An Illustrated Dictionary of the Third Reich Sample file This page intentionally left blank Sample file An Illustrated Dictionary of the Third Reich JEAN-DENIS G.G. LEPAGE Sample file McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers Jefferson, North Carolina LIBRARY OF CONGRESS CATALOGUING-IN-PUBLICATION DATA Lepage, Jean-Denis. An illustrated history of the Third Reich / Jean-Denis G.G. Lepage. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 978-0-7864-7372-4 softcover : acid free paper♾ 1. Germany—History—1933–1945—Dictionaries. 2. National socialism—Dictionaries. 3. Hitler, Adolf, 1889–1945—Dictionaries. 4. World War, 1939–1945—Dictionaries. I. Title. DD256.47.L47 2014 943.08603—dc23 2013044278 BRITISH LIBRARY CATALOGUING DATA ARE AVAILABLE © 2014 Jean-Denis G.G. Lepage. All rights reserved Sample file No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying or recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. On the cover: clockwise from top center Sperrballone—barrage balloon; Balkenkreuz—emblem of the World War II German Armed Forces (thick version); SS Dagger; “Gott mit Uns” Gürtelschnalle—“God with us” belt buckle; Parabellum M08 Luger pistol; Afrikakorps Ein- heitsfeldmütze—standard field cap; Armbinde—armband; The PzKpfw VI (SdKfz 181)—German World War II tank; Panzerkampfwagen (PzKfw)—armored fighting tank; handgranaten—hand grenades; Emblem of Thule Gesellschaft— Thule Society; Bandenkampfabzeichen—Anti-Partisan Guerrilla Warfare Badge; Rocket A-4/V-2—bullet-shaped rocket; Balkenkreuz (thin version) (illustrations by the author) Manufactured in the United States of America McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers Box 611, Jefferson, North Carolina 28640 www.mcfarlandpub.com TABLE OF CONTENTS Acknowledgments vi Introduction 1 The Dictionary 3 Chronology 207 Bibliography 213 SampleIndex file 215 v ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The author would like to express his gratitude to Jean- nette à Stuling from Rottevalle, Eltjo J. de Lang, Ben van Luik and Ben Marcarto, as well as Michèl e Clermont from Groningen; and Jan à Stuling from Lelystad (the Nether- lands); to Anne Chauvel and Anouk Splash from Aix-en- Provence, Simone and Bernard Lepage from Piré-sur- Seiche, Antoinette Lapaux and Nicole Genessey from Sainte-Hélène- du Lac (France); and Peter de Laet from Kapelle (Belgium) for their friendly help, advice and competent historical col- laboration. Sample file vi INTRODUCTION This dictionary’s purpose is to give a sions have been deliberately re jected, and basic source of information on the Third those selected have sometimes been subjected Reich era by listing some German terms con- to restraints. It is nevertheless hoped that all nected to Nazism and the Second World major and most important terms have been War. It includes ranks, badges, insignia, included. There is also a chronology from regalia, medals, flags and banners, weapons, 1918 until 1949, and a bibliography. uniforms, equipment, vehicles, fortifications, This book is intended for students and airplanes, battleships, main Nazi concepts any general and curious reader with an inter- and organization, slogans, sayings, code est in the period 1919–1945. The emphasis is names, nicknames, slang words, some places on an effort to achieve a more precise under- of importance, important events and battles, standing of the events of this period. treaties and alliances, industry and econom- Compiling or estimating the numbers ics, justice, art, religion, education, political of deaths caused during wars and other vio- parties, newspapers, Nazi Party formations lent conflicts is always a controversial subject. and associations, laws passed, institu tions, Historians often put forward many different and short biographies of the main Nazi lead- estimates of the numbers killed during World ers. To make the rise of Nazism comprehen- War II. The distinction between military and sible, aspects of the Weimar RepublicSample have civilian file casualties caused directly by warfare also been considered. As for Adolf Hitler, the and collateral damage is not always clear. For Führer of the Third Reich, there is a general nations that suffered huge losses, such as the discussion in the entry under his name leav- Soviet Union, China, Poland, Germany and ing readers to pursue specific interests Yugoslavia, sources can give only the total through related entries in the book. In all esti mated population loss caused by the war, there are 1,650 entries alphabetically sorted. and a rough estimate of the breakdown of Each entry includes the German term, its deaths caused by military activity, crimes abbreviation if appropriate, its English trans- against humanity and war- related famine. lation, if needed a few words of explanation What is certain is that World War II was the and—for certain important subjects—a deadliest military conflict in history. More longer article. To