Orel military commandant general Hamann: how to build a «new Europe» on russian soil

Abstract

The purpose of the article is to analyze some materials from the criminal case of the military commandant of Orel, General Adolf Hamann. Economic departments and teams did not cover all settlements in the occupied territory of our country. In some agricultural areas, the functions of these bodies were performed by local military commandant's offices. They were organized by the headquarters of the operating units. During the first period of occupation, local commandant's offices exercised administrative control and organized the fight against Soviet resistance. They identified communists and Jews among the local population. To simplify the management process, they appointed village elders and burgomasters, organized auxiliary police units and separate civil administrative departments. Commandant's offices in cities were headed by senior officers, and in the largest of them – by generals. For example, General Hamann was appointed commandant of Orel. The commandant's office maintained close contact with the Gestapo and included an intelligence net work. Separately, they organized premises for those arrested and a team to protect them. Some commandant's offices had departments: military, police and punitive detachments, agricultural, transport, registration of the population, prisoners of war affairs and financial unit, etc. And even with such an organization, the German policy aimed at the decomposition of the Russian population by intimidation or providing them with any economic handouts in tax collection failed. The Soviet resistance, with the support of the majority of residents of Russian occupied regions disrupted the invaders’ plans. Various methodologies and approaches are used in the research. The goal of the bibliographic method is to consider the life and work of Orel military commandant General Adolf Hamann. Comparing different approaches and views helps to identify various features of a «New Europe» within the political and military context. Analyzing documents, speeches, and other archival materials related to Hamann's activities reveals his strategies, goals, and influence over the modern political space. Due to the new archival materials, the author clarifies the details of the verdict in the case of Nazi troops’ atrocities in Orel, Bryansk and Bobruisk regions during the occupation. Adolf Hamann became the symbol of Nazi regime crimes committing against the Soviet people. He was captured by the Red Army near Bobruisk at the end of June 1944. The director of the documentary «Escorting German Prisoners of War Through Moscow» described him as: « The former commandant of Orel, the commandant of Bobruisk Major General Adolf Hamann is an executioner and a murderer! Tens of thousands of Soviet people became victims of his atrocities! ». At the same time, Hamann tried to avoid punishment in every possible way. He did not answer the Chekists’ questions. He explained that the executions were carried out in Orel in order to fight criminals. Adolf Hamann was hanged under the Soviet court sentence in December 1945 in Bryansk.