The Birmingham age-herald. [volume], December 12, 1919, Page THREE, Image 3

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Ludendorff Defends the
Exploitation Of Ukraine
Says Necessities of Germans Were Excuse for Actions That
Caused Criticisms—Could Not Let Country
Fall to Bolshevists
By GEN. ERICH V ON LVDGKDORFF
i
Today** installment conclude* the publication of Ludendorff * book*
“My Thoughts and Actions,” with a chapter in which he endeavors to ex
cuse the hard policy of German militarism in the Ukraine after the peace
of Brest-Litovsk. The ruthless exploitation of this country by Germans*
who often robbed and killed, was too much even for the Germans at
home, and many voices were raised against the policies adopted. Luden
dorff, as usual, gives the necessities of the German and people as his ex
cuse for the woes inflicted on another people.
The portion of the book dealing with the drive* of 1918, the collapse
of the German war machine and the frantic efforts that led to peace were
published at the beginning of the series.
In the Ukraine the German troops had, after taking Kieff on March 1,
1918, continued their advance more slowly. Odessa had fallen on the 12th,
after slight resistance. In this operation German troops, who had advanced
through Moldavia after the conclusion of the preliminary peace with Ru
mania on March 7, had co-operated. In the succeeding period G. H. Q. had
to bear in mind the objects for which the occupation of the Ukraine had been
undertaken and to carry the advance no further than those objects neces
The Ukraine had naked for our help.
We ourselves, and even more Austria
and its army, needed grain; the country
enold not, therefore, be allowed to be
come n prey, and a source of strength,
to bolshevism. We had to strengthen It
sufficiently to enable It to be useful
to us.
The principal grain district we had
occupied after the capture of Charkoff
on April 8. The commander-in-chief in
the east new found that the railways
CASTORIA
For Infants a.»d Children
In Use For Over 30 Years
Always bears
the
Signature oi
could not be worked without the coal
of the Donetz Basin (opposite the
northeast corner of the Black Sea). ^>o.
willy-nilly, we had to agree to occupy
this part of the Ukraine as well, and to
advance our lines as far as Rostoff.
which was reached at the beginning of
May. In spite of this we were obliged
at first to send very considerable quan
tities of coal from Germany to the Uk
raine; this import, however, decreased I
when more coal was procurable locally j
Besides the railway, we also needed
secure water transport from the Black
Sea ports to Braila. The Russian Biack
Sea fleet had caused us difficulties at
Odessa, Nicolaieff and Charon. Which
government it was under was doubt
ful; in any event, it did not carry out
the conditions of the peace of Brest. In
Sebastopol it would always be a dan
ger to navigation; so at the end of
April we occupied the Crimea. Part of
the Russian fleet escaped to Novoros
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The occupation of this extensive ter
ritory had led to fresh conflicts with
bolshevik bands and troops. In most
cases they were driven off without
trouble. After the advance was stopped
the commander-in-chief in the east had
agreed upon a line of demarcation with
the soviet government.
It Wiw nternificnnf of thin government
that It often accnned onr troops of not
respeetlng this line, while we had re
ports from oar eommnnder-ln-ehief that
bolshevik hands had raided the terri
tory which oar troops were to proteet.
Unfortunately the foreign office ap
peared to believe bolshevik lies sooner
than our statements.
After a good deal of discussion with
the Austrian headquarters at Baden our
respective spheres of interest in the Uk
raine were settled. On this, the quar
termaster general effected an agree
ment with Austria-Hungary, and the
exploitation of the supplies was regu
lated, Afterward, however, in view of
the way Austria-Hungary had been
seizing our supplies, this agreement had
to be modified, so that we undertook
the collecting of supplies in the whole
of the Ukraine and their distribution.
This was only an expedient, unfortu
nately a necessary one. in order to es
tablish a practical working system.
HAD A CONFUSED SYSTEM
The German military and civil au
thorities found ample scope for their
activities. I followed everything with
great attention, since general headquar
ters was principally interested in the
result. Field Marshal von Eichhorn had
taken over the army group at Kieff
the government was represented by
Ambassador von Mumm. The collec
tion of supplies was in the hands of the
imperial office (Reichswirtschaft
samt).
A more confused and many-beaded
organization it was impossible to Imag-*
ine find it was all due to Berlin’s un- !
fortunate attitude toward "militarism,”
as well as to its own "bureaucratism”
and hidebound methods.
As was to be expected, the new gov
ernment of the Ukraine had proved in-,
capable either of settling the unrest in
the country or of delivering grain to
us. This government disappeared from
the scene, and Hetman Skoropadski as
sumed control.
