Army Group South Rear Area
| Army Group South Rear Area | |
|---|---|
| Rückwärtiges Heeresgebiet Süd | |
| Active | 1941-43 |
| Country |
 Nazi Germany
|
| Branch | Army (Wehrmacht) |
| Part of | Army Group Centre and Army High Command |
| Engagements | World War II |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders |
Karl von Roques Erich Friderici Joachim Witthöft Friedrich Mieth |
Army Group South Rear Area (Rückwärtiges Heeresgebiet Süd) was one of the three Army Group Rear Area Commands, established during the 1941 German invasion of the Soviet Union. Commanded by General Karl von Roques, it was an area of military jurisdiction behind Wehrmacht's Army Group South.
The Group South Rear Area's outward function was to provide security behind the fighting troops. It was also a site of mass murder during The Holocaust and other crimes against humanity targeting the civilian population. In the words of historian Michael Parrish, the army commander "presided over an empire of terror and brutality".
The commander of the Army Group South Rear Area, General Karl von Roques, was responsible for the rear area security. Its headquarters was subordinated to Army Group South, while also reporting to the Wehrmacht's Quartermaster General Eduard Wagner, who had the overall responsibility for rear area security.
Roques controlled three Security Divisions (213th, 444th, and 454th) and oversaw the units of Secret Field Police of the Wehrmacht. He operated in parallel, and in cooperation, with Friedrich Jeckeln, the Higher SS and Police Leaders appointed by the head of the SS, Heinrich Himmler.
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