List of Adolf Hitler's directives explained

The following is a list of the Führer directives and Führer Orders issued by Adolf Hitler over the course of World War II:

The directives

Directive NoDate issuedSubjectNotesFull text
1September 1, 1939Plan of Attack on PolandInvasion of Poland[1]
2September 3, 1939Hostilities in the West
3September 9, 1939Transfer of Forces from Poland to the West
4September 25, 1939Finishing the War in Poland
5September 30, 1939Partition of Poland, removing restrictions on naval warfare.
6October 9, 1939Plans for Offensive in the West
7October 18, 1939Preparations for Attack in the West
8November 20, 1939Further Preparations for Attack in the West
9November 29, 1939Instructions for Warfare against the Economy of the Enemy
10January 19-February 18, 1940Concentration of Forces for "Case Yellow" (Fall Gelb)Manstein Plan
10aMarch 1940Case "Weser Exercise" against Denmark and NorwayOperation Weserübung
11May 14, 1940The Offensive in the West
12May 18, 1940Prosecution of the Attack in the West
13May 24, 1940Next Object in the West
14June 8, 1940Continuation of the Offensive in France
15June 14, 1940Advance on the Loire
16July 16, 1940Preparations for Operation Sea LionSpecifies a broad front landing on south coast of England from Ramsgate to Isle of Wight.[2]
17August 1, 1940Battle of Britain[3]
18November 12, 1940Seizure of GibraltarOperation FelixFull text
19December 10, 1940German occupation of Vichy FranceOperation AttilaFull text
20December 13, 1940German invasion of GreeceOperation Marita[4]
21December 18, 1940Invasion of the Soviet UnionOperation BarbarossaFull text
Alt. Full text
22January 11, 1941German Support for Battles in the Mediterranean AreaOperation Sonnenblume
23February 6, 1941Directions for Operations against the English War Economy
24March 5, 1941Co-operation with Japan
25March 27, 1941Plan of Attack on YugoslaviaOperation Strafe[5] Original text
26April 3, 1941Co-operation with our Allies in the Balkans
27April 4, 1941Plan of Attack on Greece
28April 25, 1941Invasion of CreteOperation Mercury[6]
29May 17, 1941Proposed Military Government of Greece[7]
30May 23, 1941Support of anti-British forces in Iraq(see Führer Directive No. 30)
31June 9, 1941German Military Organisation in the BalkansBattle of Crete
32June 11, 1941Plans following defeat of the Soviet UnionOperation OrientFull text
32aJuly 14, 1941Use of resources following defeat of the Soviet UnionFull text
33July 19, 1941Continuation of the War in the EastTwo Panzer Groups were removed from Army Group Centre, depriving it of the armour which it would otherwise have used to attack Moscow.[8]
33aJuly 23, 1941Supplement to 33
34July 30, 1941Strengthening Soviet resistance
34aAugust 12, 1941Supplement to 34
35September 6, 1941Closing the encirclement of Leningrad, destruction of the Southwestern FrontBattle of Moscow, Siege of Leningrad
36September 22, 1941Instructions for Winter operations in the ArcticInstructions to the Army High Command, Norway, the navy and the air force for winter operations in and around northern Norway, Finland, and the Soviet Arctic regions.
37October 10, 1941Reorganizing forces in the Arctic
38December 2, 1941Transfer of air units to the Mediterranean
39December 8, 1941Abandoning the Offensive
40March 23, 1942Competence of Commanders in Coastal AreasCommand Organization of the Coasts Atlantic Wall;[9] [10]
41April 5, 1942Summer Campaign in the Soviet UnionOperation Blue[11]
42May 29, 1942Instructions for operations against unoccupied France and the Iberian PeninsulaOperation Attila replaced by Case Anton; Operation Isabella cancelled;[12]
43July 11, 1942Continuation of Operations from the Crimea
44July 21, 1942Operations in Northern Finland
45July 23, 1942Continuation of Operation Brunswick
46August 18, 1942Instructions for Intensified Action Against Banditry in the East
47December 28, 1942Outlines the Chain of command for the South Eastern Mediterranean, and defensive strategies for a possible Allied attack on the Balkans and surrounding islands.
48July 26, 1943Command and defence measures in the southeast
49July, 1943Believed to be a contingency plan to seize Italian positions in the event of their withdrawal from the war.Did not survive?
50September 28, 1943Concerning the preparations for the withdrawal of 20th Mountain Army to Northern Finland and Northern Norway
51November 3, 1943Preparations for a two-front war[13]
52January 28, 1944Battle of RomeBattle of Monte Cassino
53March 8, 1944Establishment of fortified areas and strong points
54April 2, 1944Measures to halt the Soviet advance in the East
55May 16, 1944Utilization of long range bombardment against England
56July 12, 1944Orders for the protection of shipping
57July 13, 1944Protocols for how authorities should operate in the event of an invasion of the Reich
58July 19, 1944Preparations for the defense of the Reich
59July 23, 1944Reorganization of Army Group North's command structure
60July 26, 1944Defensive measures for the Italian Alps
61August 24, 1944Establishment of defensive positions in the West
62August 29, 1944Establishment of defenses along the German northern coastal regions
63September 1, 1944Order for the West Wall to be on the defensive
64September 3, 1944Orders for Commander-in-Chief West
64aSeptember 7, 1944Conferring powers to Commander-in-Chief West
64bSeptember 9, 1944Supplement to 64a
65September 12, 1944Defensive measures for the South-East
66September 19–22, 1944Second decree on command authority within the Reich in the event of invasion
67November 28, 1944Exercise of command for isolated units
68January 21, 1945Reestablishing the command supremacy of the Fuhrer
69January 28, 1945Employment of the Volkssturm
70February 5, 1945Evacuation of refugees from the East to Denmark
71March 20, 1945Orders for a scorched earth campaign within the Reich"Decree Concerning Demolitions in the Reich Territory" also known as Nero Decree
72April 7, 1945Reorganization of command in the West
73April 15, 1945Organization of command in the event Northern and Southern Germany are separated
74April 15, 1945Order of the day to soldiers on the Eastern Front[14]