While at the end of April aad early
in May I was occupied with Important
work connected with the operation* In
the west, I received through the em
peror’s military cabinet a telegram
from the imperial chancellor to the em
peror, complaining in ntrong terms of
the “mllltnrlnt” attitude of the group
henriquartera at Kieff and requesting
his majesty to remedy It. The military
cabinet had informed the imperial
chancellor that his majesty proposed
that in the first instance the whole epi
sode should be investigated by means
of a joint inquiry by the authorities
concerned.
DENIES MILITARISM’S FAULT
I looked forward to this with satis
faction, for I was firmly convinced that
by probing the matter to the bottom,
and eliminating all gossip and preju
dice, we should once more find there
was nothing in the whole affair. In
this case we did not even reach the
conference stage, for it was soon made
clear that the field marshal and the
ambassador had personally worked well
together. So. as it happened, "mili
tarism” had had nothing to do with it.
What actually occurred was that
during the course of events a general
had dealt somewhat harshly with a for
mer member of the government, whose
conduct had betrayed a highly doubt
ful attitude toward German interests.
But the whole business left a bitter
taste behind. I only mention this inci
dent because it was characteristic of
the feeling in Berlin.
(The incident of which he makes light
was the overturning of the Ukraine
parliament and cabinet by German
troops and the establishment of Skoro
padski as dictator.)
They were always ready there to go
against, instead of with, us. Tt was
though more important to consider cer
tain political interests than practical
requirements, even though the latter,
like Field Marshal von Eichhorn’s care
for agriculture, was of the greatest
consequence to our subsistence. It was
particularly regrettable that without
hearing the other side, the war minis
ter had sided with the government.
SKOROPADSKI AIDED INVADERS
Hetman .Skoropadski turned out to
be a man with whom it was possible
to work well. He was determined to
maintain order in the country, and to
meet us as far as possible. I made his
acquaintance later and formed a very
! good impression of him. He was never
! superficial, but penetrated to the bot
tom of everything
(ifnorni headquarters ronid not nr
otherwise. than. satisfied. with, thr
change of government at Kieff, nn it
was favornlile to tlir prosecution of the
war. I anticipated being able to in
crease our armies and ot|r food supply -
and the raising of new Ukrainian for
mation was net nail y commenced. This,
of course, required time and brought
us no immediate relief. The German
troops that were in the Ukraine were
urgently needed by the group for pro
tection against the bolsheviks and se
curing the economic exploitation of the
country. Whenever we wanted to re
duce them it complained that they were
not strong enough.
The imperial economic office pur
sued a peace-time policy in the Ukraine
which anticipated a state of affairs
that did not yet exist; to that no one
could object, provided that with the
more limited economic policy' the pure
ly military motive, for which I pleaded,
was not thereby excluded. Tn Its need
Austria-Hungary had taken drastic
measures, and. although it did not get
anything like what Count Ccernin, ear
ly In February, had stated to he neces
sary, the supplies it drew from the Uk
raine, combined with our assistance,
undoubtedly saved Austria and Its
army from starvation.
GREAT HELP FROM UKRAINE
Only the most urgent needs, how
ever, were satisfied, and even then we
did not receive the bread grain and
forage so urgently’ required to revive
the strength of our people at home.
Still, the Ukraine did help Germany. In
the summer of 1018 it supplied us with
meat, and thus the scanty meat ration
we had was made possible without en
croaching upon our own live stock re
serves and those of the occupied terri
tories.
The army was also able to get horses
In great numbers; without them war
fare would have been altogether impos
sible .for if Germany had been obliged
to raise these horses our own agricul
ture would have been hard hit. We
also obtained from the Ukraine raw
materials of all kinds.
The hope that the grain of the Uk
raine would prov$ to be an economic
weapon which would improve our posi
tion in regard to the neutrals, and
would bring us that further economic
alleviation which was so important for
maintaining our warlike capacity, had
soon to be abandoned.
By occupying the Ukraine we had
considerably, weakened, the. military
policy of the soviet governiueat. We
also established connection with many
representatives of nationalistic tenden
cies of Great Kussia, and with the Don
Cossacks, whom we conld have made
use of to combat bolshevism If the gov
ernment had agreed to do so.I. t
TROOPS SENT TO FINLAND
On the Great Russian front of the
commander-in-chief in the east, from
the Pripet to the Gulf of Finland, no
change had occurred since March 3.
Finland had risen, and urgently re
quired immediate help. Arnik alone
were not enough. The soviet govern
ment made no preparations to with
draw its troops from Finland. The
moment when that country would re
ceive assistance from England was ap
proaching.
