Latvian Auxiliary Police

Latvian Auxiliary Police

Members of the 21st Latvian Police Battalion assemble a group of Jewish women for execution on a beach near Liepaja, December 15, 1941.
Active from July 1941
Country  Nazi Germany
Engagements Holocaust in Latvia, Anti-partisan operations in Belarus
Commanders
Notable
commanders		 Viktors Arājs
Roberts Blūzmanis

Latvian Auxiliary Police was a paramilitary force created from Latvian volunteers by the Nazi German authorities who occupied the country in June 1941. Composed of local fascists, rightist members of the former military and police, and nationalist students, the organization participated in the Holocaust, looting and killing the local Jewish population. One of its units, the Arajs Kommando, was notorious for killing 26,000 civilians during the war, mostly Jews, but also Communists and Romas.[1]

Formation of units

The auxiliary police force consisted primarily individuals of police, army, and militia organizations which had been disbanded upon the prior Soviet occupation. Within the first week of the German occupation, the leader of Einsatzgruppe A Franz Walter Stahlecker tasked Lt. Colonel Voldemārs Veiss with organising a police force to operate under the command of the SS.[2]

The first Latvian Schutzmannschaft (Police) Battalions were formed, most to serve as combat units, some to carry out raids against partisans and to discharge ghetto guard duties.[3] One of the earliest units formed was in Daugavpils, which German forces reached on June 28, 1941, six days after launching Operation Barbarossa. Roberts Blūzmanis was appointed chief of the Latvian Auxiliary Police in Nazi-occupied Daugavpils.[4] An auxiliary police force was in Riga under Nazi ausipces on July 3, 1941, headed by Latvian captain, Pētersons.

Anti-partisan operation, March 1943.

Organization

Owing to the initiative of the EK (Einsatzkommando), the auxiliary police force consisted of 240 men and had been strictly organized. New men were currently being enlisted. They helped the EK as auxiliary police and were on duty in the 6 police districts established so far. Some members had been assigned to Kriminalpolizei and Sicherheitspolizei work. By July 7 the Latvians arrested 1125 Jews, 32 political prisoners, 85 Russian workers, and 2 women criminals, the greater part during the last days. This is due to the EK backing the Latvians. Actions against the Jews were going on in an ever-increasing number. Conforming to a suggestion of the EK, the Jews were being evacuated by the auxiliary police force from all houses still standing. The apartments were being allocated to non-Jewish inhabitants. The food supply was inadequate as nearly all stocks were destroyed by fire. The arrested Jewish men were shot without ceremony and interred in previously prepared mass graves. 400 Jews were killed during pogroms in Riga, since the arrival of EK 2; 300 by the Latvian auxiliary police. By 1944, the occupation power, with the collaboration of the Self-Administration, had formed a total of 33 auxiliary police battalions.

Konrāds Kalējs of the Arajs Kommando of Latvian Auxiliary Police, wartime photo.

The Arajs Kommando (also: Sonderkommando Arajs), led by SS-Sturmbannführer Viktors Arājs, was a unit of Latvian Auxiliary Police (German: Lettische Hilfspolizei) subordinated to the SD. It is one of the more well-known and notorious killing units during the Holocaust. The central part of Andrew Ezergailis' work details the activities of the Arajs Kommando, the Latvian unit that Brigadeführer Franz Walter Stahlecker organized for the killing of the Jews of Latvia. Numerous Latvian auxiliary police units played a major role in the murdering the Jews.[5]

See also

References

Citations

  1. ↑ Michael Mann, The dark side of democracy: explaining ethnic cleansing. Cambridge University Press, 2005. ISBN 0-521-53854-8. p. 283
  2. ↑ Lumens (2006). p266.
  3. ↑ Nazi Conspiracy and Aggression Volume 1. Chapter XII - The Persecution of the Jews
  4. ↑ Jacob Gorfinkel, Daugavpils (Dvinsk) Ghetto List – 05-December-1941
  5. ↑ Andrew Ezergailis, The Holocaust in Latvia

Bibliography

  • Lumans, Valdis O. (2006). Latvia in World War II. Fordham Univ Press. ISBN 978-0-8232-2627-6. 
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