THE LAST DITCH: AN ORGANIZATIONAL HISTORY OF THE NAZI WERWOLF MOVEMENT, 1944-45 by Perry Biddiscombe,B.A., M.A. (New Brunswick) Submitted in Partial Fulfilment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy at THE LONDON SCHOOL OF ECONOMICS UNIVERSITY OF LONDON UMI Number: U615731 All rights reserved INFORMATION TO ALL USERS The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. In the unlikely event that the author did not send a complete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. Dissertation Publishing UMI U615731 Published by ProQuest LLC 2014. Copyright in the Dissertation held by the Author. Microform Edition © ProQuest LLC. All rights reserved. This work is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code. ProQuest LLC 789 East Eisenhower Parkway P.O. Box 1346 Ann Arbor, Ml 48106-1346 1h e s £S- r. 3733 . lOg&et+a. 2 TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS FOREIGN TERMS, ACRONYMS, AND ABBREVIATIONS TABLE OF OFFICER RANKS CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION: THE WERWOLF MOVEMENT AS A RESEARCH TOPIC II THE PREHISTORY OF THE WERWOLF: A BRIEF REVIEW OF GUERRILLA WARFARE AND TERRORISM IN GERMANY III UNTERNEHMEN WERWOLF: THE SS/HJ DIVERSIONARY ORGANIZATION IV THE RSHA AND THE WERWOLF V THE "PEOPLE'S WAR": THE PARTY AND THE WERWOLF VI CONCLUSION: CONSEQUENCES AND SIGNIFICANCE OF THE WERWOLF CHART I UNTERNEHMEN ZEPPELIN, EARLY 1944 II DIENSTELLE PRUTZMANN III HSSPFs IN THE GREATER REICH, AUTUMN 1944 IV THE SS-POLICE COMMAND STRUCTURE V AN EXAMPLE OF REGIONAL WERWOLF ORGANIZATION — THE WERWOLF STAFF OF HSSPF GUTENBERGER (WEHRKREIS VI) VI THE SS-JAGDVERBANDE 3 CHART VII KAMPFGESCHWADER 200 VIII AN EXAMPLE OF REGIONAL JAGDVERBAND ORGANIZATION — JAGDVERBAND SUDWEST IX AN EXAMPLE OF A GERMAN-ORGANIZED RESISTANCE MOVEMENT — THE "CENTRAL OFFICE FOR THE AKTION IN RUMANIA" X THE VOLKSSTURM BIBLIOGRAPHY Abstract Near the end of World War Two, a National Socialist resistance movement briefly flickered to life in Germany and its borderlands. Dedicated to delaying the advance of the victorious Allies and Soviets, this guerrilla movement, the Werwolf, succeeded in scattered acts of sabotage and violence, and also began to assume the character of a vengeful Nazi reaction against the German populace itself; collaborators and "defeatists" were assassinated, and crude posters warned the population that certain death was the penalty for failure to resist the enemy. Participation in "scorched earth" measures gave the movement an almost Luddite character. In the final analysis, however, the Werwolf failed because of two basic weaknesses which undercut the movement. First, it lacked popular appeal, which doomed guerrillas and fanatic resisters to a difficult life on the margins of their own society? such an existence was simply not feasible in a country heavily occupied by enemy military forces. Second, the Werwolf was poorly organized, and showed all the signs of internal confusion that have been identified by the so-called "functionalist" school of German historiography. In fact, confusion and barbarism became worse as the bonds of military success which had united the Reich began to loosen and unravel? the Werwolf can perhaps serve as the ultimate construct in the "functionalist" model of the Third Reich. Although it failed, the Werwolf did have some permanent significance. While it is a classic example of guerrilla warfare gone wrong, the mere fact that it was active also caused a reaction among Germany*s enemies. The Western Allies altered their own military and political policies to allow for extermination of the Werwolf threat, and it is likely that immediate security considerations also influenced the direction of Soviet policies in Germany. 6 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT First of all, I want to express my deepest appreciation to my supervisor, Prof. D.C. Watt. On many occasions, when the path seemed lost, Prof. Watt kept me on course and provided a sense of direction for my work. I also found inspiration in his excellent scholarship, and I hope that this work fully meets the high standards that he has always set for himself and his students. I would also like to thank the many librarians and archivists who helped me, particularly Dr. Wolfe, Mr. Taylor, Mr. Reese, and Mrs. Marks, all at the National Archives, M. Hepp at the French Military Archives, Dr. Warner at the Bundesarchiv. and Dr. Ringsdorf at the Bundesmilitararchiv. Prof. Nish, of the London School of Economics, kindly pointed me toward the Bramstedt Collection in the Robbins Library, while Prof. Erickson, of the University of Edinburgh, helped me with sources on the Eastern Front. Lord Noel Annan, Sir Robbin Brook, Sir Edgar Williams, Mr. Yevhen Shtendura, and