Part III - Occupation

Summary

Similar problems and questions return in the book’s third part, ‘Occupation’. This phenomenon occurred in the East, of course, on a significantly greater scale than in the West. The narrative focuses on the Russian occupation of Galicia in 1914–1915, the Austro-Hungarian and Bulgarian occupation of Serbia at the end of 1915, the German occupation of Poland and the ‘Ober-Ost’ territories from the summer of that year, and the German occupation of Romania at the end of 1916. Regardless of local differences, a common trait turns out to be that the occupations during the First World War had more in common with the administration of the ‘Hinterland’ than with the Second World War occupations. The results are similar regarding research into the ‘civilizing mission’ – in other words, attempts to morally subjugate ‘half-Asians’, from the Balkans to Latvia, not only by the German army, but also through cultural means. These ranged – as is well known – from attempts to scientifically describe the new countries to education and hygiene. According to the book’s interpretation, despite the ignorance, ruthlessness, and arrogance of the occupiers, it is difficult to acknowledge these attempts as the beginning of the road leading to Auschwitz.