The German Occupation Administration on the Territory of the Republic of Poland in 1939–1945

Abstract

The problem of the organization and functioning of German administration on the occupied
territory of the Republic of Poland during World War II still has not been thoroughly described in
Polish historiography. This is why this article first of all presents the basic “legal acts” of the German
occupant which created the fundamental structural and organizational-territorial frameworks
for each of the German administration structures (models) in Poland in 1939–1945. In general, there
were three such models: the first one referred to the Polish territories annexed to the Third Reich
in 1939; the second one was related to the German administration in the General Governorate. The
third model was connected with the Polish territories annexed to the Soviet Union after 17th September
1939 and incorporated into German rule after 22nd June 1941. Simultaneously, the process
of establishing the structures of the German occupation administration on the occupied Polish territories
in the years 1939–1945 consisted of several phases. The first one comprised the period from
1st September to 25th October 1939. That was the time of the establishing of the German military
government and annexing a part of the occupied Polish territory directly to the German Reich. The
second phase lasted from 25th October 1939 to 22nd June 1941. It was characterized by the dissolution
of the German military government on the occupied Polish territory and simultaneous establishing
of the civilian administration structures of the German Governorate. The third phase covered
the period from 22nd June 1941 to the end of World War II in 1945. Its main characteristics include
the German-Soviet war and the total German control of the territory of the Second Polish Republic
in 1941–1944. It must be emphasized that the German occupation administration pursued the aims
and performed the tasks of the German Reich on the occupied territory of the Republic of Poland
during World War II despite the fact that Polish citizens also worked in that administration, but to
a very limited extent. The authorities of the Third Reich considered that administration to be one of
the most important instruments for implementing of extermination and genocidal policy aimed at
Polish nation that fell partially, and then in 1941 completely under German rule. And it was only due
to the lack of time that the strategic aim of the occupation had not been accomplished, i.e. the total
removal of Polish citizens from the occupied territory of the Republic of Poland.