Eric Koch is a Nazi whose name is hated by all Ukrainian people. After all, being in the post of Reichskommissar of Ukraine, he sentenced to death more than 4 million people. Not to mention how many people, by his grace, became disabled from exorbitant hard work in concentration camps.
But why did Eric Koch hate other nations so much? How did it happen that it was he who became the head of Nazi Ukraine? And how did the dictatorial rule of the Reichskommissar end?
Eric Koch: a biography of the early years
The reason for Koch's bad temper lies in his childhood. Eric's parents, Gustav Adolf and Henriette Koch, were ardent Lutherans. From an early age, they kept their children in strict discipline, where any violation could lead to severe punishment. Such an upbringing had a detrimental effect on the psyche of Eric Koch, which would later become a real disaster for his subjects.
An important fact is that their family lived in constant need. Because of this, Eric had to give up his dream of higher education and enroll in a regular typographic school. Subsequently, this will anger him even more, making him hate the whole world.
But inhe first enters the German army in 1915. According to the official version, Eric Koch volunteers there. However, according to other sources, such courage was not inherent in this guy, and he got into the regular troops only because of the age call. It should be noted that during the First World War, he never distinguished himself, and therefore returned home with the rank of an ordinary soldier.
Career start
After the end of the war, Koch got a job on the railway in Elberfeld. Here he was entrusted with the position of assistant railway service. But this place was not the peak that Eric Koch dreamed of. The NSDAP (National Socialist German Workers' Party) is the force that the ambitious German dreamed of.
Therefore, in 1922, Koch will drop an application to join the party. Shortly thereafter, he is accepted into the ranks of the nationalists. And it is here that the leadership qualities of the future Reichskommissar begin to appear for the first time. Even the fact that in less than one year he receives the powers of the regional treasurer can be proof of this.
A big role in the development of Eric Koch was played by his oratorical skills. The emotional speeches of the Nazi quickly fascinated people, and this was only to his advantage. But sometimes his talent played against him. For example, a too violent speech at anti-French actions in the Rhine led to the fact that the nationalist was detained by local authorities.
Fateful meeting
1926 was a decisive year in the life of Eric Koch - he met Adolf Hitler. The future leader of the Nazis immediately took possessionthe heart of a German. His speeches, his ideas and plans for the future - all this excited Koch's imagination. At that moment, he realized that his whole life was only a prelude to this meeting. Hitler's influence was so strong that after their first conversation, Erich began to let go of his mustache, so that even in this little thing he would resemble his idol.
And already in October 1928, Koch was promoted to Gauleiter (the highest party position of the NSDAP) of East Prussia. This was followed by a series of dizzying ups: 1930 - Member of the Reichstag, 1933 - Oberpresident of East Prussia, and, finally, 1941 - Reichskommissar of Ukraine.
The politics of tyranny
On September 1, 1941, the Reichskommissariat was formed in Ukraine occupied by German invaders. It was headed by none other than Eric Koch. The military service under his command from the first days began to carry out purges of unwanted people on its territory. At the same time, the cruelty of the Reichskommissar extended not only to men, but also to women and children.
It is noteworthy that Adolf Hitler himself appointed Koch to this position. This is despite the fact that the Reichskommissar himself did not have either the necessary experience or the proper position in society. And if you believe the German archives, then Koch was even recommended to be sent to the territory of Russia, so that he would help suppress the fierce resistance of the Red Army.
However, Hitler was adamant, and therefore Eric Koch until the end of World War II remained the main one in Ukraine. At the same time, his power was so powerful that he received the unspoken nickname "ArchdukeErich." Only this title did not give him any mercy or compassion.
The only thing Eric Koch wanted was to devastate Ukraine. By his order, everything of value was exported from this country: gold, jewelry, art objects and even fertile land. Moreover, over 2.5 million Ukrainians were deported to Germany in order to work there for the benefit of the fascist nation.
Mystical Fortune
Eric Koch has become the object of hatred of millions of people. Therefore, it is not surprising that assassination attempts were constantly made on the Reichskommissar. But the German had either a strong intuition, or fabulous luck, since he never fell into the enemy's net. In this case, even Soviet intelligence officers failed, who twice tried to fake Koch's death.
Fall of the Reichskommissariat
However, his self-confidence quickly vanished when the Red Army appeared on the threshold of his residence. Initially, Eric Koch tried to protect his lands, but soon gave up. After that, the main task of the Reichskommissar became his own salvation, which completely absorbed his thoughts.
In April 1945, he secretly fled to the Hel Spit, from where he reached East Prussia by sea. Here he hoped to beg for transport to South America - the place where many Nazis decided to hide. But the new government denied him such a desperate request, after which Koch disappeared without a trace from their field of vision.
Ambition that came at a price
Eric Koch never escaped to South Americahappened. Therefore, in order not to try his luck, he lay low. He set up a small farm near Hamburg under the assumed name of Rolf Berger. Moreover, in 1948, he even managed to get unemployment benefits by presenting false documents.
Perhaps the former Nazi could have continued to fool others if not for his ambition. Even after the collapse of Germany, he continued to attend secret meetings of former Nazis, where he sometimes delivered fiery speeches. And just at one of these events in 1949, he was identified.
In May of the same year, he was transferred to the Soviet Union, since most of his crimes were committed on the territory of this country. And they, in turn, sent Koch to Poland, where he was tried.
It should be noted that this lawsuit dragged on for ten years. Only on May 9, 1959, Eric Koch was sentenced to death. However, luck again turned out to be merciful to the Nazi, and soon the measure of punishment was changed from execution to life imprisonment. As a result, the Nazi died in his cell on November 12, 1986, at that time he was 90 years old. That is why today many believe that Eric Koch is a criminal who never received a fair punishment.
