Führer Directives
Encyclopedia
The Führer Directives were instructions and strategic plans issued by Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party , commonly referred to as the Nazi Party). He was Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, and head of state from 1934 to 1945...

 himself. They covered a wide range of subjects from detailed direction of military units in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

 to the governance of occupied territories and their populations. Under the Nazi system, they were binding, to be followed to the letter and superseded any other law.

They should not be confused with the Führer Orders, issued late in the war, which were more precise and low-level and could be written or verbal. They were as binding as the more general Directives.

The Directives

Directive No Date issued Subject
1 August 31, 1939 Plan of Attack on Poland German Invasion of Poland; text of Directive
2 September 3, 1939 Hostilities in the West
3 September 9, 1939 Transfer of Forces from Poland to the West
4 September 25, 1939 Finishing the War in Poland
5 September 30, 1939 Partition of Poland
6 October 9, 1939 Plans for Offensive in the West
7 October 18, 1939 Preparations for Attack in the West
8 November 20, 1939 Further Preparations for Attack in the West
9 November 29, 1939 Instructions for Warfare against the Economy of the Enemy
10 January 19-February 18, 1940 Concentration of Forces for "Undertaking Yellow"
10a March, 1940 Case "Weser Exercise" against Denmark and Norway Operation Weserübung
Operation Weserübung
Operation Weserübung was the code name for Germany's assault on Denmark and Norway during the Second World War and the opening operation of the Norwegian Campaign...

11 May 14, 1940 The Offensive in the West
12 May 18, 1940 Prosecution of the Attack in the West
13 May 24, 1940 Next Object in the West
14 June 8, 1940 Continuation of the Offensive in France
15 June 14, 1940 Advance on the Loire
16 July 16 Operation Sea Lion text of Directive
17 August 1 Battle of Britain text of Directive
18 November 12 Seizure of Gibraltar
Gibraltar
Gibraltar is a British overseas territory located on the southern end of the Iberian Peninsula at the entrance of the Mediterranean. A peninsula with an area of , it has a northern border with Andalusia, Spain. The Rock of Gibraltar is the major landmark of the region...

Operation Felix
Operation Felix
Operation Felix was the codename for a proposed German seizure of Gibraltar during World War II. It never got beyond the staff study stage, even though planning continued into 1944, primarily because of Francisco Franco's reluctance to commit Spain to enter the war on the Axis...

; text of Directive
19 December 10, 1940 German occupation of Vichy France
Vichy France
Vichy France, Vichy Regime, or Vichy Government, are common terms used to describe the government of France that collaborated with the Axis powers from July 1940 to August 1944. This government succeeded the Third Republic and preceded the Provisional Government of the French Republic...

Operation Attila
Operation Attila
Operation Attila may refer to:*Operation Attila , a plan for the Nazi occupation of Vichy France*Operation Atilla, actions of the Turkish armed forces during the invasion of Cyprus...

; text of Directive
20 December 13, 1940 German invasion of Greece Operation Marita; text of Directive
21 December 18, 1940 Invasion of the Soviet Union Operation Barbarossa
Operation Barbarossa
Operation Barbarossa was the code name for Germany's invasion of the Soviet Union during World War II that began on 22 June 1941. Over 4.5 million troops of the Axis powers invaded the USSR along a front., the largest invasion in the history of warfare...

; text of Directive; alternative text of Directive
22 January 11, 1941 German Support for Battles in the Mediterranean Area
23 February 6, 1941 Directions for Operations against the English War Economy
24 March 5, 1941 Co-operation with Japan
25 March 27, 1941 Plan of Attack on Yugoslavia Operation 25
26 April 3, 1941 Co-operation with our Allies in the Balkans
27 April 4, 1941 Plan of Attack on Greece
28 April 25, 1941 Invasion of Crete Operation Mercury; text of Directive
29 May 17, 1941 Proposed Military Government of Greece text of Directive
30 23 May 1941 Support of anti-British forces in Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....

(see Führer Directive No. 30
Fuhrer Directive No. 30
Führer Directive No. 30 was a directive issued by German dictator Adolf Hitler during World War II.-Overview and background:Führer Directive No. 30 dealt with German intervention in support of Arab nationalists in the Kingdom of Iraq...

)
31 June 9, 1941 German Military Organisation in the Balkans
32 July 11, 1941 Plans following defeat of the Soviet Union Operation Orient; text of Directive
32 supplement July 14, 1941 Use of Resources following defeat of the Soviet Union text of Directive
33 July 19, 1941 Continuation of the War in the East Two Panzer Groups were removed from Army Group Centre
Army Group Centre
Army Group Centre was the name of two distinct German strategic army groups that fought on the Eastern Front in World War II. The first Army Group Centre was created on 22 June 1941, as one of three German Army formations assigned to the invasion of the Soviet Union...

, depriving it of the armour needed to attack Moscow.
34 July 30, 1941 Strengthening Soviet resistance
34 supplement August 12, 1941
35 September 6, 1941 Moscow Offensive Operation Typhoon
36
37
38
39 December 8, 1941 Abandoning the Offensive
40 March 23, 1942 Competence of Commanders in Coastal Areas Command Organization of the Coasts Atlantic Wall
Atlantic Wall
The Atlantic Wall was an extensive system of coastal fortifications built by Nazi Germany between 1942 and 1944 along the western coast of Europe as a defense against an anticipated Allied invasion of the mainland continent from Great Britain.-History:On March 23, 1942 Führer Directive Number 40...

; text of Directive
41 April 5, 1942 Summer Campaign in the Soviet Union Operation Blue
Operation Blue
Case Blue , later renamed Operation Braunschweig, was the German Armed Forces name for its plan for a 1942 strategic summer offensive in southern Russia between 28 June and November 1942....

42 May 29, 1942 Instructions for operations against unoccupied France and the Iberian Peninsula Operation Attila
Operation Attila (WW II)
During World War II, Operation Attila was a plan for the Nazi occupation of Vichy France. This plan was drawn up in 1940 in case the French rejoined the Allies or in case of an Allied threat to the south of France....

 replaced by Case Anton
Case Anton
Operation Anton was the codename for the military occupation of Vichy France carried out by Germany and Italy in November 1942.- Background :...

; Operation Isabella
Operation Isabella
During World War II, Operation Isabella was a Nazi German plan to be put into effect after the collapse of the Soviet Union to secure bases in Spain and Portugal for the continuation of the strangulation of Great Britain. This concept was laid out by Hitler in June 1941 but was never executed....

 cancelled; text of Directive
43 July 11, 1942 Continuation of Operations from the Crimea
44 July 21, 1942 Operations in Northern Finland
45 July 23, 1942 Continuation of Operation Brunswick
46 August 18, 1942 Instructions for Intensified Action Against Banditry in the East
47
48
49
50 September 28, 1943 Concerning the preparations for the withdrawal of 20th Mountain Army to Northern Finland and Northern Norway
51 November 3, 1943 Preparations for a two-front war text of Directive
52
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