Hans Krebs was one of the most dedicated ethnic-German Nazi activists working to undermine Czechoslovakia between the wars. Born in 1888 in Iglau, today Jihlava, he grew up under the Austro-Hungarian monarchy, served in the First World War, and returned home to find himself a citizen of the newly established Czechoslovak Republic.
As a leader of the German National Socialist Workers’ Party (DNSAP) in Czechoslovakia, Krebs campaigned aggressively against the state and advocated the incorporation of its German-speaking territories into the German Reich. Throughout the 1920s and early 1930s, he spread nationalist propaganda, helped build radical networks, and pushed for the separation of the Sudetenland.
His close relationship with Adolf Hitler’s movement eventually brought him into conflict with the Czechoslovak authorities. In 1933, after parliament lifted his immunity, Krebs was arrested and briefly imprisoned before fleeing to Nazi Germany. There, he was welcomed by the regime and rewarded with senior party and government positions.
Following the Munich Agreement and the subsequent German occupation of Bohemia and Moravia, Krebs became Regierungspräsident in Aussig, today Ústí nad Labem, and held senior positions within the Nazi and SS hierarchy. He participated in the implementation of Nazi racial policies, supported the persecution and deportation of Jews, and helped consolidate German control over the occupied Czech lands.
After Nazi Germany's defeat, Krebs was captured and brought before the Czechoslovak People's Court. Accused of high treason and responsibility for helping undermine and dismantle Czechoslovakia, he was convicted and faced the final consequences of his decades-long collaboration with German National Socialism.
This documentary examines the career of Hans Krebs, the rise of Sudeten German Nazism, the destruction of Czechoslovakia, and the role played by ethnic-German radicals in Hitler's expansion into Central Europe.
This episode is part of the series High-Ranking Officials of the Third Reich.
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