THE Einsatzgruppen (1941 to 1952)
The Einsatzgruppen was four mobile killing units formed by Heinrich Himmler right before the invasion of the Soviet Union. Their assignment was to murder Jews and deprive them of their property and possessions. They operated in the areas captured by the German armies from 1941 to 1952. In all, the Einsatzgrupen was composed of an estimated 600 to 1000 men.
Originally, members of the Einsatzgruppen shot the Jews. It was a fast and effective method of extermination, but burying the bodies was difficult, tiring, and took a long time. Also, many of the husbands and fathers among the group had a hard time summoning the will required to shoot innocent women and children.
An eyewitness explains what happened during Himmler's visit to Minsk and the murder of 100 Jews:
"As the firing started, Himmler became more and more nervous. At each volley, he looked down at the ground .... Von dem Bach addressed Himmler: 'Reichsfuehrer, those were only a hundred....Look at the eyes of the men in this commando, how deeply shaken they are.'"
After watching the commando's reaction to the murder of 100 human beings, Himmler ordered that a more "humane" method be used, a less stressful job for the Einsatzgruppen. Himmler's order eventually resulted in the well-known extermination camps of the Holocaust. Dr. Becker rose to the occasion and built mobile gassing chambers called gas vans that could eaisly be driven by the Einsatzgruppen. These were used as an alternative until Hitler built the infamous extermination camps. Himmler and his squads killed an estimated 1,500,000 Jews, Gypsies, Communists, and those rumored to be opposed to the Nazis.
An eyewitness explains what happened during Himmler's visit to Minsk and the murder of 100 Jews:
"As the firing started, Himmler became more and more nervous. At each volley, he looked down at the ground .... Von dem Bach addressed Himmler: 'Reichsfuehrer, those were only a hundred....Look at the eyes of the men in this commando, how deeply shaken they are.'"
After watching the commando's reaction to the murder of 100 human beings, Himmler ordered that a more "humane" method be used, a less stressful job for the Einsatzgruppen. Himmler's order eventually resulted in the well-known extermination camps of the Holocaust. Dr. Becker rose to the occasion and built mobile gassing chambers called gas vans that could eaisly be driven by the Einsatzgruppen. These were used as an alternative until Hitler built the infamous extermination camps. Himmler and his squads killed an estimated 1,500,000 Jews, Gypsies, Communists, and those rumored to be opposed to the Nazis.