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Nazi Conspiracy and Aggression Volume IV
Document No. 1639-A-PS

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PARTIAL TRANSLATION OF DOCUMENT 1639-A-PS
Mobilization Book for the Civil Administration 1939 Edition [Pages 2-18]

Armed Forces High Command Berlin, 18th Feb 1939
No. 265/39 g.Kdos. I IVa. 125 copies, 101st copy

Re: Reprint of Mobilization Book for the Civil Administration.

1. Enclosed is the Reprint for 1939 of the "Mobilization Book for the Civil Administration" with the request to destroy Mobilization Books (Z), hereby made obsolete, at the beginning of the new mobilization year.

2. The Reprint takes effect on the 1st April 1939. The annexes V, XIX, and XX will be forwarded after their completion.

3. An expression of opinion on the proposals handed in here will not take place in detail any more, insofar as the expression has not already been made.

4. The necessity of cooperation between Ministers and the highest Reich agencies is not always pointed out in the column "Remarks". It is to be understood that the cooperation needed for preparations and carrying out of the measures must be guaranteed, even without an express directive.

Chief of the Armed Forces High Command.
Keitel.
Distribution's List: Copy

Fuehrer and Reich Chancellor 1
Deputy of the Fuehrer 2-3
Attention SS Brigadier General Knoblauch
Prussian State-Ministry 4-5
Attention Counsellor of the Ministry Bergbohm
Ministry for Foreign Affairs
Attention Counsellor of the Legation Dr. Freiherr v.d. Heyden-Rynsch 6-7
GBV [Plenipotentiary-General for Administration] Chief of Operational Staff
Attention State Secretary Dr. Struckart
for Reich Ministry of the Interior 8-9
for Reich Ministry of Justice 11-12
for Reich Ministry of Science, Education and Popular Culture 13-14
for Central Reich Office for regional planning 15-16
GBW [Plenipotentiary-General for Economics] Chief of the Operational Staff
Attention Ministerial Director Sarnow
for GBW [Operational Staff] 17-18
for Reich Ministry of Economics 19-20
for Reich Ministry of Food and Agriculture 21-22
for Reich Labor Ministry 23-24
for Reich Chief Forester 25-26
Reich Ministry of Finance 27-28
Attention Counsellor of the Minister, Privy Counsellor Dr. Bender
Reich Ministry of Finance 29-30
Attention Finance President von Dietz
Reich Ministry of Communications 31-33
Attention Chief of Section of the Ministry Baur
Reich Ministry of Communications 34-35
Attention State Railway Director Dr. Ebeling
Reich Postal Ministry 36-37
Attention Counsellor of the Ministry Honold
Reich Ministry for Popular Enlightenment and Propaganda 38-39
Attention Lt Colonel Wentscher
Reichbank Directorate 40-41
Attention Reichsbank Director Dr. Mueller
Inspector General of the German Highways 42-43
Attention Government Construction Counsellor Henne
OKH (Army High Command) (2nd Section of the General Staff of the Army) 44-73
OKM (Navy High Command) (A.II) 74-81
Reich Ministry for Air Travel and Air Force High Command (2nd Section of the General Staff of the Air Force) 82-93
OKW: (Armed Forces High Command)
L Ia 94
L Ia Prop. 95
L II 96
L IVa 97
L IVb 98
L IVd 99
WNV 100
W Stb 101-103
A Ausl./Abw. (Foreign Intelligence Section) 104-106
AWA (J) 107
WH 108
Being Kept by L IVa 109-125

Part I

of the Mobilization Schedule for the Civil Administrative Authorities

Introduction to the Mobilization Schedule for the Civil Administrative Authorities.

A. Principles & Concepts

1. Preparedness for defense on the part of the whole nation is the condition for an effective defense of the Reich.

2. It is through mobilization that Wehrmacht, Economy, State and People are carried over from a state of peace to a state of war.

The mobilization of the Wehrmacht comprises:

(a) The securing of the necessary foundations for the establishment, leadership and supplying of the needs of the war-Wehrmacht,

(b) the building up of peace units to war strength,

(c) the establishment of new war units,

(d) the establishment of the reserve Wehrmacht.

The Mobilization of Economy comprises the collecting of all economic forces and holding them in readiness to work at their highest capacity in the service of the conduct of the war.

The Mobilization of State & People comprises:

(a) the turn-over of state Leadership and the life of the people to the requirements of the conduct of the war as regards politics, sociology and constitutional law; and

(b) making available for the conduct of the war all the material forces of the people.

3. A case of war can arise instantaneously or start as a result of foreign political tension. The preparation and schedule of mobilization must take both possibilities into account.