In order to prevent the formation o!
another eastern front, and to increase
our military strength, we complied with
Finland's request for troops. General
von Mannerheim also supported the dis»
pate hof German troops. He did not
want them too soon, nor in too great
strength, so that his Finns might have
some fighting to do, and thereby gain
confidence. Those were sound mili
tary ideas.
With the consent of the imperial gov
ernment, of which we continued to as
sure ourselves, we first established an
advanced base in the Aaland Islands. '
because at that time it appeared neces
sary to land in the Gulf of Bothnia. As
a short time before Sweden had also
landed troops on the islands, we had to
enter into special negotiations with
that oountry, which proceeded without
difficulty. Later on Sweden withdrew
its troops ;and we ourselves abandoned
the islands, soon after general head
quarters had decided to land the expe
dition at Mango.
RED GUARDS DRIVEN OUT
Liaison with General von Manner
heim was maintained by Major Crantz
whom I had sent to the Finnish head
quarters, where he settled how the
German troops were to be employed.
Co-operation with General von Manner
heim was always satisfactory, and
marked by mutual confidence.
The Baltic division had been formed
at Danzig under General Count von der
Goltft; it consisted of three battalions
of Jager, three regiments of mounted
rifles (Kavallerie-Schutxen) and a few
batteries. It landed at Hango early in
April, while General von Mannerheim
with the Finnish white guards, who had
been partly armed by us. was north
west of Tammerfors with his back to
Wasa. The Finnish Jager battalion
had been sent to him. Being composed
of picked men, it formed an excellent
training school for the new Finnish
officers.
While General von Mannerheim ad
vanced viA Tammerfors, the Baltic di
vision moved northeast toward Tavas
tehus. In co-operation with the fleet,
it occupied Helsigfors «on the 13th of
April, with a weak force; the eom
mander-in-chief in the east landed a
weak detachment unejer Colonel von
Brandenstein at Tvovisa and Kotka, east
of Helsingfors. This detachment march
ed north in order to block the retreat
of the red guards, who were near Tav
astehus, at Lahti. In a concentric at
tack they were completely surrounded
after heavy fighting at the end of
April and forced to surrender. Fin
land was thus liberated.
ENGLAND COULD NOT ADVANCE
In the meantime Viborg had been oc
cupied from the north by the white
guards; strategically this-was a good
move; what its actual result would
have been. If the decision had not taken
place further west, could not be fore
seen, owing to the uncertain fighting
value of the opposing forces and the
support of the bolsheviks from Russia
The tactical victory and the prompt
liberation of Finland were achieved on
the field of Lahti-Tavastehus by the
splendid collaboration of German and
Finnish troops. This concluded opera- i
} tions.
We raw held positions at Viborg and 1
i Narva which would at any time en- j
able or to advance on Petrograd, In
order to overthrow the bolshevik gov
ernment or prevent the Englimh front
reaching there from Murmnn^k, From |
Finland, moreover, 'the Murmansk rail- ■
way was flanked along its whole!
length, so that England could not un- i
dertake any serious attampt on Petro- ,
grad.
The English expedition which had oc- ;
cupied the Murman coast was firmly
held there. The diversion of the weak
Baltic division, of which the three Ja- ;
ger battalions returned to Germany in !
August, was well worth while. The
Finnish government at once set about
organizing the Finnish army, assisted
by German instructors.
BALKED BY FOREIGN OFFICE
That we did not achieve more in Fin
land is mainly ofving to our ever vas
cillating policy. General Count von
der Goltz had won universal confidence,
even that of the leading politicians,
which the representative of the Ger
man government was not so successful
in doing. The want of decision in our
foreign policy was unfortunately made
evident in this sphere also. The foreign
office adopted no definite plan, and be
came nobody’s friend in Finland, hut
only offended Germany’s faithful ad
herents.
The many proofs of warm sympathy
which I received from Finland after
my resignation prove that gratitude
still exists in the world. This sympathy
touched me all the more because it
sas not Finnish but purely German in
.erests that took us there.
When In February, If»l9. the Swedish
irovemment, for no reasons that 1
TOnld understand. made difficulties
»bout my staying there, a Finnish dele
irate suddenly appeared at llessle
holuisgard to offer me an asylum in
Finland. I vras pleased, but of conr*<
refused, as I wanted to return to tier
many.
A maxing revelations made by l.uden
dorff in his book will be reviewed to
morrow by Kuscene J. 1 oung, war edi
tor of the New York \% ortd. who has
handled and annotated the work for
the American newspapers that have
bad the advantage of printing It. For
those who wish to get a clear Idea of
the events of the war this review will
he invaluable and well worth keeping
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