References

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Directive No. 1 for the Conduct of the War . 31 August 1939 . Alternate Wars . unfit . https://web.archive.org/web/20220426120454/https://www.alternatewars.com/WW2/Docs/Fuhrer_Directives/FD_01.htm . Apr 26, 2022 .
  2. Web site: Directive No. 16 On preparations for a landing operation against England . 16 July 1940 . Alternate Wars . unfit . https://web.archive.org/web/20220426120453/http://www.alternatewars.com/WW2/Docs/Fuhrer_Directives/FD_16.htm . Apr 26, 2022 .
  3. Web site: Directive No. 17 For the conduct of air and sea warfare against England . 1 August 1940 . Alternate Wars . unfit . https://web.archive.org/web/20220426120455/http://www.alternatewars.com/WW2/Docs/Fuhrer_Directives/FD_17.htm . Apr 26, 2022 .
  4. Web site: Führer Directive x. Alternate Wars.
  5. Crete 1941: Germany’s lightning airborne assault, Peter Antill p.12
  6. Web site: Directive No. 28: 'Undertaking Mercury [Merkur]' ]. 25 April 1941 . Alternate Wars . unfit . https://web.archive.org/web/20220426120454/http://www.alternatewars.com/WW2/Docs/Fuhrer_Directives/FD_28.htm . Apr 26, 2022 .
  7. Web site: Führer Directive x. Alternate Wars.
  8. Book: Peter Antill . Peter Dennis . Stalingrad 1942 . . 2007 . 9 . 978-1-84603-028-4 .
  9. Book: Zaloga , Steven J. . The Atlantic Wall . . 2007 . 9 . 9781846031298 .
  10. Web site: Führer-Directive 40. Alternate Wars.
  11. Web site: Führer Directive 41. WW2DB.
  12. Web site: Führer Directive 42. Alternate Wars.
  13. Web site: Führer-Directive 51.
  14. https://ww2db.com/doc.php?q=332 Full text