The "state of defense" and the "state of war" in the sense of R.V. Law will be ordered expressly in accordance with the Reichs defense law by the Fuehrer and Reichs Chancellor.

With the declaration of the "state of war", the war laws and regulations come into force without further orders. The legal consequences provided in other laws for the state of war also become effective.

If no "state of defense" has previously been ordered, the regulations concerning the state of defense will come into force with the declaration of the state of war.

It is to be reckoned with that foreign political considerations (war guilt question, etc.) will not give rise to a declaration of a state of war, even if it should come to armed conflict with a foreign enemy. Legal provision is therefore to be made by which regulations for "war" in various laws will come into force for the case in question. These regulations must be formulated in such a way that no "war" exists as understood in international law.

For this reason the legal consequences provided in the various laws for the "the case of war" will not come into force with the mobilization decree (X or mobilization case).

4. The period of tension possible preceding a case of war must be exploited to the limit of foreign political endurance in order that the Reich may be made ready for war.

For these reasons the 3 following stages must be distinguished from each other in the schedule of mobilization.

4. a. "The period of tension"

During the period of tension the fundamentals for the reliable execution of the mobilization proper should be created, and individual measures for mobilization should be taken in advance, whereby as far as possible foreign political liability and any kind of provocation abroad are to be avoided.

These "advance measures" will be arranged in the mobilization plans of the armed forces, according to stages of tension. Within these advance measures there will be no distinction of special stages for the civil administration, since it is necessary to have a much more flexible regulation.

The advance measures will be executed on the basis of peace legislation. The fact and the purpose of the advance measures are to be camouflaged as much as possible within the civil administration concerned.

The "period of tension" as such will not be ordered; it is merely the technical term for a period of special political tension in foreign relations, during which preparatory measures (advance measures) can be ordered.

4. b. Mobilization without public announcement ("X case"):

While its purpose is to be camouflaged as far as possible, it is to bring about the systematic mobilization of the armed forces, and if necessary the camouflaged mobilization of the state, economy and people. A possibility exists that "Case X" will only be ordered for the armed forces or parts of it.

If no official announcement of the state of defense is made, the execution of the mobilization must be assured through administrative channels. The peace time laws: Law relating to Participation in Defense measures, emergency service decree, etc. (Wehrleistungsgesetz, Notdienstverordnung, u.a.) adapted for camouflaged mobilization will serve as legal basis.

Case X may be ordered without being preceded by the measures provided in sub 4a.

4. c. General mobilization with public announcement. ("Mobilization case"-"Mob case"):

This includes the mobilization of the armed forces and the state of the national economy as well as of the entire people, if no special limitations have been ordered in the mobilization decree (for instance local limitations). In the normal case, the order for general mobilization initiates the provided mobilization measures of the armed forces, and of all civil authorities and offices, with the exception however of specially designated measures for the supervision and checking of the information service.

In all cases these measures will only come into force by a special order of the Supreme High Command of the Armed Forces.

Just as in Case X, the execution of general mobilization is based on the peace laws adapted for a camouflaged mobilization.

The general mobilization (Mob case) can be ordered without being preceded by the period of tension or by mobilization without official announcement (Case X).

5. Publication and Execution of Mobilization Measures.

5. a. The measures provided for the period of tension will be ordered singly, in groups or in their entirety by the Fuehrer & Reich Chancellor (after considering proposals from the appropriate Reich Dept.) On the application of the Chief of the Okw, or of the Plenipotentiary for the Reich Administration or the Plenipotentiary for Economy who will act in conjunction with the Chief of the OKW. The measures ordered by the Fuehrer and Reichs Chancellor will be communicated to the highest civil administrative authorities through the OKW, and to the Departments under the Plenipotentiaries for the Reich Administration and Economy through the latter.

The measures ordered have to be carried out according to the instructions of the highest Reich authorities, provided that the authorities of the Armed Forces have not been specially ordered to charge the intermediate and lower civil authorities with the execution of the measures.

This is applicable for the following cases (or, as circumstances may dictate, not till the incidence of Case X or general mobilization).

(1) Evacuation and clearing of battle territory according to directives for the "evacuation of Reichs territory threatened by the enemy", Vol. 1, Nos. 14 and 15, or (respectively) "clearing of the battle territory of the west" and the corresponding provisions for the East.

(2) Establishment of the Frontier Guards incl. initiation of the attached special intelligence network acc. to the provisions for the VGAD of Sept. 1937 No. 24 & Appendix 10, No. 12.

(3) Establishment of the VGAD incl. initiation of the special intelligence network acc. to the provisions for the VGAD of Sept. 1937, App. 1, No. 2 & App. 10, No. 12.

(4) Establishment of Field Police Units-Key Words (not code numbers) may be agreed with the military authorities for these measures.

