Nazi Conspiracy & Aggression Offensive operations along the Czechoslovak border were not
confined to skirmishes carried out by the Free Corps. Two SS
Totenkopf battalions were operating across the border in
Czech territory near Asch. Item 36 in the Schmundt file (388-
PS), an OKW most secret order signed by Jodl and dated 28
September, states:
"Those SS-Totenkopf units now operating in the Asch
Promontory (I and II Bn of Oberbayern Regiment) will
come under the C in C Army only when they return to
German Reich territory, or when the Army crosses the
German-Czech frontier." (388-PS, Item 36)
According to the 25 September entry in General Jodl's diary
these SS Totenkopf battalions were operating in this area on
direct orders from Hitler. (1780-PS)
As the time for X-day approached, the disposition of the
Free Corps became a matter of dispute. On 26 September
Himmler
[Page 557]
issued an order to the Chief of Staff of the Sudeten German
Free CorPs directing that the Free Corps come under control
of the Reichsfuehrer SS in the event of German invasion of
Czechoslovakia (388-PS, Item 37). On 28 September Keitel
directed that as soon as the German Army crosses the Czech
border the Free Corps will take orders from the OKH. In this
most secret order o the OKW Keitel discloses that Henlein's
men are already operating in Czechoslovak territory:
"For the Henlein Free Corps and units subordinate to
this the principle remains valid, that they receive
instructions direct from the Fuehrer and that they
carry out their operations only in conjunction with the
competent general staff corps. The advance units of the
Free Corps will have to report to the local commander
of the frontier guard immediately before crossing the
frontier.
"Those units remaining forward of the frontier shouldin
their own interestsget into communication with the
frontier guard as often as possible.
"As soon as the army crosses the Czech border the
Henlein Free Corps will be subordinate to the OKH. Thus
it will be expedient to assign a sector to the Free
Corps even now which can be fitted into the scheme of
army boundaries later." (388-PS, Item 34)
On 30 September, when it became clear that the Munich
settlement would result in a peaceful occupation of the
Sudetenland, Keitel ordered that the Free Corps Henlein in
its present composition be placed under command of Himmler:
"1. Attachment of Henlein Free Corps:
"The Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces has just
ordered that the Henlein Free Corps in its present
composition be placed under command of Reichsfuehrer-SS
and Chief of German Police.
"It is therefore at the immediate disposal of OKH as
field unit for the invasion, but is to be later drawn
in like the rest of the police forces for police duties
in agreement with the Reichsfuehrer SS." (388-PS, Item 38)
J. Occupation of the Sudetenland under the Terms of the
Munich Agreement.
Under the threat of war by the Nazi conspirators, and with
war in fact about to be launched, the United Kingdom and
France concluded a pact with Germany and Italy at Munich on
the night of 29 September 1938. This treaty provided for the
cession of the
[Page 558]
Sudetenland by Czechoslovakia to Germany. Czechoslovakia was
required to acquiesce. (TC-23)
On 1 October 1938 German troops began the occupation of the
Sudetenland.
During the conclusion of the Munich Pact the Wehrmacht had
been fully deployed for attack, awaiting only the word of
Hitler to begin the assault. With the cession of the
Sudetenland new orders were issued. On 30 September Keitel
promulgated Directive #1 on "Occupation of territory
separated from Czechoslovakia" (388-PS, Item 9). This
directive contained a time table for the occupation of
sectors of former Czech territory between 1 and 10 October
and specified the tasks of the German armed forces. The
fourth and fifth paragraphs provided:
"2. The Armed Forces will have the following tasks:
"The present degree of mobilized preparedness is to be
maintained completely, for the present also in the
West. Order for the rescinding of measures taken is
held over.
"The entry is to be planned in such a way that it can
easily be converted into operation 'Gruen'." (388-PS,
Item 9) It contained one further provision about the
Henlein forces: "Henlein Free Corps. All combat action
on the part of the Volunteer Corps must cease as from
1st October." (388-PS, Item 9)
The Schmundt file contains a number of additional secret OKW
directives giving instructions for the occupation of the
Sudetenland and showing the scope of the preparations of the
OKW. Directives specifying the occupational area of the army
and the units under its command; arranging for
communications facilities, exchange facilities, supply, and
propaganda; and giving instructions to the civil departments
of the government were issued over Keitel's signature on 30
September (388-PS, Items 40, 41, 42). By 10 October von
Brauchitsch was able to report to Hitler that German troops
had reached the demarcation line and that the order for the
occupation of the Sudetenland had been fulfilled. The OKW
requested Hitler's permission to rescind Case Green, to
withdraw troops from the occupied area and to relieve the
OKH of executive powers in the Sudeten German area as of 15
October. (388-PS, Items 46, 47, 49)
On 18 October, in a formal letter to the Commander-in-Chief
of the Army, Col. Gen. von Brauchitsch, Hitler announced
that the civil authorities would take over responsibility
for the Sudeten German territory on 21 October and that the
OKH would be relieved of executive powers as of that date
(388-P, Item 51). On the same date additional demobilization
of the forces in the
[Page 559]
Sudetenland was ordered by Hitler and Keitel. Three days
later the OKW requested Hitler's consent to the reversion of
the RAD from the control of the armed forces. (388-PS, Items
52, 53)
As the German forces entered the Sudetenland Henlein's
Sudetendeutsche Parte was merged with the NSDAP of Hitler.
The two men who had fled to Hitler's protection in mid-
September, Henlein and Karl Hermann Frank, were appointed
Gauleiter and Deputy Gauleiter, respectively, of the
Sudetengau. In the parts of the Czechoslovak Republic that
were still free the Sudetendeutsche Partei constituted
itself as the NationalSozialistische Deutsche Arbeiter-
Partei in der Tschechoslovake (NSDAP in Czechoslovakia)
under the direction of Kundt, another of Henlein's deputies.
These events are set forth in the Czechoslovak official
report. (998-PS; 3061-PS)
The stage was now prepared for the next move of the Nazi
conspirators.
The
original plaintext version
of this file is available via
ftp.
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Volume
I Chapter IX
The Execution of the Plan to Invade Czechoslovakia<(Part 19 of 29)