Nationalsozialistische Führungsoffiziere (NSFO; "National Socialist Leadership Officers") were officers of the German Wehrmacht in World War II tasked with teaching Nazi ideology to soldiers. It was regarded as important that some officers should have the responsibility of both military command and political instruction in the spirit of Nazism. In this respect, NSFO were different from political commissars of the Red Army, who did not have military command.
"The Jew as a parasite of the World" - title page of a training booklet of the Wehrmacht, 1944
The Nationalsozialisticher Führungsstab (National Socialist leadership staff) of the OKW was created by Adolf Hitler's directive of the 22 December 1943[1] and was put under the overall control of General Hermann Reinecke. His officers had to bring Wehrmacht soldiers closer to the Nazi worldview through lectures and discussion. The goal was to instill ideological conviction in order to reinforce combat morale and turn the tide of the war.
NSFO were regular Wehrmacht officers, but they had to be approved by a commission created by the head of the Nazi Party ChancelleryMartin Bormann. This commission, presided by Wilhelm Ruder, had to check whether the men were "flawless" in the Nazi sense. Hauptbereichsleiter Ruder explained in a speech that, in the opinion of the Party Chancellery, the instruction of "political soldiers" and of the management had been neglected and correcting this would stabilize the Wehrmacht.[2]
"To the revolutionary will of the enemy [...], we must as of now oppose the full revolutionary power of national-socialism. [...] Wehrmacht, Party, Volkssturm: all of them are the national-socialist revolution. The German soldier thus fights as an armed national-socialist. Waging war in a purely military fashion is not enough."[3]
By the end of the year 1944, about 47,000 secondary NSFO and 1,100 primary NSFO participated in central training courses. In regiments and battalions, officers took NSFO-functions as side duties. Up to the Division level, NSFO were provided to commanders and placed under their authority. At the Company level, unit commanders took up the function of NSFO.
NSFO teaching courses indoctrinated hundreds of thousands, perhaps millions, of men drafted in the Wehrmacht with antisemiticpropaganda: for example, the idea of Jews as parasites to be wiped out.[4]
LiteratureEdit
Waldemar Besson: Zur Geschichte des nationalsozialistischen Führungsoffiziers. In: Vierteljahrshefte für Zeitgeschichte 9 (1961), H. 1, p. 76–116. ifz-Archiv (PDF)
Andreas Kunz: Wehrmacht und Niederlage. Die bewaffnete Macht in der Endphase der nationalsozialistischen Herrschaft 1944–1945. Schriftenreihe des Militärgeschichtlichen Forschungsamtes, Bd. 64, München 2005, ISBN 3-486-57673-9, p. 240–248.
Peter Joachim Lapp: Hitlers NS-Führungsoffiziere 1944/45. Die letzten Propagandisten des Endsiegs, Helios, Aachen 2019, ISBN 978-3-86933-238-3.
ReferencesEdit
^Dokument 289 in: Martin Moll (Hrsg.): „Führer-Erlasse“ 1939–1945. Stuttgart 1997, S. 381 f.
^Sven Keller: Volksgemeinschaft am Ende. München 2013, ISBN 978-3-486-72570-4, S. 71 f.
^Saul Friedländer: Die Jahre der Vernichtung. Das Dritte Reich und die Juden. Erster Band. 1933–1939. C.H. Beck, München 1998, S. 799.
October 07, 2023
nationalsozialistischer, führungsoffizier, nationalsozialistische, führungsoffiziere, nsfo, national, socialist, leadership, officers, were, officers, german, wehrmacht, world, tasked, with, teaching, nazi, ideology, soldiers, regarded, important, that, some, . Nationalsozialistische Fuhrungsoffiziere NSFO National Socialist Leadership Officers were officers of the German Wehrmacht in World War II tasked with teaching Nazi ideology to soldiers It was regarded as important that some officers should have the responsibility of both military command and political instruction in the spirit of Nazism In this respect NSFO were different from political commissars of the Red Army who did not have military command The Jew as a parasite of the World title page of a training booklet of the Wehrmacht 1944The Nationalsozialisticher Fuhrungsstab National Socialist leadership staff of the OKW was created by Adolf Hitler s directive of the 22 December 1943 1 and was put under the overall control of General Hermann Reinecke His officers had to bring Wehrmacht soldiers closer to the Nazi worldview through lectures and discussion The goal was to instill ideological conviction in order to reinforce combat morale and turn the tide of the war NSFO were regular Wehrmacht officers but they had to be approved by a commission created by the head of the Nazi Party Chancellery Martin Bormann This commission presided by Wilhelm Ruder had to check whether the men were flawless in the Nazi sense Hauptbereichsleiter Ruder explained in a speech that in the opinion of the Party Chancellery the instruction of political soldiers and of the management had been neglected and correcting this would stabilize the Wehrmacht 2 To the revolutionary will of the enemy we must as of now oppose the full revolutionary power of national socialism Wehrmacht Party Volkssturm all of them are the national socialist revolution The German soldier thus fights as an armed national socialist Waging war in a purely military fashion is not enough 3 By the end of the year 1944 about 47 000 secondary NSFO and 1 100 primary NSFO participated in central training courses In regiments and battalions officers took NSFO functions as side duties Up to the Division level NSFO were provided to commanders and placed under their authority At the Company level unit commanders took up the function of NSFO NSFO teaching courses indoctrinated hundreds of thousands perhaps millions of men drafted in the Wehrmacht with antisemitic propaganda for example the idea of Jews as parasites to be wiped out 4 Literature EditWaldemar Besson Zur Geschichte des nationalsozialistischen Fuhrungsoffiziers In Vierteljahrshefte fur Zeitgeschichte 9 1961 H 1 p 76 116 ifz Archiv PDF Andreas Kunz Wehrmacht und Niederlage Die bewaffnete Macht in der Endphase der nationalsozialistischen Herrschaft 1944 1945 Schriftenreihe des Militargeschichtlichen Forschungsamtes Bd 64 Munchen 2005 ISBN 3 486 57673 9 p 240 248 Peter Joachim Lapp Hitlers NS Fuhrungsoffiziere 1944 45 Die letzten Propagandisten des Endsiegs Helios Aachen 2019 ISBN 978 3 86933 238 3 References Edit Dokument 289 in Martin Moll Hrsg Fuhrer Erlasse 1939 1945 Stuttgart 1997 S 381 f Sven Keller Volksgemeinschaft am Ende Munchen 2013 ISBN 978 3 486 72570 4 S 71 f Cited from Andreas Kunz 2005 p 241 Saul Friedlander Die Jahre der Vernichtung Das Dritte Reich und die Juden Erster Band 1933 1939 C H Beck Munchen 1998 S 799 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Nationalsozialistischer Fuhrungsoffizier amp oldid 1111909598, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
