The Genesis of German War Crimes against Polish civilians in 1939. A framework analysis

PhD Student: Florian Steinfals, Supervisor: Isabel Heinemann

The project examines the crimes committed by the Wehrmacht against the Polish civilian population in September 1939 and takes a military and mental history approach. Using framework analysis, both the mental and ideological as well as situational interpretation and perception patterns of the soldiers and their mutual interdependence are highlighted. A primary focus lies on the anti-Polish propaganda, which is analyzed through the „Völkischer Beobachter“ and the magazine „Die Wehrmacht“. Subsequently, through an extensive analysis of field post, comprising over 900 letters and postcards, the propaganda is examined for its reception and effectiveness. An essential part of the source corpus is also formed by the Wehrmacht's field reports. These internal „evaluations“, written in mid-October 1939, were intended to collect the experiences of the individual units from battalion level upwards during the campaign against Poland. The value of these detailed reports is explained in particular by their surprising openness and criticism. Additionally, on the „Personal Dispositions“ level, a sample analysis of the biographical data of company commanders is planned to identify possible parallels and differences regarding generational affiliation, education, and socialization, thus providing explanatory approaches for behavior during the war. The approach of the dissertation project is based on the thesis that the endemic violence against the Polish civilian population in September 1939 cannot be explained monocausally and is attributable to various mutually influencing factors.