The German occupation power in Estonia, 1941-44
The occupation regime of the Hitler-led Greater Germany in various countries during World War II was remarkably diverse. In some places, a non-political military administration was established, in others, different political civil administrations, and some places were joined with Germany.
Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania were seen as areas which again needed to be cut off from the Soviet territory and joined with Greater Germany, but the specific form and duration of this process were not determined. During the war, these areas were governed by civil administration. General commissariats were established in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Belarus, led by commissar generals (Karl-Siegmund Litzmann in Estonia). These areas together formed the state commissariat Ostland, headed by the State Commissar Heinrich Lose. This commissariat, in turn, answered to the Ministry for the Occupied Eastern Territories, headed by Alfred Rosenberg.
The Estonian territory passed from the control of the German military powers to that of a civil administration led by a commissar general on 5 December 1941. The Estonian general commissariat was divided into seven regional administrative units. Every commissar general followed the rules of German political governance and supervised the local administration (Estonian Self-Administration, Omavalitsus). Public administration was realised by the head and directors of the Self-Administration, whose number and tasks were determined by the commissar general. The government was to observe the laws of the Republic of Estonia, which had been valid before 21 June 1940, if they were not cancelled or changed by a special regulation.
The field of activity of the German civil power was rather narrow, as a number of domains were subjected to other German power institutions. Police security forces were subordinated to Heinrich Himmler, the head of the SS and the police, represented by the heads of the local SS and police, the Security Police and the SD (Sicherheitsdienst). Economic matters were under the jurisdiction of the Marshal of the Empire (Reichsmarschall), Hermann Göring.
As the front was very close, Estonia was considered, throughout the period, an operational area and the higher military power was executed by the commander of the rear of the military unit called Nord. The most important task of the general commissariat was the administration of civil issues and organising the supplies of agricultural products.
The established power system did not really satisfy any of the parties and caused constant power struggles between the German institutions. Advancing Germany’s military aims in fighting the Soviet Union would have been easier had there been more extensive cooperation with the occupied nations, in which case they should have been granted more political freedom. Commissar General Litzmann was convinced that, in order to achieve the goal, Estonians had to be politically supervised and not ruled in a dictatorial manner. The German civil powers ended their activity in Estonia on 17 September 1944.
