Births on May 1

Herbert Backe, German agronomist and politician (d. 1947)

Herbert Friedrich Wilhelm Backe, born on 1 May 1896 and dying on 6 April 1947, was a significant, albeit infamous, figure in Nazi Germany. As a German politician and an SS Senior Group Leader (SS-Obergruppenführer), he wielded considerable influence within the regime, particularly through his roles as State Secretary and later Minister in the Reich Ministry of Food and Agriculture. Backe was not merely an administrator; he was a deeply committed doctrinaire racial ideologue, whose beliefs profoundly shaped his policies and actions. His close associations with other prominent Nazis, such as his long-time colleague Richard Walther Darré and personal friend Reinhard Heydrich, underscore his entrenched position within the Nazi hierarchy and his unwavering commitment to their destructive vision.

Perhaps Backe's most chilling legacy is his instrumental role in developing and implementing what became known as the "Hunger Plan," or "Operation Hunger." This abhorrent strategy, conceived during the planning stages of Operation Barbarossa—the 1941 German invasion of the Soviet Union—was rooted in a genocidal intent. It envisioned the deliberate death by starvation of millions of Slavic and Jewish people, whom the Nazi regime cruelly designated as "useless eaters."

The mechanics of the Hunger Plan were straightforward yet devastating. Its core objective was to divert vast quantities of Ukrainian foodstuffs, a region historically known as Europe's breadbasket, away from central and northern Russia. This redirection served a dual purpose: it was intended to sustain the invading German army during its brutal campaign and to provision the German population back home. The horrific consequence of this policy was the deliberate starvation of millions of local civilians in the German-occupied territories, a systematic act of mass murder that stands as one of the darkest chapters of World War II.

Following the collapse of Nazi Germany at the end of World War II, Herbert Backe was arrested in 1945. He was slated to face justice at the Nuremberg Trials, specifically in the "Ministries Trial," which focused on high-ranking officials of various Reich ministries for war crimes and crimes against humanity. However, Backe ultimately evaded trial, taking his own life in his prison cell on 6 April 1947, bringing an end to the life of one of the architects of the Nazi regime's systematic starvation policies.

The Architect of Starvation: The Hunger Plan

Herbert Backe's name is inextricably linked with the infamous "Hunger Plan" (often referred to as the Starvation Plan or "Ostpolitik hunger"). This diabolical strategy, conceptualized and enforced under his leadership within the Reich Ministry of Food and Agriculture, was far more than an emergency measure; it was a calculated act of genocide. Its development coincided with the preparations for Operation Barbarossa, the massive German invasion of the Soviet Union in June 1941. The plan’s underlying premise was chillingly simple: to eliminate vast swathes of the population in the occupied eastern territories, particularly Slavic and Jewish communities, by deliberately depriving them of food resources. These populations were contemptuously labeled "useless eaters" by the Nazi regime, reflecting the dehumanizing ideology that fueled such atrocities.

The execution of the Hunger Plan involved the wholesale confiscation and systematic redirection of food supplies from the fertile lands of Ukraine, a region deemed vital for Germany's long-term food security and its war effort. These resources, which traditionally fed the local populations and the wider Soviet Union, were instead earmarked for the German armed forces on the Eastern Front and for the civilian population within Germany itself. This ruthless expropriation created an artificial famine in the occupied territories, leading to the agonizing deaths of millions of innocent civilians, a tragic testament to the regime's unparalleled brutality and its commitment to racial extermination.

FAQs About Herbert Backe and the Hunger Plan

Who was Herbert Backe?

Herbert Backe was a prominent German politician and SS-Obergruppenführer in Nazi Germany. He served as State Secretary and Minister in the Reich Ministry of Food and Agriculture and was a key architect of the genocidal "Hunger Plan."

What was the "Hunger Plan" (Operation Hunger)?

The "Hunger Plan" was a deliberate Nazi strategy, developed during the planning of Operation Barbarossa, to starve millions of Slavic and Jewish people in the German-occupied Soviet territories. It involved diverting food resources from these areas to feed the German army and population.

What was the main goal of the Hunger Plan?

The primary goal was the systematic extermination by starvation of millions of "useless eaters" (Slavic and Jewish populations) in Eastern Europe, while simultaneously securing food supplies for Germany and its invading forces.

What were the consequences of the Hunger Plan?

The plan resulted in the deaths of millions of local civilians in the German-occupied territories of the Soviet Union due to starvation, constituting a massive war crime and crime against humanity.

What was Herbert Backe's ultimate fate?

Herbert Backe was arrested in 1945 and was scheduled to be tried for war crimes at the Nuremberg "Ministries Trial." However, he committed suicide in his prison cell on 6 April 1947 before his trial could commence.

What were Backe's key ideological beliefs?

Backe was a doctrinaire racial ideologue, deeply committed to Nazi racial theories, which viewed Slavic and Jewish peoples as inferior and expendable, justifying their planned extermination.