Ritchie Boys
Encyclopedia
The Ritchie Boys was a US special military intelligence unit in World War II
comprising mainly German-speaking immigrants to the USA. They were predominately Jews, most of whom had fled Nazi persecution. They were primarily utilised for interrogation of prisoners on the front lines and counter-intelligence in Europe because of their knowledge of the German language and culture.
and Austrian
s who escaped from their countries of birth and immigrated to the US. They mainly were drafted into the United States Army
and were trained at the Military Intelligence Training Center, also known then as Camp Ritchie, and now as Fort Ritchie
in Maryland
. They were specially trained in methods of interrogation, investigation and psychological warfare
. They were suitable for this kind of task because they knew the German language
and mentality better than any American-born soldiers. The role of these soldiers was therefore to work in the front lines at interrogation, at strategic corps and army levels in analyzing German forces and plans, and also as member of the U.S. Counter Intelligence Corps
, and to study the enemy, and demoralize him in order to achieve an unconditional surrender
.
After the US declared war
on Germany
, the Ritchie Boys became a decisive weapon for the Allied powers. They entered Europe on D-Day on June 6, 1944 along with the other Allied troops. Shortly after reaching land they left their units and pursued their special tasks. They were able to feed the Allies valuable information. Moreover, the Ritchie Boys helped break German resistance by demoralizing them in both open and covert operations. They interrogated POWs
and defectors
to ascertain information about German force levels, troop movements, and the physical and psychological state of the Germans. By means of targeted disinformation
via newspaper announcements, flyers, radio broadcasts, and sound trucks, the German population and military was prompted to cease their resistance against the Allied invasion.
After the war, many of the Ritchie Boys served as interrogators and translators during the Nuremberg Trials
. The first-ever reunion of the Ritchie Boys took place from July 23-July 25, 2011, at the Holocaust Memorial Center in Farmington Hills, Michigan. Many of them went on to successful political, scientific, or business careers. The Ritchie Boys included several prominent men such as Hans Habe
, Klaus Mann
, Stefan Heym
, Hanus Burger
, George Mandler
, Richard Schifter
, Guy Stern
, Walter Schwarz and David Robert Seymour.
In 2004, the group and its work was the subject of the documentary The Ritchie Boys by film-maker Christian Bauer, featuring ten Ritchie Boys.
. Retrieved 2007-02-12.
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...
comprising mainly German-speaking immigrants to the USA. They were predominately Jews, most of whom had fled Nazi persecution. They were primarily utilised for interrogation of prisoners on the front lines and counter-intelligence in Europe because of their knowledge of the German language and culture.
About the group
The Ritchie Boys consisted of approximately 10,000 young, mostly Jewish, GermansGermany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
and Austrian
Austrians
Austrians are a nation and ethnic group, consisting of the population of the Republic of Austria and its historical predecessor states who share a common Austrian culture and Austrian descent....
s who escaped from their countries of birth and immigrated to the US. They mainly were drafted into the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
and were trained at the Military Intelligence Training Center, also known then as Camp Ritchie, and now as Fort Ritchie
Fort Ritchie
Fort Ritchie was a military installation south of Blue Ridge Summit, Pennsylvania in the area of South Mountain . The installations's closure under the 1995 Base Realignment and Closure was nearly complete by 1998: "Out the Gate, by 98" .-History:In 1815, the Buena Vista Ice Company constructed two...
in Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
. They were specially trained in methods of interrogation, investigation and psychological warfare
Psychological warfare
Psychological warfare , or the basic aspects of modern psychological operations , have been known by many other names or terms, including Psy Ops, Political Warfare, “Hearts and Minds,” and Propaganda...
. They were suitable for this kind of task because they knew the German language
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
and mentality better than any American-born soldiers. The role of these soldiers was therefore to work in the front lines at interrogation, at strategic corps and army levels in analyzing German forces and plans, and also as member of the U.S. Counter Intelligence Corps
Counter Intelligence Corps
The Counter Intelligence Corps was a World War II and early Cold War intelligence agency within the United States Army. Its role was taken over by the U.S. Army Intelligence Corps in 1961 and, in 1967, by the U.S. Army Intelligence Agency...
, and to study the enemy, and demoralize him in order to achieve an unconditional surrender
Unconditional surrender
Unconditional surrender is a surrender without conditions, in which no guarantees are given to the surrendering party. In modern times unconditional surrenders most often include guarantees provided by international law. Announcing that only unconditional surrender is acceptable puts psychological...
.
