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7 Jan. 46
"During anti-partisan operations
within operational areas all forces committed for these operations
were under the command of the commander of the respective army group.
"2. Directives. as to the manner and methods of carrying on
counter-partisan operations were issued by the OKW Keitel
to the OKH upon orders from Hitler and after consultation with
Himmler. The OKH was responsible merely for the transmission of these
orders to army groups, for instance, such orders as those concerning
the treatment to be accorded to commissars and Communists, those
concerning the manner of prosecuting by courts-martial army personnel
who had committed offenses against the population, as well as those
establishing the basic principles governing reprisals against the
inhabitants.
"3. The detailed working out of all matters involving the
treatment of the local populace, as well as anti-partisan warfare in
operational areas in pursuance of orders from the OKW, was the
responsibility of the Quartermaster General of the OKH.
"4. It had always been my personal opinion that the treatment of
the civilian population and the methods of anti-partisan warfare in
operational areas presented the highest political and military leaders
with a welcomed opportunity of carrying out their plans, namely, the
systematic extermination of Slavism and Jewry. Entirely independent of
this, I always regarded these cruel methods as military insanity,
because they only helped to make combat against the enemy
unnecessarily more difficult."
THE PRESIDENT: We will adjourn until a quarter past 2.
[A recess was taken until 1415 hours.]
474
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