The policy of the German occupation administration in the North Caucasus in 1942–1943

The relevance of the policy of the German occupation administration in the North Caucasus (1942-1943) is high for modern science. In recent decades, there has been a significant increase in research interest in the events of World War II on the occupied territories of the USSR. This is due to the process of declassifying archival materials that began in the 1990s, which allows for a more objective and comprehensive understanding of this period. In contrast to the central regions of Russia, the policy in the North Caucasus had its own specific features, which is what attracts the attention of scholars. An understanding of historical models of governance and policy may provide a key to comprehending modern conflicts and their roots. Purpose . Reconstruct the management system, methods and results of the occupation policy, to determine its specifics. Objectives : analysis of military administration bodies; study of economic policy (export of resources, agrarian transformations); identification of the scale, forms and motives of collaboration; correlation of propaganda with real practice. Methodology . The methodological basis of the research is based on the principles of historicism, scientific objectivity and consistency. The work uses both general scientific methods (analysis, synthesis, comparison) and special historical ones: historical and genetic, the comparative historical, problem-chronological method. Results . The Policy of the German Occupation Administration in the North Caucasus in 1942–1943 represents a complex phenomenon that combined propaganda promises of a "special approach" with harsh economic exploitation and genocide. The findings of modern scholarly research reveal a deep gap between German plans and their practical implementation. Conclusions . Thus, the policy of the German occupation administration in the North Caucasus represented an inconsistent and contradictory strategy, in which initial attempts to implement a "special" approach with elements of loyalty and attention to local specifics quickly gave way to total terror under the pressure of military failures. The main goal of the occupation remained resource exploitation, and the administrative structures were subordinated to this task, which ultimately led to the collapse of the occupation policy in the region.