the soviet partisan movement 1941-1944 by edgar m. howell

62 THE SOVIET PARTISAN MOVEMENT
industrial areas there was some suffering and morale was low. Although
the crops were generally good and sufficient manpower was available
for the harvest, the farm machinery so necessary for harvesting on other
than a small scale had either been removed or demolished by the Reds
and the draft animals driven off. Cattle were not to be found. 4 This
situation was accentuated by a complete lack of initiative on the part
of the peasants. Unless closely supervised they would do no work beyond
that necessary to fill personal needs and once they had harvested
enough to carry their families through the winter they had to be driven
to work further. 5 Only rarely had they complied with Stalin's order
to destroy all crops rather than allow them to fall into German hands,
but groups of the younger generation in several areas instituted a minor
reign of terror on their own, burning a number of farm installations and
openly declaring that all barns and silos in the occupied areas would be
destroyed after the crops had been gathered. 6 Such action did nothing
to improve the morale and will-to-work of the peasants, and the Germans
found it difficult to combat.
In White Russia in many cases the collective farms had resumed operation
but since the Germans had requisitioned all available trucks there
was never enough transport to carry food supplies to the cities where
the people were in need. 7
In the northern sector matters were even more critical. Many crops
were not or could not be harvested, and farmers began to fear they would
be unable to feed what stock they had left during the winter. As late
as November, 35 percent of the potatoes and other bulbar roots were
still in the ground, destroyed by the frost. 8 The general food situation
was considerably worsened by the plundering of German troops. 9
Despair and suffering appeared even in the undevastated urban areas,
and the spectre of unemployment hung over the land. Large numbers of
people in Pskov and the Leningrad region were without work. 10 The
"white collar" groups, which had been relatively privileged under the
Soviet regime, walked the streets in most places. 11 The people complained
that they had been misled by German propaganda. The occupation
authorities countered, rather ineffectively, that the cause of
short rations was to be found among the Russians themselves, in the
4
Meldung 40, Chef der Sicherheitspolizei und SD. Footlocker 62, folder 5.
5 Rpt of agricultural staff with Army Group South, 16 Oct 41, in Wi Stab Ost.
Wi/ID 2.1355; Bericht, WiStab Ost, 26.I.42. Wi/ID 2.31 7b.
6
KTB, H. Geb. Sued, 27.VIII.41. 16407/17.
7
Meldung 43, Einsatzgruppe B, 5.VIII.41. Footlocker 62, folder 5.
8
Meldung 131, Einsatzgruppe A, 10.XI.41. Footlocker 62, folder 11.
9
An1 12 z. Bericht Wi Stab, Krusnowardekk, Okt 41. Wi/ID 2.189; Meldung 43,
5.VIII.41., Einsatzgruppe B. Footlocker 62, folder 5.
10
Bericht, Wi Stab Ost. 16.IX.-30.IX.41. Wi/ID 2.345.
l1
Meldung 106, Chef der Sicherheitspolirei und SD, 7.X.41. Footlocker 62,
folder 7.