Military administration regime in Voroshilovgrad Region: formation and functioning of the oppressive apparatus during the Axis occupation of Donbass

Despite considerable interest in the history of occupation during World War II, this topic, especially in the context of regional studies and a detailed analysis of the functioning of the occupation apparatus, remains poorly understood in modern Russian historiography. Restoring an objective picture of events and analysing the mechanisms of the occupation authorities are of great importance when forming historical memory and policy in this field. The article is devoted to the study of the features of the occupation regime established in the territory of Voroshilovgrad Region when the Axis held it. The article analyses the process of formation of the German administrative apparatus, its structure and key functions, as well as control mechanisms, repressive measures and economic policies pursued by the occupiers. In the course of the research, the methods of historical analysis, synthesis, comparison and a structural and functional approach were used, which made it possible to consider the occupation regime as an integral system. The study is based on archival materials and historical sources, which made it possible to reveal the features of the three-pronged system of occupation management, which included military-administrative, military-economic and punitive-police structures. Special attention is paid to the role of commandant’s offices, «local government» bodies, as well as the functioning of the military-economic system aimed at meeting the needs of the Wehrmacht and Germany. The analysis revealed that the occupation regime in Voroshilovgrad Region was based on a combination of military control, economic exploitation, and brutal suppression of resistance through an extensive network of punitive agencies. The peculiarities of the interaction of various elements of the occupation apparatus and their impact on the lives of the local population are revealed.