The purpose of all other key words made known to the civil authorities by the military commands is exclusively that of informing the authorities concerned about measures coming within the military sphere. Those key words are not to be entered in the mobilization calendar, but are to be added on a special sheet.

Notwithstanding all this, a mutual understanding with military authorities concerning the preparation of the various measures in time of peace and their execution (after proclamation through civilian channels) in war time is absolutely necessary wherever military and civil measures come into contact.

5. b. Case X (Mobilization without public announcement) is ordered by the Fuehrer and Reichs Chancellor. Publication to the highest Reichs authorities is carried out in the same manner as for the "advance measures".

Various mobilization measures will be decreed within the civil sphere through release [Ausloesung] of code words, or through special order if Case X applies only to the armed forces or parts of it.

The measures for mobilization are carried out by the highest Reichs authorities under their exclusive responsibility with the limitation that the fact of mobilization must not be mentioned publicly (diplomatic channels, press, public proclamations and announcements, radio, etc.). To achieve this purpose it must be stressed that it is necessary to camouflage the individual measures as much as possible without endangering their execution . . . The main purpose is not to offer legal grounds to the prospective enemy for the opening of hostilities or their own mobilization. For that purpose, the necessary suspension of various measures contained in Section II (mobilization) of the mob. calendar will be ordered by the High Command of the Armed Forces.

In principle every proclamation and suspension of code numbers during the period of tension or in case X must be made known to the High Commands of the three branches of the Armed Forces by the High Command of the Armed Forces.

5. c. general mobilization with public announcement (case of mobilization):

The general mobilization will be decreed publicly by the "Mobilization-order" of the Fuehrer and Reichs Chancellor.

5. d. Preparations are being made to enable parts of the Wehrmacht to move out at increased speed. In order that the units of the Army & the Navy to whom this applies may be prepared to move out and the Luftwaffe prepared to take off, the civil administration authorities are required to render special assistance. This measure may be ordered during the period of tension.

As this preparedness (for moving out or taking off) only applies to certain territories of the Reich and only affects certain administrative authorities, the latter will receive their instructions direct from those Wehrmacht authorities in whose territory the preparedness for moving out or taking off is being established. In addition, the order to prepare for the march-out or take-off will be communicated to the appropriate Reich ministeries, the G.B. and so on, by the OKW.

6. Dissemination of the mobilization orders through the various administrative channels:

In case of mobilization the general mobilization with public announcement (case of mob.) will be announced to the Reichs authorities etc, the intermediate and lower civil authorities by a mob. cable through the DRP [German Reichs Postal Service].

The DRP organizes for that purpose a dissemination plan in agreement with the other Reichs authorities. The "general mobilization" will also be made public by means of radio, public announcements, etc.

The highest Reichs authorities will issue individual orders in their spheres for the "period of tension" and for "Case X". Announcements concerning the stages of mobilization and the measures to be taken therefor will not be circulated through district cables by the DRP.

All mobilization orders are to be passed on by the quickest means to the subordinate authorities.

If the orders are passed on by phone, the identity of the civil servant transmitting the order is to be ascertained by appropriate questioning, in order to guard against deception. If doubts remain as to the identity of the person calling, they are to be dispelled by a further call.

The ordering of measures which concern, directly or indirectly, offices of the armed forces or authorities of other departments must be made known to those authorities.

If an authority learns about the stages of mobilization through unofficial channels, then it must immediately be ascertained through contact with superior authorities whether measures may be taken. The means of dissemination of mob. orders must be defined in the mob. calendars of the authorities. It is assumed that the night and day telephone service will be organized within the framework of the advance measures for the period of tension.

B. Preparations for Mobilization.

Principles for the drafting of the "Mobilization Schedule for the Civil Administrative Authorities".

7. The mobilization plans of the Wehrmacht and the Mobilization Schedule for the civil administration provide the responsible State Government with a general survey of the volume of preparations for mobilization and of their political scope. They have been so adjusted to each other that the unification of the entire mobilization is secured.

8. The mobilization schedule for the civil administrative authorities comprises in general all the measures of the civil state administration which on the one hand directly support the operational capacity of the Wehrmacht, or on the other hand serve the preparedness for war on the part of state, economy and people.

9. The mobilization stages discussed sub. no. 4-

(a) period of tension

(b) mobilization without public announcement (Case X)

(c) general mobilization with public announcement (mob. case)

form the basis for the drafting of the "mobilization schedule for the civil administration".

9. a. The advance measures for the period of tension form the content of Section I in every part of the mobilization schedule.

The advance measures for the civil administrative authorities in the period of tension are made flexible to conform to any development of the political & economic situation. Insofar as the advance measures for the civil administration give direct support to the Wehrmacht, they will be ordered from case to case so as to conform to the advance measures of the Wehrmacht.

