Einsatzgruppen Directives and Reports (Irving File 3)

This collection comprises directives, orders, field reports, and administrative communications concerning the activities of the Einsatzgruppen (mobile killing units) and associated German security forces in occupied territories during World War II.

The material includes:

• Directives issued by the Reich Main Security Office (RSHA) to field units.
• Operational reports detailing anti-partisan warfare, security operations, and mass shootings.
• Administrative correspondence regarding coordination with Wehrmacht and civil authorities.
• Statistical summaries of executions and deportations.
• Guidelines on occupation policy, intelligence gathering, and population control.

The documents shed light on both the bureaucratic structure and operational realities of Nazi security policy in Eastern Europe, offering insight into the mechanics of occupation, mass violence, and genocide.

Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements:
Digitized reproduction of a microfilm or carbon copy set. Legibility varies, with some pages exhibiting fading, blurred type, or archival markings. The file is machine-readable to varying degrees but may require OCR correction for research use.

Disclaimer

This document is presented for historical and research purposes only.
It contains original records produced by Nazi authorities during World War II, including references to acts of mass violence, genocide, and other atrocities. The views, terminology, and content within reflect the ideology and language of the regime and are offensive, disturbing, and factually false in many cases.

The Irving Collection does not endorse or promote the ideas expressed in these documents. Access is provided solely to preserve the historical record, support academic research, and contribute to an accurate understanding of the period.

Researchers are advised to approach the material with caution and awareness of its context.

Condition Note

This file is a digitized reproduction of wartime German records, most likely derived from microfilm or carbon copies. Overall, the collection is complete and continuous, with minimal missing content.

• Legibility: The majority of pages are readable without significant difficulty, though quality varies. Some sections show fading, blurred type, or uneven inking, especially on carbon copies. Archival stamps and handwritten notations occasionally obscure parts of the text.

• Physical Indicators: Evidence of prior duplication is visible (microfilm frame markings, page skew, edge shadows). Some pages appear to have been photographed under suboptimal lighting, resulting in contrast loss.

• Preservation Quality: Despite imperfections, the file retains a high research utility. Nearly all reports, directives, and statistical tables are decipherable, and OCR (optical character recognition) processing is feasible with moderate manual correction.

Overall Assessment: Condition is rated fair to good, with the digital format ensuring preservation. The file is sufficiently clear for both scholarly research and evidentiary purposes, though transcription accuracy may require manual review on faded or obscured pages.

4 Page sample-Einsatzgruppen Directives and Reports (Irving File 3)