Johannes Blaskowitz (HM6)

Johannes Albrecht Blaskowitz (* July 10th 1883 in Paterswalde, Landkreis [county] of Wehlau, ) is a colonel-General of the army in the . He participated in the invasion of Austria, the occupation of the Sudetenland and the Czech lands in 1939.
In , he commanded the 8th Army against Poland. On September 28th in 1939, he accepted the capitulation of . On October 26th, he became Oberbefehlshaber Ost, hence successor of General and head of the German occupation troops in Poland.
As a traditional soldier, Blaskowitz kept firm control on the men under his command in their dealings with civilians and was opposed to Army participation in war crimes by the and . He handed out death sentences to members of the SS for crimes against the civilian population, which were rescinded by .
During fall 1939 and Winter 1939/40, Blaskowitz protested several times against the radical realization of the ordered „völkische Flurbereinigung“ (lit. folkish reallocation of land), e.g. murders of Jews and the Polish Intelligentia by SS, Police and the Volksdeutscher Selbstschutz, who killed thousands during a few months in the occupied areas.
„Die Polizei hat bisher noch keine sichtbaren Aufgaben der Ordnung geleistet, sondern nur Schrecken in der Bevölkerung verbreitet. Inwieweit sich die Polizei selbst damit abzufinden vermag, daß sie ihre Leute zwangsläufig dem Blutrausch ausliefert, kann von hier nicht beurteilt werden, sicher ist jedoch, daß es für die Wehrmacht eine unerträgliche Belastung darstellt, da dies ja alles im „feldgrauen Rock“ geschieht. […] Der augenblickliche Zustand treibt einer Entwicklung entgegen, die einen militärischen Unruheherd herbeiführt und die Ausnützung des Landes zugunsten der Truppe und der Wehrwirtschaft unmöglich macht. Mit Gewaltmaßnahmen allein ist die Sicherheit und Ruhe des Landes nicht herzustellen. Es liegt sowohl im Interesse der Wehrmacht wie auch der Zivilverwaltung, wenn in Polen eine leidliche Ordnung herrscht, die Bevölkerung mit den nötigsten Lebens- und Bedarfsmitteln versorgt wird und die Wirtschaft bald in Gang kommt.“
(So far, the police hasn't fulfilled any noticeable tasks of creating order, but only created terror among the population. It can't be judged from here to what extent the police itself is able to accept that they inevitably hand over their people to bloodthirst, it is sure however that it means an unbearable burden for the Wehrmacht, since all of this is happening in the grey uniform. […] The current state is developing towards a situation which leads to a trouble spot for the military and makes the usage of the country for the advantage of the troops and the military economy impossible. With nothing but violent measures, the security and quietness of the country can't be created. It is in the interest of both the Wehrmacht and the civilian administration if there was a certain order in Poland, the population was supplied with the most necessary food and other necessities, and the economy started to take off soon.)
::– Johannes Blaskowitz: Report to the Oberbefehlshaber des Heeres, , November 27th 1939
In his Notes for a lecture on February 15th 1940, he accentuated the political damage caused by SS and Police.
„Auf die Rolle der Wehrmacht, die gezwungen ist, diesen Verbrechen [sic] tatenlos zuzusehen, und deren Ansehen besonders bei der polnischen Bevölkerung eine nicht wiedergutzumachende Einbuße erleidet, braucht nicht nochmal hingewiesen zu werden. Der schlimmste Schaden jedoch, der dem deutschen Volkskörper aus den augenblicklichen Zuständen erwachsen wird, ist die maßlose Verrohung und sittliche Verkommenheit, die sich in kürzester Zeit unter wertvollem deutschen Menschenmaterial wie eine Seuche ausbreiten wird.
(One doesn't have to point out anew the part of the Wehrmacht which is forced to watch these crimes [sic] deedlessly, and whose image especially among the Polish population suffers an unrecoverable loss. The worst damage to the German people's body however, which will emerge from the current situation, is the unlimited brutalisation and moral squalidness, which will spread in the shortest time among valuable German human material like a pandemic.)
 …
 Die Einstellung der Truppe zu SS und Polizei schwankt zwischen Abscheu und Haß. Jeder Soldat fühlt sich angewidert und abgestoßen durch diese Verbrechen, die in Polen von Angehörigen des Reiches und Vertretern der Staatsgewalt begangen werden. R versteht nicht, wie derartige Dinge, zumal sie sozusagen unter seinem Schutz geschehen, ungestraft möglich sind.
(The attitude of the troops towards SS and police varies between disgust and hate. Every soldier feels disgusted and repulsed by these crimes, which are committed in Poland by members of the Reich and representatives of the state forces. R. doesn't understand how such things, since they happen under his watch so to speak, are possible without being punished.)
 …
 Die sich hiermit aufzeigende Gefahr zwingt, zur Frage der Behandlung des polnischen Volkes allgemein Stellung zu nehmen. Es ist abwegig, einige Tausend Juden und Polen abzuschlachten; denn damit werden angesichts der Masse der Bevölkerung weder die polnische Staatsidee totgeschlagen noch die Juden beseitigt. Im Gegenteil, die Art und Weise des Abschlachtens bringt größten Schaden mit sich.“
(The herewith appearing danger forces one to take a position regarding the question about the treatment of the Polish people in general. It is fallacious to slaughter some thousand Jews and Poles; because by this way, considering the amount of the population, neither is the idea of the Polish state killed, nor the Jews removed. On the contrary, the way of slaughtering is connected to worst damage.)
::– Johannes Blaskowitz: Memo from February 6th, 1940
It is reported about that he reacted to Blaskowitz’ writing from November 1939 by refusing the complaints as childish, a war couldn't be won with the Methods of the Salvation Army. General refused to pass on the new complaints to the "Führer" in February 1940. He also earned the enmity of , , and .
In early May 1940, he was transferred to the Western front. Since May 15th, he's been commanding the 9th Army. After the victory over , he didn't get a promotion, as opposed to his fellow generals - because he had criticized the "führer".
In the Hierarchy, he serves under Gerd von Rundstedt/Walther von Brauchitsch/Adolf Nazi.
Category:Wehrmacht (HM6)
de:Johannes Blaskowitz (W6)