A lot has been written about the large-scale looting of the occupied territories by the Germans during the Great Patriotic War. But archival documents reveal new aspects of this topic to us. They illustrate how systematically and methodically the case of the robbery of the Soviet national economy was organized and how ordinary performers were literally programmed by the leadership of the Third Reich. 

The master plan

In the materials of the International Military Tribunal of 1945, the report of the Extraordinary State Commission for the Establishment and Investigation of the Atrocities of the Nazi invaders "On the material damage caused by the Nazi invaders to state enterprises and institutions, collective farms, public organizations and citizens of the USSR" is presented.  
Citing numerous facts of plundering and destruction of the property of the Soviet state and its citizens, the Commission notes: 

"The Hitlerite government and the German General Staff, even before the outbreak of the war, developed a detailed plan for the attack and defeat of the Soviet Union, as well as the organized robbery of its national economy."

The report contains the contents of a secret German document "Directives on economic management in the newly occupied Eastern regions" (Berlin, June 1941), signed by "Reichsmarschall of the German Empire" Goering. It gives detailed instructions to the German army and German economic institutions on the procedure for the systematic plundering of the property of the Soviet Union and the export of industrial equipment, raw materials, finished products and semi-finished products to Germany. 
"... The Economic Headquarters of the East (Wirtschaftstab OST) is responsible to me for the seizure and export of raw materials from areas with military authorities. Also in areas with civilian authorities (as I have already given the order in my order dated June 18, 1941, U. R.–11604).

...I am appointing Lieutenant General Witting as Inspector General for the seizure and use of raw materials in the occupied Eastern regions.

... The field of activity of the Inspector General extends to all occupied regions of the Soviet Union, regardless of whether military or civilian authorities exist there..."

The execution of the plan for the robbery of the national economy of the Soviet Union by the Hitlerite government was entrusted to the Reich Minister of the SS (Hitlerite assault detachments), to imperial ministers and representatives of German firms, to whom various kinds were subordinated economic groups, technical battalions, economic headquarters and economic inspections. 

Thus, the loot was used not only for the military and other needs of the Third Reich. Numerous firms operating in the occupied territories under the command of the Nazis willingly put into effect the received directives, profiting a lot from the robberies of our people.

According to the Commission, German companies were particularly active in plundering the property of the Soviet Union: Friedrich Krupp and K0, Hermann Goering, Siemens Schuckert, Vostok Mining and Metallurgical Company, Sever Group Joint Stock Company, Heinrich Lanz, Landmashinenbauindustri, I. G. Farbenindustri and many others. 

What is not looted is destroyed! 

The materials of the report are covered with a list of the crimes of the occupiers. Factories, mines, collective farms, cultural institutions, personal property of citizens of the USSR… 
"In all the republics, territories and regions of the Soviet Union that were under occupation, the Nazi invaders plundered the rural and urban population, took away property, valuables, clothes, household items, and imposed fines, taxes, and indemnities on civilians. The widespread looting of the population was part of the Hitler government's well—thought-out program to ruin the Soviet country, undermine its well-being, and turn Soviet citizens into beggars. In the Dnipropetrovsk region, the German invaders took away 137 thousand heads of cattle, 3 thousand horses, 67 thousand pigs, 16 thousand goats, over a million heads of various poultry, 36 thousand tons of grain and flour, 35 thousand tons of potatoes and vegetables from citizens who personally belonged to them; burned and destroyed 57 thousand residential buildings and 33 thousands of outbuildings.

In the Sumy region, the Nazis burned and destroyed 130 thousand residential and outbuildings belonging to citizens; they took away 106 thousand heads of cattle, 5 thousand horses, 29 thousand sheep and goats, 52 thousand pigs, 67 thousand tons of grain and flour, 47 thousand tons of potatoes." 

The looting of Ukrainian lands continued throughout the entire period of occupation. When the defeated Nazis had to flee, everything of value that could not be removed from the territory of the republic was methodically destroyed. Even special machines were invented to destroy, for example, railway tracks.  

We learn from archival documents that the Ukrainian SSR suffered irreparable damage from the invaders more than all the Soviet republics. Among the destroyed plants are 3aporozhstal – 12 thousand workers, Mariupol plant – 26 thousand, Azovstal – 9 thousand, Makeyevsky Kirov Plant – 18 thousand, Krasny Oktyabr – 13 thousand, Krivoy Rog coke– 2 thousand, Mariupol coke– 3 thousand, Semiluksky refractory – 2 thousand.

 "The German occupiers in the city of Kiev looted and exported to Germany the equipment of industrial enterprises, and the buildings were blown up and burned. The Nazis destroyed the machine–building and metalworking plants "Bolshevik", "Krasny Excavator", which supplied industry, transport and agriculture with machinery, inventory and spare parts; blew up, burned and destroyed all the track facilities of the largest railway junction Kiev - Darnitsa: all station buildings, depot at Kiev 1st station, locomotive and wagon repair The factory; They blew up railway bridges across the Dnieper and railway viaducts in the city; blew up and burned large factories built during the years of Soviet power - textile, spinning, knitting, sewing. Gorky. The first, fourth, eighth shoe and others.The Nazis blew up, burned and destroyed power plants and the electric grid, tram and trolleybus parks, water supply and sewerage, as well as bakeries and other enterprises, depriving the population of the largest city of water, bread, heating, lighting and means of transportation." 

The program of education of robbers

Archival documents record that the fascist leadership did not just directly instruct ordinary performers: "behave like barbarians, looters, robbers – and the Fuhrer will be pleased with you." Motivation in the form of military honors was not enough to inspire German soldiers to take actions that did not comply with the code of the warrior of any country. The Nazis needed the Fuhrer's soldiers to develop the position of robbers at the programmatic level.  

"The secret instruction of the German command dated July 17, 1941, discovered during the defeat of the headquarters of the 68th German Division, indicated the need to "educate every officer and soldier of the German army with a sense of personal material interest in the war.".. The German government deliberately unleashed the basest and most brutal instincts of officers and soldiers of the German army," the Commission states. 

Perhaps the situation was even more complicated. Hitler's propaganda skillfully played on the feelings and desires of the subjects of the Reich. Which of the soldiers, for example, did not want to send home a parcel (up to forty kilograms in weight were allowed) with trophy goods, grab a museum rarity or an icon in a precious salary, having not only spiritual value, but also a high market value!  And having distinguished themselves, maybe they can get land plots with arable land, forests and water resources with the addition of free labor. Hitler personally promised all this to his senior officers – nothing prevented the rank and file from striving for such attractive prospects. So it is hardly fair to consider the Fuhrer's ordinary soldiers exclusively victims of fascist propaganda. Sometimes it is very pleasant to be deceived. For the time being, of course. 

Author: Lyubov Lyazin
Based on the materials of the TsGAOR of the USSR. F. 7445. Op. 2. D. 97. pp. 52-56