Herbert Backe, German agronomist and politician (b. 1896)

Herbert Friedrich Wilhelm Backe, born on May 1, 1896, and dying on April 6, 1947, was a highly influential German politician and a high-ranking SS officer, holding the rank of SS-Obergruppenführer, within the regime of Nazi Germany. He ascended to prominent positions, serving initially as State Secretary and later as Minister in the crucial Reich Ministry of Food and Agriculture. Backe was not merely a bureaucrat; he was a fervent and uncompromising racial ideologue whose beliefs deeply shaped the policies he enacted. His career was closely intertwined with other key Nazi figures, notably as a long-time associate of Richard Walther Darré, the Reich Minister of Food and Agriculture whom he eventually succeeded, and as a personal friend of Reinhard Heydrich, one of the primary architects of the Holocaust.

The Architect of Starvation: The Hunger Plan

Backe's most infamous legacy stems from his pivotal role in developing and implementing the "Operation Hunger," also known as the Hunger Plan (Hungerplan). This chilling strategy, conceived during the intricate planning phases of Operation Barbarossa—the ambitious 1941 invasion of the Soviet Union—was rooted in the Nazi regime's expansionist ideology of Lebensraum (living space) and its brutal racial policies. The plan explicitly envisioned the systematic death by starvation of millions of Slavic and Jewish people, whom the Nazis dehumanizingly labeled as "useless eaters," across the vast Soviet territories intended for German conquest and colonization.

The mechanics of the Hunger Plan were ruthlessly pragmatic. It dictated the deliberate diversion and redirection of abundant foodstuffs from Ukraine, often referred to as Europe's "breadbasket," and other fertile regions away from central and northern Russia. This stolen bounty was primarily intended to sustain the invading German army, the Wehrmacht, and to supplement the food supply for the population within Germany itself, thereby safeguarding German national security and prosperity at the direct expense of conquered peoples. The devastating outcome was precisely as intended: millions of local civilians in the German-occupied territories succumbed to famine and disease, marking one of the most horrific episodes of deliberate mass starvation in modern history.

End of the War and Post-War Fate

As World War II drew to a close and Nazi Germany collapsed, Herbert Backe was apprehended by the Allies in 1945. He was slated to face justice for his profound involvement in war crimes and crimes against humanity at the subsequent Nuremberg Trials, specifically within the "Ministries Trial" (officially known as "The United States of America v. Ernst von Weizsäcker, et al."), which focused on high-ranking officials of various Reich ministries. However, before he could be brought to account for his actions and stand trial, Backe committed suicide in his prison cell in Nuremberg on April 6, 1947, thereby evading judicial process for the atrocities he orchestrated.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Who was Herbert Backe?
Herbert Backe was a high-ranking German Nazi politician and SS officer who served as the State Secretary and later Minister in the Reich Ministry of Food and Agriculture. He was a radical racial ideologue and a key figure in the implementation of Nazi Germany's genocidal policies in Eastern Europe, particularly the Hunger Plan.
What was the Hunger Plan (Operation Hunger)?
The Hunger Plan was a deliberate Nazi policy, primarily conceived by Herbert Backe, to starve millions of Slavic and Jewish people in the Soviet Union following the German invasion (Operation Barbarossa). It involved diverting food resources from occupied Soviet territories to feed German troops and the German population, resulting in mass civilian deaths.
How many people died as a result of the Hunger Plan?
While exact figures are challenging to ascertain precisely, historical estimates indicate that millions of Soviet civilians, primarily Slavs and Jews, died from starvation and related diseases directly attributable to the Hunger Plan during the German occupation.
What was Backe's connection to other prominent Nazi figures?
Backe was a long-time associate of Richard Walther Darré, the influential Reich Minister of Food and Agriculture, and a personal friend of Reinhard Heydrich, a leading architect of the Holocaust and a high-ranking SS official. These connections highlight his deep integration into the core of the Nazi regime.
Why was Herbert Backe not tried at Nuremberg?
Herbert Backe was arrested in 1945 and scheduled to be tried for war crimes at the Nuremberg "Ministries Trial." However, he committed suicide in his prison cell on April 6, 1947, before his trial could commence, thus avoiding prosecution.