9. b. The measures for mobilization form the content of Section II in every part of the mob. schedule, with the proviso that in the case of "mobilization without public announcement (Case X)" they will be carried out according to the provisions of No. 4.b) without publication, whereas in the case of general mobilization with public announcement (mob. case) they will as a rule be subject to no restrictions. The specially designated measures (code number) for the supervision and checking of the intelligence service will in no case, however, come into force except by special order of the OKW (No. 4.c).

The advance measures for the period of tension are printed in red in Section II (mobilization).

The purpose of the said summary in Section II is to afford a complete survey in case mobilization should arise suddenly (without a previous period of tension).

The mob. measures common to all administrative authorities are listed in a special Part II of the mobilization schedule. They are not included in the separate parts of the mob. schedule.

10. Every part of the "Mobilization Schedule for the civil administrative authorities" (and therewith all the highest Reich Departments) is furnished with certain code numbers with which the various measures are to be designated at all times.

The purpose of these code numbers is to enable certain measures to be put into effect quickly and under certain circumstances to be camouflaged. In order to guard against confusion with the code numbers of the Wehrmacht units, the letter Z (for Zivilverwaltungen- i.e. civil administration) is to be set before the code number wherever code numbers are given in the mob. schedule of the civil administration.

11. The "mobilization schedule for the civil administrative authorities" contains in-

Part I

The introduction to the mob. schedule for the civil administrative authorities No. 1-100

Part II

Measures applicable to all administrations and in its subsequent parts measures of the various supreme Reich Departments. Code No. 0101-0500

Part III

Foreign Office Code No. 0501-1000

Part IV

Reich Ministry of the Interior Code No. 1001-1500

Part V

Reich Ministry for Popular Enlightenment & Propaganda Code No. 1501-2000

Part VI

Reich Ministry of Justice Code No. 2001-2500

Part VII

Reich Ministry for Science, Education and Popular Culture Code No. 2501-3000

Part VIII

Reich Traffic Ministry (Motor traffic, shipping & waterways) Code No. 3001-3500

Part IX

Reich Post Code No. 3501-4000

Part X

Reich Traffic Ministry (Railway Sections) Code No. 4001-4500

Part XI

General Inspector for German roadways Code No. 4501-5000

Part XII

Special measures of the Plenipotentiary for Economy Code No. 5001-5500

Part XIII

Reich Ministry for Economy Code No. 5501-6000

Part XIV

Reich Ministry for Food and Agriculture Code No. 6001-6500

Part XV

Reich Ministry of Finance Code No. 6501-7000

Part XVI

Reich Ministry of Labor Code No. 7001-7500

Part XVII

Reich Forests Director Code No. 7501-8000

Part XVIII

Reichbank Directorate Code No. 8001-8500

Part XIX

Reich Department for Space Regulation Code No. 8501-9000

Part XX

NSDAP Code No. 9001-9500

12. The various civil administrations will in their own sphere of authority keep mobilization calendars based on the general measures set forth in the "mobilization schedule for civil administrative authorities".

These calendars will comprise the individual measures and explanations necessary for the execution of the general measures in the same order and with the same code numbers as in the mobilization schedule.

That the code numbers of the mobilization schedule should agree with those on all mob. calendars is necessary to enable the measures ordered in accordance with the mob. schedule to be passed on quickly and camouflaged.

The mobilization calendars of the civil administrative authorities shall be drafted and passed on in the same way in compliance with the executory provisions laid down by the OKW.

c. Securing of sufficient money to cover mobilization.

13. The money set aside in the Reichsbank establishments for the purposes of the armed forces and the civil administration in the case of mobilization may be used for the advance measures and for the mobilization without public announcement ("Case X").

The absolutely necessary payments before the publication of a mobilization order are to be entered under a special section of the present budget appropriations for the time being and will be transferred to the war budget later on, unless otherwise directed. This regulation is to be added to all mobilization calendars.

D. Dates for Mob. Preparations in the Civil Administration.

14. In order that a new measure should be included in the mobilization schedule for the civil administrative authorities, application must be made to the Chief of the Reich Defense Committee (Section Defense of the Reich in the OKW).

15. In order that consistency may be preserved in preparing measures for the calendar for any mobilization year, alterations, and where possible, new measures should only be applied for once a year-at the latest-November 1st.

On the basis of such applications the mob. schedule will be altered by the following 1st of February in such a way that it will be decisive for calendar preparations for the current mob. year (April 1-March 31).

Source:
Nazi Conspiracy and Aggression Volume IV
Office of the United States Chief Counsel for Prosecution of Axis Criminality
Washington, DC : United States Government Printing Office, 1946

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