Exploitation by Hitler's invaders of enterprises of the soviet food industry during the Great Patriotik war

This article considers the plans of the Nazi invaders in relation to the Soviet food industry and their implementation during the Great Patriotic War. It is shown that in the territory under occupation the main potential of the food industry of the Soviet Union was concentrated. The stages and basic principles laid down by the leaders of Nazi Germany in the plans for the economic pillage of the Soviet Union in the upcoming war were considered. It is shown that the mastery of the food resources of the USSR, as well as oil are the main economic goals of the Oldenburg plan - the economic section of the general plan of Barbarossa, which implied the lightning defeat of the Red Army and the capture of almost the entire European part of the USSR. It is noted that the main potential of both agricultural production and the food industry of the Soviet Union was concentrated in the areas that were occupied. The loss of these capacities seriously affected the food supply during the war. It is concluded that food industry facilities were evacuated deep into the USSR, for many reasons, to a lesser extent than those of the strategic and defense industries. The restoration and launch of the industry were determined by the needs of the German army and the Third Reich, where in 1941 there was a serious decrease in food rations. In the following war years, the food problem both in the Reich and in the army units of the German army fighting on the Eastern front worsened. The enemy considered it appropriate to “pump” agricultural raw materials from the occupied regions and transport them to Germany for further processing at their enterprises. The article presents the results of the operation of the numerous enterprises engaged in grain processing, meat, sugar and dairy production, and other industries that were at the disposal of the invaders. It is shown that food production, which was put into operation in the occupied territory, largely covered the needs of units of the German army fighting on the eastern front and the occupation administration. Food production in the interests of the local population was not considered or prohibited. With the beginning of a radical change in the Great Patriotic war, the organization of the work of Soviet food industry facilities faded into the background. The primary issues were the acquisition of food raw materials. Widespread use was given to the practice of "pumping food out of the "dead zones"", the population of which was doomed to starvation. It is concluded that the exploitation by the invaders of the Soviet food industry exclusively for the needs of the German army became one of the reasons for the mass death of Soviet citizens during the period of enemy occupation. The authors declare no conflicts of interests.

Keywords

Authors

References