Study Notes on the Civilian Experience during the Second Half of July 1941 in China and the Soviet Union

Civilians in War Zones
- At the end of July 1941, civilians in China and the Soviet Union face dire conditions amidst war.
- Both sides of the conflict are indistinguishable to civilians, who suffer destruction of their homes and livelihoods.
- Civilians are treated as enemies by both warring parties.

German Invasion and NKVD Actions
- In early July 1941, the German invasion of the USSR escalates.
- The NKVD (secret police) races to eliminate as many political prisoners as possible in anticipation of German advances.
Mass Killings
- SS Einsatzgruppen, Wehrmacht, and Romanian Army commence mass murders of Jews and Communists with local collaborators (Poles, Lithuanians, Byelorussians, Ukrainians, Romanians, Latvians, Estonians).
- Stalin declares a war of extermination in response to Hitler’s aggressions.
Humanitarian Crisis
- By the end of July, the ongoing war results in significant civilian suffering.
- Occupied Nazi territories experience intensified oppression with many undesirables rounded up.
- The Croatian state continues mass killings in the remnants of Yugoslavia, and Poland faces increased terror from Nazi forces.

Emergence of Resistance
- Various local populations begin to resist occupation:
  - The Balkans see Tito forming a partisan movement.
  - Serbian Chetniks organize into a militia.
  - Active resistance increases in Poland.
  - Espionage efforts ramped up in Norway, the Benelux countries, and France with support from British Special Operations.

Bombing in China
- China, under attack since Chongqing became its provisional capital in 1937, is subject to a sustained bombing campaign by Japan.
  - Japanese bombings aimed to annihilate Chongqing and lower war support among civilians.
  - From 1938 to 1943, a total of 268 air raids are planned, resulting in over 11,500 civilian deaths.
  - A significant raid on June 5, 1941 involved incendiary bombs and delayed fuse bombs, killing between 1,000 to 4,000 civilians in an air raid shelter.
- The United States protests these actions but Japanese bombings resume rapidly in July.
Sankō Sakusen (Three Alls Policy)
- Japanese military doctrine involves extreme measures: kill all, burn all, loot all. Officially enacted with Emperor Hirohito’s consent in 1938.
- General Yasuji Okamura appointed commander and utilizes chemical warfare in engagements against Chinese forces.
- This policy leads to an expected 2.47 million civilian deaths according to historian Himeta Mitsuyoshi.
- Local Chinese forces also adopt scorched earth strategies in a bid to prevent Japanese advances, impacting civilian populations heavily.

Stalin’s Directives
- On July 3rd, Stalin instructs the Soviet populace to destroy valuable resources to hinder enemy advances.
  - Calls for formation of guerrilla units and sabotage groups are made, intending to create unbearable conditions for the occupiers.
- Such strategies inadvertently result in further suffering for Soviet citizens caught in conflict zones, where fleeing is seen as treason.

Volga Germans Militia
- A militia forms among the Volga Germans, expressing opposition to Hitler's Nazi agenda.
  - Chairman Hoffmann and Heckman encourage local Germans to fight against fascists for freedom.
- A significant number enlist, showcasing varied responses within occupied regions.

Life under Military Control
- Many civilians encounter rampant lawlessness and exploitation by both occupiers and their own military.
- Some locals find themselves seeking resources from German forces, leading to alliances with the enemy out of desperation.
- Numerous Soviet citizens serve in German auxiliary units, with an estimated 215,000 losing their lives while in enemy uniforms.

Lebensraum Ideologies
- The invasion aims for ethnic cleansing, enslavement, and comprehensive genocide in the occupied territories, orchestrated by Heinrich Himmler and Reinhard Heydrich.
  - Generalplan Ost: Extensive plans for population removal or extermination based on racial ideologies:
    - 80–85% of Poles, 50–75% of Czechs, 50–60% of Russians, 25% of Ukrainians, and Byelorussians earmarked for extermination and resettlement.
    - Plans include the abduction of children deemed acceptable for Aryan re-education and slavery.
  - Envisioned racial purity within two decades extending from the Atlantic to the Ural Mountains by 1961.
The Hunger Plan
- Executed to systematically starve the remaining Soviet population under German control, which involves seizing food resources and issuing starvation rations to prisoners and undesirables.
  - Immediate implementation leads to widespread famine crises by July 1941.

Increasing Anti-Jewish Violence
- Pogroms against Jewish populations led by local collaborators and Einsatzgruppen result in mass killings.
- Jews are concentrated into ghettos or face execution; substantial numbers also join partisan forces in desperate attempts to resist.
- Many innocent Soviet soldiers face summary executions based on ethnicity.

Escalating Despair
- As August 1941 approaches, the civilian casualty figures rise into the tens of millions, with multiple layers of suffering imposed by both Axis and communist forces.
  - The war has stripped civilians of their homes, livelihoods, and prospects of safety, reducing them to states of survival amidst overwhelming fear and deprivation.
- The testimony urges accountability to understand these historical horrors and advocates for awareness to avoid repeating past mistakes.

Final Thoughts

Emphasis on documenting history devoid of ideological biases to properly narrate the atrocities faced during wartime.
Encouragement to join initiatives committed to preserving pages of history accurately and responsively.