Einsatzgruppen (Mobile Killing Units)

Richard Snyder- HISTORY
  • Eisatzgruppen were operated by the SS (Schutstaffel "Protective Squadron")
  • their main job in WW II was the annihilation of all Jews
  • the einsatzgruppen was formed by the Gestapo (German Secret Police) and the SS
  • even though WW II started in 1933 the Einsatzgruppen wasn't founded until 1938 by the Einsaztkommando and its leader Reinhard Heydrich
  • Einsatzgruppen were under command from German security police and security service officers
  • Einsatzgruppen got their orders from high ranked German government officials and the Reich Security Main Office (RSHA)
  • Einsatzgruppen were also called special task forces
  • Einsatzgruppen only operated in parts of Europe that was occupied by Germany
  • Einsatzgruppen appeared during the unification with Austria
  • Einsatzgruppen had not started mass murder until the invasion of poland
  • an agreement between military and SS on July 31, 1939, there task was "Combating of all anti-German elements in hostile country behind the troops in combat."
  • first Einsatzgruppen was combined with the Einsatzkommando which had 3,000 men
  • The Einsatzgruppen only operated as security detail during the invasion of Czechoslavakia

Richard Snyder- WHAT EINSATZGRUPPEN DID
  • ESG usually followed the Wehrmacht army formations
  • when ESG entered cities or towns where large #s of Jews lived they ordered them to prepare for deportation(if refused they were hunted down)
  • The Jews were deported to to designated sites and were forced to dig their own graves and were then shot
  • they were shot by machine guns or pistol shots to the head
  • the ESG would the loot the bodies for anything of value
  • the graves were covered up so as not to arise suspicion
  • victims were usually wounded and buried alive
  • 7 people had actually survived being buried alive and had then told about it
  • ESG even hired local anti-semites to assist in killing Jews
  • ESG had recorded many of their massacres
  • The Jager report had covered the entire operation
  • The Jager report had a total of 137,346 victims recorded
  • many ESG leaders were bearing the title of a PhD
  • their task was the elimination of polish political opponents and Jews
  • The ESG were authorized to use air strikes, artillery strikes, and sabotage against armed resistance
  • ESG also arressted spies and put them into court-martials and sentenced to death
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Josh boyer
  • The einsatzgruppen was ordered to kill all european jews.
  • The einsatzgruppen was used mostly until a cheaper, quicker way to kill them was found, gassing operations.
  • The most massive murders started happening in 1941 after the invasion.
  • They were forced to dig mass graves and then were shot, then they were covered with dirt by forced laborers or with buldozers.
  • The members of the einsatzgruppen had "mental strain, and that is why they devoloped gassing operation.
  • By the end of ww2 the einsatzgruppen killed over 1 million jews.