German occupation of the Ukraine

Walther von Reichenau, was a particular SOB.

The famous "Reichenau Order" in Ukraine did not help the Germans win over the population there.

Secret Field Marshal v.Reichenau Order Concerning Conduct of Troops in the Eastern Territories, 10 October 1941

 

I would guess that some ukranians welcomed the German troops yes, but a majority hated them. I reccomend watching Apocolypse: The Second World War, it gives very detailed information on the war INCLUDING Operation Barbarossa. It is an amazing documentery that I very strongly reccomend.

 

Food originates from the land, not from storehouses. It is true that Soviets relocated production lines and supplies eastwards, but the fertile soil of Ukraine has remained where it was. Harvest followed shortly after the Germans conquered Ukraine. There was enough food, at least for the survival but Germans did everything they could to cut the supply lines and to take the food either to the Reich or to supply their troops advancing to the East.

That was well planned and pre-mediated mass-murder, by starving civil population to death.

 

I used to work with a guy from the Ukrane. He was a child when the Germans invaded. He said that initially the people in his village welcomed the Germans as liberators, but very quickly realized that they came as brutal conquerors.

 

One of the little remembered “oddities” of the Ukrainian invasion by the Nazis is that they were astounded to find icons in the homes of many locals to the (Nasjonal Samling) Norwegian National Unity Party leader; Vidkun Quisling.

Of course this was because of his humanitarian efforts along with Nansen to alleviate the famine in that area under the League of Nations auspices between 1919 and 1921, not a “love of National Socialism” as an ideology per se.

But that’s ok (sarcasm here boys and girls), they looted, killed and robbed the locals anyway as “policy” since the "Slavs" were untermensch and only fit for slave labor at any rate. A perfect example of how not to win the hearts and minds of the locals.

 

It happened at least in Eastern Karelia. There red army was incapable of evacuating all soviet citizens. However they did have enough time to either evacuate all food stuff or destroy it - and thus leaving the civilians, some 86.000 of them, to starve.

The Finns tried to handle the situation the best they could. Unfortunately there was a major shortage of food also in Finland proper - due to shortage of area for agriculture (the SU had robbed 12 % of it), basic dependance of imported food (now limited), bad harvest and shortage of labour (due to the new war again started by the SU). Although no food from the occupied zone was used for the Finnish army or was exported to the Finland proper, the famine (and the diseases) that followed killed some 3.500 civilians - almost all during autumn 1941-autumn 1942.

After the new harvest in 1942 the situation improved dramatically and the death figures normalized.

To your question: yes, I believe that the intentional actions of the soviet regime caused lots of civilian casualties.

 

I think this may add some fuel to the conversation.
Ukraine 'Death Match' film hits nerve before Euro 2012 - Yahoo! News

 

Not only is this historically inaccurate (the part about SU starting the second war) but completely of topic!

This thread is about the German occupation of Ukraine not the conflict between SU and Finland.

 

Let's just mention some facts about the Ukrainian-German »brotherhood in arms«:
1. Germany was one of the first states that recognized Ukrainian independence in 1918.

2. During 30s the exiled Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists was based in Germany.

3. Ukrainian Sushko Legion joined German forces during occupation of Poland.

4. During the Barbarossa, Abwehr formed Ukrainian »Nachtigall« and »Roland« battalions which later performed »anti-partisan« activities in Byelorussia.

5. After the one year terms of service expired, Ukrainian units refused to re-engage.

6. Sadly, however, many Ukrainians were voluntarily involved in persecution and extermination of Jews.

 

An other one :when the SU invaded eastern Poland,there were in that region anti Polish pogroms by the Ukrainians

 

Point 6 already happened in 1919/1920

 

More points :the Nachtigall and Roland batallions (consisted of Ukrainian nationalists) were raised by the Abwehr;but immediately proved to be out of control : on 30 june 1941,they entered Lemberg (center of Ukrainian nationalism) and,with the enthusiastic approval of the population,they declared the independence of the Ukraine;of course,the SS intervened quickly,and the Ukrainian independence again became a dream .
The relation between the Germans and the Ukrainian nationalists was complex :both used each other and both distrusted each other:the Germans had not forgotten that in the end of 1918,Ukrainian nationalists had killed the German commander in the East,Field Marshall von Eichhorn.Only after Stalingrad did the Germans raise an Ukrainian division(called Galicia,not Ukraine !).In march 1939 (the coup of Prague),the Germans accepted the creation of a Slovakian state,but not the creation of an Ukrainian (mini) state(Ruthania),because,this would be a casus belli for Poland and the SU and could result in an alliance between both.
Last point :the Ukrainian partisans were active till the end of the 1940's,resulting in the disgrace of Stalin's satrap in the Ukraïne:N.Chroetsjov

 

Molotov himself admitted that the SU had started the Continuation War against Finland. I agree.

I answered a straight question made by "Eastern Front" about the soviet style of (not) minding the own citizens. My answer is totally relevant on the topic. You can see the original question on my previous reply nr. 26.

I'm sorry that you don't seem to like my answer...