interesting stuff about a part of the war that is usually forgotten.

 

Yes, I agree with Spartanroller. Plan «Ost» in Russia has been implemented only partially. Events were not develop as expected. But as far as governance and ways to control the occupied territories in 1941-1942, the Germans built them in accordance with this plan, as well as an indication of Hitler from July 17, 1941: "On the civil administration in occupied eastern areas." Although there, there were exceptions, such as the «Republic Lokot», which the Germans helped to create:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lokot_Autonomy