After the US declared war
Declaration of war by the United States
A declaration of war is a formal declaration issued by a national government indicating that a state of war exists between that nation and another. For the United States, Article One, Section Eight of the Constitution says "Congress shall have power to ... declare War"...
on Germany
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
, the Ritchie Boys became a decisive weapon for the Allied powers. They entered Europe on D-Day on June 6, 1944 along with the other Allied troops. Shortly after reaching land they left their units and pursued their special tasks. They were able to feed the Allies valuable information. Moreover, the Ritchie Boys helped break German resistance by demoralizing them in both open and covert operations. They interrogated POWs
Prisoner of war
A prisoner of war or enemy prisoner of war is a person, whether civilian or combatant, who is held in custody by an enemy power during or immediately after an armed conflict...
and defectors
Defection
In politics, a defector is a person who gives up allegiance to one state or political entity in exchange for allegiance to another. More broadly, it involves abandoning a person, cause or doctrine to whom or to which one is bound by some tie, as of allegiance or duty.This term is also applied,...
to ascertain information about German force levels, troop movements, and the physical and psychological state of the Germans. By means of targeted disinformation
Disinformation
Disinformation is intentionally false or inaccurate information that is spread deliberately. For this reason, it is synonymous with and sometimes called black propaganda. It is an act of deception and false statements to convince someone of untruth...
via newspaper announcements, flyers, radio broadcasts, and sound trucks, the German population and military was prompted to cease their resistance against the Allied invasion.
After the war, many of the Ritchie Boys served as interrogators and translators during the Nuremberg Trials
Nuremberg Trials
The Nuremberg Trials were a series of military tribunals, held by the victorious Allied forces of World War II, most notable for the prosecution of prominent members of the political, military, and economic leadership of the defeated Nazi Germany....
. The first-ever reunion of the Ritchie Boys took place from July 23-July 25, 2011, at the Holocaust Memorial Center in Farmington Hills, Michigan. Many of them went on to successful political, scientific, or business careers. The Ritchie Boys included several prominent men such as Hans Habe
Hans Habe
Janos Békessy, better known under his pen name Hans Habe was an Austrian writer and newspaper publisher...
, Klaus Mann
Klaus Mann
- Life and work :Born in Munich, Klaus Mann was the son of German writer Thomas Mann and his wife, Katia Pringsheim. His father was baptized as a Lutheran, while his mother was from a family of secular Jews. He began writing short stories in 1924 and the following year became drama critic for a...
, Stefan Heym
Stefan Heym
Helmut Flieg was a German-Jewish writer, known by his pseudonym Stefan Heym. He lived in the United States between 1935 and 1952, before moving back to the part of his native Germany which was, from 1949–1990, German Democratic Republic...
, Hanus Burger
Hanus Burger
Hans Herbert Burger , also known as Hanus Burger, Hans Burger and Jan Burger, as well as under the pseudonyms Hans Herbert and Petr Hradec, was a theater, film, and television director, playwright and author of books and screenplays.- External links :...
, George Mandler
George Mandler
George Mandler is Distinguished Professor of Psychology Emeritus at the University of California, San Diego.Mandler was born in Vienna on 11 June 1924. He received his B.S. from New York University and his Ph. D. degree from Yale University in 1953. He served in the U.S. Army Military Intelligence...
, Richard Schifter
Richard Schifter
Richard Schifter is a United States lawyer who was Assistant Secretary of State for Human Rights and Humanitarian Affairs from 1985 to 1992.-Biography:Richard Schifter was born in Vienna on July 31, 1923 into a Jewish family...
, Guy Stern
Guy Stern
Guy Stern is a German-Jewish scholar of literature, primarily German and comparative.-Life:Stern was born to an assimilated Jewish family in Hildesheim, Germany. He was the only member of his five-person family to escape to the United States in 1937, and was assisted by an uncle in St. Louis and...
, Walter Schwarz and David Robert Seymour.
In 2004, the group and its work was the subject of the documentary The Ritchie Boys by film-maker Christian Bauer, featuring ten Ritchie Boys.
External links
Baron, Ulrich: Wir waren nicht mehr wehrlos in Die WeltDie Welt
Die Welt is a German national daily newspaper published by the Axel Springer AG company.It was founded in Hamburg in 1946 by the British occupying forces, aiming to provide a "quality newspaper" modelled on The Times...
. Retrieved 2007-02-12.
- The Ritchie Boys Comprehensive website with history, media and contact information. Retrieved 2007-02-17
- The Ritchie Boys - official website
- The Ritchie Boys - The Ritchie Boys film at the Internet Movie Data Base
- FortRitchie.com - Fort Ritchie at Cascade website