enhance comprehension than 60 million people were killed, represent- some entries are further explained by an illus- ing more than 2.5 percent of the world pop- tration. The aim is thus to provide a reference ulation. framework, but a vigorous selection has obvi- It is always risky and highly sensitive to ously been required to keep this book to a write about World War II—and especially reasonable length. Some terms and expres- Nazism— because of the many and passionate 1 Introduction 2 moral, human, racial, political and ideologi- for Nazism, justify Nazi crimes, or encourage cal issues. This is still the case in Europe any form of neo–Nazism. This book is thus today, where countless people have suffered, a historical study of what Nazism was, how and where World War II has left a lot of it was organized, and how it functioned, wounds that are far from being totally healed. without forgetting all the suffering it brought The author makes no attempt to apologize to much of humanity. Sample file T HE D ICTIONARY AA. See Agrarpolitischer Apparat. by captain (later admiral) Wilhelm Franz Ca- naris (q.v.), and became a part of the OKW— AA Line. The establishment of the Ark han - Ober kommando der Wehrmacht (q.v.)—in gelsk- Astrakhan Line was the military goal of op- 1938. During the period 1935–1944, the Abwehr, eration Barbarossa (q.v.). All territories within a military rather than a Nazi organization, at- that line that stretched from the White Sea in tracted non– and anti–Nazi opponents, and pro- northern Russia to the Caspian Sea in the south moted a number of resistance activities. Besides, were to be Germanized according to the Gener- it was in constant rivalry with the SS security alplan Ost (q.v.). See Lebensraum and Ostwall. service Sicherheitsdienst des Reichsführer SS AB Aktion. See Ausserordentliche Befried ung - (q.v.), and as a result its functions were heavily saktion. eroded by the SS. The involvement of some of Abetz, Otto (1903–1958). German ambassador its members in a conspiracy against the Nazi to the Vichy French government between 1940 regime contributed to its downfall. In February and 1944. He was responsible for SD (q.v.) op- 1944, Canaris was arrested and later executed as erations throughout France and initiated anti– a traitor. The Abwehr was in disgrace. The in- Jewish drives. Abetz was sentenced toSample 20 years’ telligence file service was absorbed and put under imprisonment in July 1949 as a war criminal. He the command of Himmler’s SS, and formally dis- was released in 1958, and his death in that year solved. in a motor crash was believed to be a retaliation Abwehrpolizei. Counter-espionage police, part action by former members of the French Resist- of the Grenzpolizei (border police) controlled ance. by the Gestapo (q.v.). Abschnitt (Abschn.). Sector or regional subdi- Abzeichen. Insignia, specialty badge, distinctive vision. Also a military unit, often of regimental sign or decoration. A specialty is an activity, a size, occupying a border sector. trade or a job at which the person who carries it Abteilung (Abt). Branch, section or subdivision out is particularly proficient. The specialist, who of a main department or office. Also a military attended a special course or school, was distin- unit, generally of battalion strength. guished by a badge generally worn on the right forearm or on the lower right sleeve of the tunic. Abwehr. Espionage, counter-espionage, disin- The specialty was indicated by an embroidered formation, subversion and sabotage service of or woven yellow symbol (or a Gothic letter) on the Ger man high command. The service was cre- a dark green round or oval cloth background. ated in 1919 to be Germany’s defense against for- eign espionage. In 1935, the Abwehr was headed Abzeichentuch. Cloth badge. 3 Achse 4 Achse, Achenmächte. The Rome-Axis- Ber - in February 1937. The Admiral Hipper saw a sig- lin—a term popularized by the Italian dictator nificant amount of action during the war. She was Benito Mussolini (q.v.) to illustrate the Italian- scuttled in May 1945 and scrapped after the war. German military collaboration. The idea of the Admiral Scheer. A Deutschland- class Panzer- Axis was born in autumn 1935, and was secured schiff, or heavy cruiser (often termed a pocket by treaties: the Axis pact in 1936, the anti–Kom- battleship), named after Admiral Reinhard Scheer, internpakt in 1937, the Stahlpakt in May 1939 German commander in the Battle of Jutland in and the Dreimäch te pakt in 1940. The Axis also 1916. She was laid down at the Reichsmarine - included Japan, but Germany and Japan did not werft shipyard in Wilhelmshaven in June 1931, coordinate their war operations, nor share infor- and completed by November 1934. She was sunk mation, nor help each other in any substantial by bombs in April 1945. material way. Achselband. Aiguillette or lanyard, a looped or- namental cord worn from the right shoulder by high- ranking officers.