In 1941 the Belarussian, Estonian, Latvian and Lithuanian Soviet Socialist
Republics of the U.S.S.R. were occupied by German troops.
After a brief period of military rule (1) a civilian administration - which
was dependent of the German Ministry for the Occupied Eastern Territories -
was set up, the four territories at the same time also being consolidated in
a Reichskommissariat Ostland
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GERMAN CHIEF ADMINISTRATORS
Head of the Ostlanddivision at the Ministry for the Occupied Eastern
Territories
Leiter der Ostland-Abteilung im Ministerium für die besetzten Ostgebiete
1941 - 194. Peter Kleist 1904 -
Reichs Commissars
Reichskommissäre
1941 - 1944 Heinrich Lohse 1896 - 1964
1944 Erich Koch, Reichskommissar of Ukraine* 1896 - 1986
Head of the Political Division
Leiter der Politischen Abteilung
1941 - 1944 Friedrich Trampedach
Regional Adiministrators
There were subordinated Generalkommissare
in Belarus, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.
The following two authorities were directly subordinated to Berlin.
Commanders of the German Troops in Ostland
Wehrmachtbefehlshaber Ostland
1941 - 1944 Gen. Walter Braemer 1883 - 1955
1944 Werner Kempf 1886 -
Higher S.S. and Police Leaders
Höhere S.S. und Polizeiführer (H.S.S.P.F.)
(responsible for internal security and war against the resistance)
1941 Hans-Adolf Prützmann 1901 - 1945
1941 - 1944 Friedrich Jeckeln 1895 - 1946
In 1944 Belarus was detached from Ostland and became directly dependent of
the Ministry for Occupied Eastern Territories.
Soon afterwards German civilian rule in these territories collapsed before
the advancing Soviet troops and what remained of German authority was now
exercised by the commanders of the retreating German armies. (1)
(1) The Baltic countries were dependent of the Army Group Nord (in
the occupied Soviet Union) in 1941 and in 1944 - 1445.
Belarus was dependent of the Army Group Mitte (in the occupied
Soviet Union) in 1941 and in 1944.
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