Germanization Plan for Bohemia and Moravia

[David Thompson]

The text of this plan, initialed by Field Marshal Keitel and Generals Jodl and Warlimont, is taken from "Document 862-PS [translation]", in Nazi Conspiracy and Aggression. Volume III: US Government Printing Office, District of Columbia: 1947. pp. 618-619.

TOP SECRET

The Deputy General of the Armed Forces with the Reich Protector in Bohemia and Moravia.
No. 22/40
top secret;
Prague, 10/15/1940.
TOP SECRET (through officers only)

Re: Basic political principles in the Protectorate 4 copies, 1st copy

TOP SECRET (through officers only)
1 Annex [Pencil marks]:

K [Keitel] 21/X

J [Jodl] Chief OKW through Chief WFSt

W [Warlimont] 18/10

On 9 October of this year the office of the Reich Protector held an official conference in which State Secretary SS Lt. General K. H. Frank spoke about the following:

Since creation of the protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia, party agencies, industrial circles, as well as agencies of the central authorities of Berlin have had difficulties about the solution of the Czech problem.

After ample deliberation, the Reich Protector expressed his view about the various plans in a memorandum. In this, three ways of solution were indicated:

a. German infiltration of Moravia and reduction of the Czech Nationality to a residual Bohemia.

This solution is considered as unsatisfactory, because the Czech problem, even if in a diminished form, will continue to exist.

b. Many arguments can be brought up against the most radical solution, namely the deportation of all the Czechs. Therefore the memorandum comes to the conclusion that it cannot be carried out within a reasonable space of time.

c. Assimilation of the Czechs, i.e. absorption of about half of the Czech nationality by the Germans, insofar as this is of importance by being valuable from a racial or other standpoint [blut-und sonst wertmaessig Bedentunghat]. This will take place among other things, also by increasing the Arbeitseinsatz of the Czechs in the Reich territory (with the exception of the Sudeten German border district), in other words by dispersing the closed Czech nationality.

The other half of the Czech nationality must be deprived of its power, eliminated, and shipped out of the country by all sorts of methods. This applies particularly to the racially mongoloid part and to the major part of the intellectual class. The latter can scarcely be converted ideologically and would represent a burden by constantly making claims for the leadership over the other Czech classes and thus interfering with a rapid assimilation.

Elements which counteract the planned Germanization are to be handled roughly and should be eliminated.

The above development naturally presupposes an increased influx of Germans from the Reich territory into the Protectorate.

After a discussion, the Fuehrer has chosen solution c (assimilation) as a directive for the solution of the Czech problem and decided that, while keeping up the autonomy of the Protectorate on the surface, the Germanization will have to be carried out in a centralized way by the office of the Reich Protectorate for years to come.

From the above no particular conclusions are drawn by the armed forces. This is the direction which has always been represented from here. In this connection, I refer to my memorandum which was sent to the Chief of the Supreme Command of the Armed Forces, dated 7/12/1939, file number 6/39, top secret, entitled: "The Czech Problem." (Attached as annex) [Moderator's note -- not included in this exhibit].

The Deputy General of the Armed Forces with the Reich Protector in Bohemia and Moravia.

Signed: FRIDERICI
Infantry Lt. General

Distribution:
OKW-L-1st Copy
OKH-O Qu V 2nd Copy
Chief H Ruest and Bd E-Ic. 3rd Copy
Draft 4th Copy

[Benoit Douville]

David,

I appreciate this very interesting text. So, Hitler decided plan C, the Germanization plan of Bohemia and Moravia. The Czechs as far as I am concern are slavs so why he decided to try to assimilited one half and the other half to eliminated them? That's pretty intriguing.

Regards

[David Thompson]

Benoit -- Yeah. It's of a piece with Hitler's other and more calamitous "civil affairs" policies in the east, like in the USSR and Poland.

Documents on the Nazi occupation of Poland 1939-1944
http://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic.php?t=54862
Nazi occupation policies for the USSR
http://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic.php?t=61454
Source Documents on "Germanization"
http://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic.php?t=61091

[lukeo]

In Nazi "racial" doctrine, Czechs were a slavized mixture of Celtic and Germanic peoples. And so, the "racial better" part of the Czech population could be RE-germanised.