Mr. Lev Kopelev, all provided me with their reminiscences, either in interviews or by letter, for which I am also grateful. My thanks are due also to the German Historical Institute, London, and to the Central Research Fund of the University of London, who provided the generous funding for my research trips to Germany and France. I am grateful as well for the work done by Mrs. Margaret Pirie, of Fredericton, N.B., who diligently typed her way through reams of material and word- processed the final draft. Finally, I want to express my gratitude and love to my family, particularly my mother, my grandmother, and my son Sandy. Most of all, I want to thank my wife, Sharon, who has helped in the preparation of my bibliography and has patiently supported me through a long and sometimes trying exercise. Foreign Terms, Acronyms, and Abbreviations Abschnitt — Section Abschnittsleiter Section Leader Abwehr German Military Intelligence Aktion Bundschuh — a Secret Police resistance group Alpenvorland Alpine foothills "alte Kampfer" — "Old Fighters," veterans of the Nazi struggle for power Amt — Department Amtschef — Department Head Amt III Internal Sicherdienst. third Department of the RSHA. Amt VI External Sicherdienst. sixth Department of the RSHA Amt IV the Gestapo. fourth Department of the RSHA Anlaufstelle secret contact points antifa Anti-Fascist Committee Armiia Kraiowa (AK) Polish Home Army Ausmus t i erunas cia Military demobilization papers Bataillon Battalion Baurnkriea Peasant's War Beauftraater fur den Westwallbau — Representative for Westwall Construction Befehlshaber des Sicherheitspolizei (BdS) — Commander of the Sicherheitspolizei Brieftaube "Carrier Pigion," the communications center of Schutzkorps Alpenland Bund Wehrwolf Interwar German political a n d terrorist organization Buraerkrieastruppe "Civil War Troop" Biiraermeister mayor Deutsche Arbeitsfront (DAF) German Labour Front Deutsche Freiheits und Friedensbeweaunq (DFFB) — "German Freedom and Peace Movement," a postwar resistance group Deutsche Revolution "German Revolution," a loose-knit postwar resistance movement Deutsche Widerstandsbeweauna SS — "German Resistance Movement - SS," a postwar resistance group Deutschlandsender — German Radio Dienstelle Priitzmann Headquarters Staff of the Werwolf Dienstelle 2000 Sicherdienst Office for sabotage and espionage in the Balkans Deuxieme Bureau French Intelligence Edelweiss Piraten dissident youth gangs 9 Einsatz action Einsatzbataillonen Mobile "Action Battallions" of the Volkssturm Einsatzqruppe "Action Group," often a SS unit used to wipe-out Jews and political opponents Elsa a Secret Police resistance group Entlassunastelle Demobilization Centers Erqanzunastelle Recruiting Centers Feldiager Field Rangers Feldi aqerdienst Field Ranger Service Freibattaillone "Free Batallions," Seven Years War Freies Deutschland Soviet-sponsored "Free Germany" movement Freiheitskampfer "Freedom Fighters" Freikorps "Free Corps," mainly from the 1813-14 and 1919-20 periods Freikorpsmanner members of a Freikorps Freikorps "Adolf Hitler" (FAH) — "elite" Party militia Freikorps "Bohmen" — Bohemian subsection of Freikorps "Adolf Hitler" Freikorps "Frankreich" — Freikorps supposedly formed by German stragglers in France Freikorps "Sauerland" — a local Freikorps in the 10 eastern Ruhr Freischofen jury and executioners of Vehme sentences Freiwilliae Jagerschar Post-WWI Freikorps. predecessor to the Bund Wehrwolf Fremde Heere Ost (FHO) High Command Intelligence on the Eastern Front Frontaufklarunq (FAK) Front Reconnaissance Fiihrerreserven Fuhrer Reserves Gaue Nazi Party administrative regions Gauleiter local Nazi chieftains Gebirasiaqer mountain troops Geheimstaatspolizei (Gestapo) — Secret Police General Inspekteur fur Spezialabwehr — Chief of the Werwolf Gruppe Group Gruppenleiter Group Leader Heeresschule Army Schools Heereswaffenamt Army Ordinance Department Heereswaf fenschulen Army Weapons Schools Heimatschutz local Home Guard Hitler Juqend (HJ) Hitler Youth HJ-Beauftraqter der Reichsiuqendfuhrung — Hitler Juqend Representative at Dienstelle Prutzmann 11 Hohere SS- und Polizeifiihrer — Higher SS and Police Leaders Ideentraaer "Bearers of the Idea" Jaadeinsatz individual Jaadverband company J aadkommando individual Jaadverband platoon J aadverbande "Hunting Units," SS commando formations Jaaerkorps Ranger Corps, 1814 Junkerschule elite Nazi Party schools K-Staffel HSSPF Motor Pools Kameradenschaft — postwar Nazi organization and mutual aid society Kampfaeschwader 200 — Luftwaffe special forces unit Kampfaruppe Battle Group Kampfpatrouillen "Battle Patrols" of the Feldi aaerdienst Kampfzeit "Time of Struggle," Nazi terra for the pre-1933 period Kennkarte Identification papers Kleinkriea "Small Warfare,"