Ss Einsatzgruppen: Nazi Death Squads, 1939-1945 -

The units were divided into four main groups assigned to specific military regions: Primary Commander(s) Operational Area Attached Army Group Walther Stahlecker Baltic States (Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia) Army Group North Einsatzgruppe B Arthur Nebe / Erich Naumann Belarus / Minsk region Army Group Center Einsatzgruppe C Otto Rasch Ukraine / Kyiv (Babi Yar) Army Group South Einsatzgruppe D Otto Ohlendorf Southern Ukraine / Crimea Source: CUNY Research . Key Phases of Terror

: The psychological toll on executioners and the "inefficiency" of mass shootings led to the development of gas vans and eventually the fixed death camps. Justice and Accountability SS Einsatzgruppen: Nazi Death Squads, 1939-1945

: Targeted the "decapitation" of Polish society by murdering intelligentsia, clergy, and teachers to destroy Polish national identity. The units were divided into four main groups

This guide outlines the history and operation of the , the mobile killing units of Nazi Germany, based on historical records and Gerry van Tonder's book, SS Einsatzgruppen: Nazi Death Squads, 1939–1945 . Historical Overview This guide outlines the history and operation of

: Initially tasked with "neutralizing" hostile elements during the invasion of Poland (1939), their role expanded during Operation Barbarossa (1941) to the systematic mass murder of Jews, Romani people, and Soviet political commissars.

: It is estimated these units murdered over 2 million people, including approximately 1.3 million Jews, primarily through mass shootings—a phase often called the “Holocaust by Bullets” . Organizational Structure