Bring everything that is really good and of pure blood to the Schutzstaffel. Building Allgemeine SS in the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia Cover Image

Vše, co je opravdu dobré a čisté krve, přivést do Schutzstaffel. Výstavba Allgemeine-SS v Protektorátu Čechy a Morava
Bring everything that is really good and of pure blood to the Schutzstaffel. Building Allgemeine SS in the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia

Author(s): Jan Zumr
Subject(s): Military history, Interwar Period (1920 - 1939), WW II and following years (1940 - 1949), Fascism, Nazism and WW II
Published by: Ústav pro studium totalitních režimů

Summary/Abstract: The study discusses building of Allgemeine SS in the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia, commenced by the SS command almost immediately after the occupation of Bohemia and Moravia. The entire occupied territory was divided among the top sections of the SS bordering on the Protectorate, which sent their recruiters to the Czech lands. These were men with long Nazi past who had experience with illegal activities for the SS and the NSDAP in both Czechoslovakia and Austria and who could rely on capable organizers. The introduction of the chiefs of individual recruitment sections is followed by an analysis of the recruitment itself, which did not go without problems, probably due to conflicts with the SA concerning potential recruits: it was temporarily suspended and was not re-started until mid-April 1939. The activities of the recruitment committees were completed a month later and, in late June 1939, the form of Allgemeine SS in the Protectorate was approved, including the separate SS-Abschnitt XXXIX with two regiments, 107th SS‑Standarte, based in Jihlava, and Prague’s 108th SS-Standarte. Due to the absence of major German language islands in Bohemia and the associated lack of suitable candidates for service in the SS, the 107th SS-Standarte only had two instead of the standard three battalions. At the end of the study, the author analyses the composition of the officer corps of the Protectorate SS. Although a considerable part consisted of local or, more precisely, Sudeten Germans, the majority of leadership positions were assumed by Germans from the Reich. Building of Allgemeine SS in the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia was formally ended in January 1940, at the military ceremony at the Old Town Square in Prague. Fresh information relating to movements of their own, Vlasov army or German units was drawn on special operational maps and recorded in war diaries. To a limited degree it was also intended to provide information to the “Alex” senior HQ or in some cases the Czech National Council or even the rebel radio. The final three edited documents from 11 May 1945 contain an evaluation for Soviet military agencies of the participation of Vlasov army units in the battle for Prague.

  • Issue Year: 2016
  • Issue No: 28
  • Page Range: 38-59
  • Page Count: 22
  • Language: Czech