What was the Einsatzgruppen?We hear a lot about the extreme starvation endured by the Jewish people in concentration camps, the huge cremation pits for death camp victims, and the terrible gas chambers built by the Nazis for mass extermination. But what about the Nazi killing squads, AKA the Einsatzgruppen?
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Website #1: Wikipedia |
This website is credible because it (1) has more than three working hyperlinks, (2) it has a list of references, and (3) it is a ".org".
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This credible article by Wikipedia states that the word "Einsatzgruppen" is German for "task force" or "deployment group". They are often referred to as Germany's "killing squads". The Einsatzgruppen is defined as "Schutzstaffel (SS) paramilitary death squads of Nazi Germany, (...) responsible for mass killings, primarily by shooting, during World War II," (Website 1). The Einsatzgruppen played a large role in the execution of Nazi Germany's Final Solution, and killed primarily civilians. The article states that, beginning with the Polish intelligentsia, the Einsatzgruppen went on to kill "Soviet political commissars, Jews, and Gypsies throughout Eastern Europe," (Website 1). This further adds to the fact that Nazi Germany had many enemies and there were many victims; their prejudice went further than just Jews and their hatred was spurred by many different peoples. The Einsatzgruppen was a destructive force, active for nearly six years, beginning in 1939. In such a short time, so many lives were lost. Through shootings and gassing, the Einsatzgruppen and similar organizations killed approximately 2 million people, "including 1.3 million Jews," (Website 1). After the war, leaders and members of the organization were charged with severe crimes against humanity and "fourteen death sentences and two life sentences were handed out," (Website 1). So, there was some justice for the victims of these killings. Yet, considering they were an organization of killing squads that killed approximately 2 million people, I was surprised to have never heard of them. This evidence sheds light on of many ways besides death camps that Nazis killed so many people. That incomprehensible number: 11 million.
Website #2: Jewish Virtual Library |
This website is credible because it (1) has more than three working hyperlinks, (2) has a source list, and (3) it is a ".org".
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The Jewish Virtual Library explains in this article that the Einsatzgruppen was not only located in Eastern Europe, but did prepare to move out into other countries. The Final Solution was apparently supposed to span all across the globe. One Einsatzgruppe, "created in 1942" (Website 2), was supposedly going to move into Palestine to exterminate the Jews there. "Einsatzgruppe Egypt" was "standing by in Athens" (Website 2), prepared to accompany General Erwin Rommel (AKA The Desert Fox) and his Afrika Corps. There, the Jews who had escaped to Palestine would be executed by the Einsatzgruppen. These figures would have amounted to almost half a million people, adding even more to the millions of Jews that the Einsatzgruppen would eventually kill, all across Europe. Thankfully, though, the "group never left Greece," (Website 2). With Operation Orient in mind, you can imagine that the Einsatzgruppen also could've played a large role in Germany's takeover of Northern Africa, the Middle East, and West Asia. Nevertheless, with the capability to kill so many, this only further proves that the Einsatzgruppen were not an organization to be messed with, and their high kill rates prove how good they must have been at their job. Had they invaded Palestine, the course of the war, even the course of history, might have been drastically changed.
Website #3: Stormfront |
This website is credible because it (1) has been updated within the last three years (8/21/2012), (2) has a list of sources, and (3) it is a ".org".
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The author of this credible article further explains the role of the Einsatzgruppen and their methods during the war. They acknowledge that most researchers focus on "gas chambers, Zyklon B, cremation rates, open pit burnings, high water tables, coke deliveries, death records", etc. (Website 3). These, of course, were the most prominent methods the Nazis used in taking out the Jews. However, the Einsatzgruppen played just as large of a role in the Final Solution. It states that, primarily, these SS soldiers would "herd Jews together at various locales and (there) shot them," (Website 3). These firing squads proved to be just as effective as the countless other methods, and led to huge loss of life. They also recognized the use of gas vans during the war and how the Einsatzgruppen employed these vans. Their main duty was stated as being "maintaining order and security within the rear areas of the German armies on the eastern front," (Website 3), as well as gathering intelligence for the Nazis. However, this author is widely skeptical about the Nazi group in general, and shows their doubt by saying "Jews could not have been killed in the millions" (Website 3) by such small groups as the Einsatzgruppen. This is an understandable doubt, because it is strange to think that SS soldiers would be arranged in armed squads and would line people up before shooting them, or put such people in vans before gassing them. How could this possible have caused the death of millions of innocent people? Regardless, the author states that they are sure many horrendous crimes were committed by these men, and, although the numbers may not be completely legitimate (in the author's opinion), they believe that such a group should still be recognized.