|
''Strafbattalion'' ((英語:penal battalion)) is the generic term for penal units created from prisoners during the Second World War in all branches of the ''Wehrmacht''. Soldiers and civilian criminals sentenced to these units were generally poorly armed and required to undertake dangerous high-casualty missions. ''Strafbattalion'' were operated and administered by the ''Feldgendarmerie'', the German military police. By 1943, the course of World War II had turned against Nazi Germany. Due to military losses and the need to maintain discipline by example, the German High Command ordered that further punishment units should be formed from the thousands of ''Wehrmacht'' military prisoners held in its military prison. These ''Strafbattalion'', which were under the control of the ''Feldgendarmerie'', were then used to conduct dangerous operations (sometimes akin to suicide missions) for the ''Heer'' such as clearing minefields, assaulting difficult objectives and defending positions against overwhelming attacking forces. They were also made to do manual hard labor in front-line locations, building and repairing military infrastructure and defenses. Prisoners that survived their missions would be deemed 'fit to fight' and returned to the field with the 'rights' of a combat soldier. Although ''Strafbattalion'' were mainly used on the Eastern Front, some were sent to the Ardennes on the Western Front during the last major German offensive in December 1944. ==Formation== The ''Strafbattalion'' were developed from the ''Sonderabteilungen'' ((英語:special departments)) that existed in pre-war Nazi Germany. Initially, Nazi policy was to rebuild the armed forces by keeping "potential troublemakers" away from the troops and removing any "destructive elements" from military service. But on 21 May 1935, Adolf Hitler decreed that under the new Nazi Defence Act any conscript who was deemed "unfit for military service because of subversive activity" would be arrested. However soldiers who were deemed disruptive to military discipline but were otherwise "worthy of service" would be sent to military ''Sonderabteilungen''. These units were designed to change attitudes toward state and national policy while instilling a sense of duty, honor and purpose. These goals were to be achieved through harsh discipline and punishments, extensive indoctrination programs and restrictions on home leave. Troops who conformed were eventually transferred to regular units. However those who continued to show indiscipline or opposed the military were transferred to Sachsenhausen concentration camp. Before World War II, there were nine ''Sonderabteilungen'' within the ''Wehrmacht'' in Nazi Germany. According to estimates, between 3000-6000 ''Wehrmacht'' personnel passed through these special departments. A total of 320 "incorrigible pests" were transported to concentration camps. However, with the outbreak of war in 1939, the ''Sonderabteilungen'' were disbanded. They were replaced with the ''Feld-Sonder Battalion'' ((英語:Special Field Battalion)) under the control of the ''Feldgendarmerie''. However, as the war continued, the need for more military personnel grew accordingly. Military tribunals were directed by the OKW to send incarcerated members of the ''Wehrmacht'' as well as "subversives" to ''Bewährungsbataillone'' ((英語:probation battalions)) at the front. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Strafbattalion」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
|