Herbert Ernst Backe Statesman of the Third Reich Date of Birth: 01.05.1896 Country: Germany

Biography of Herbert Ernst Backe

Herbert Ernst Backe was a prominent figure in the Third Reich, serving as a state official and state secretary in the Imperial Ministry of Food and Agriculture. He was born into a German colonialist family, his father being a merchant and a reserve lieutenant in the Prussian army. Backe began his education at the Tiflis Gymnasium in 1905, but due to the outbreak of World War I in 1914, he had to leave his studies.

During the war, Backe, among other Germans, was interned in Russia and was later released during the Russian Civil War with the help of the Swedish Red Cross. He then traveled to Germany, where he was able to complete his secondary education and obtain a diploma. In 1922, he joined the Sturmabteilung (SA), and in 1923, he graduated from the University of Göttingen. He worked as an assistant to the rector of the Higher Technical School in Hanover from 1923 to 1924.

Backe became a member of the Nazi Party (NSDAP) on February 1, 1925, and later joined the SS as well. In 1928, he was elected as a member of the Prussian Landtag representing the NSDAP. He specialized in agricultural policy and became a tenant of an estate in Hanover in 1928. From 1931 to 1933, Backe served as a district leader of the Nazi peasant organization and gained attention from Richard Walther Darré, who played a role in furthering his career.

On September 1, 1933, Backe became the deputy chief and later, on June 21, 1935, the chief of the SS Main Office for Race and Settlement Affairs. He was also a Reichstag deputy and concurrently held the position of state secretary in the Imperial Ministry of Food and Agriculture from October 1933. In 1934, he called upon German peasants to initiate the "Battle for Food" (Erzeugungsschlacht) to achieve complete food self-sufficiency in Germany.

In 1941, Backe became a member of the special staff "Oldenburg," which was responsible for organizing the looting of occupied Soviet territories. He was one of Hermann Göring's closest aides. Backe's twelve orders regarding the behavior of German soldiers in Russia from June 1, 1941, emphasized the importance of action even if the decision was wrong, describing Russia as a "country of corruption, denunciations, and servility."

On May 23, 1942, Adolf Hitler relieved Richard Walther Darré of his duties as Reich Minister of Food and Agriculture and entrusted Backe with performing his duties. Backe officially became the Reich Minister on April 1, 1944, and also replaced Darré as the Imperial Leader of Peasants (Reichsbauerführer). In these positions, he attempted to ensure uninterrupted food supply for Germany and developed the radical hunger strategy known as the Backe Plan, which targeted the civilian population in occupied Soviet territories.

Backe played a role in implementing Hitler's plans for Germanization in the occupied territories of the Soviet Union. He retained his position as Reich Minister in the government of Karl Dönitz and Albert Speer testified that Backe disappeared from Flensburg shortly before the arrest of the Flensburg government. There were rumors that he was arrested and taken to General Dwight D. Eisenhower's headquarters. It was planned to bring Backe to trial at the American Military Tribunal for the Wilhelmstrasse Case, but he hanged himself in his cell at Nuremberg Prison on April 6, 1947 (according to some sources, April 7, 1947).

Herbert Ernst Backe was awarded the Iron Cross 2nd Class and the Iron Cross 1st Class in 1939. He also received the Golden Party Badge of the NSDAP and various awards for his service in the party.