Leadership and Organization
SS-Brigadeführer Bruno Streckenbach (February 7, 1902 - October 28, 1977) was responsible for recruiting and training the Einsatzgruppen members. These units were readied for deployment on the Eastern Front, undergoing preparation at the Border Police School in Pretzsch on the Elbe, situated approximately 150 kilometers southwest of Berlin in Germany.
Given the limited capacity of the training camp, some personnel were accommodated in nearby towns. Beyond conventional military instruction, the men received comprehensive lectures covering diverse subjects. These ranged from understanding the "Russian mentality" to insights into partisan warfare, and precautions against prevailing diseases in the region.
In June, the leaders of the Einsatzgruppen received personal guidance from Reinhard Heydrich regarding their forthcoming responsibilities on the Eastern Front. However, the precise details of these instructions remain undisclosed.
Who were the men of the Einsatzgruppen?
The Einsatzgruppen, totaling around 3.000 personnel, were comprised mainly of young members from the Sicherheitspolizei (Sipo), Sicherheitsdienst (SD), Ordnungspolizei (Orpo), primarily drawn from working-class backgrounds. Additionally, selected members of the Waffen SS were also involved in these units. In a letter dated July 2, 1941, addressed to the Higher SS and Police Leaders (HSSPFs) in the Eastern occupied territories, Reinhard Heydrich clarified the categories of individuals earmarked for execution by the Einsatzgruppen. The targets included:
- All officials associated with the Comintern and professional communist politicians.
- Communist Party officials at both national and local levels, spanning senior, mid-level, and radical members.
- People's Commissars.
- Individuals of Jewish descent within the Communist Party, civil service, and other radical factions like saboteurs, propagandists, snipers, murderers, and provocateurs.
The directive stipulated immediate execution without trial. Heydrich further instructed the Einsatzgruppen leaders to discreetly encourage the local population of the Soviet Union to instigate pogroms against the Jewish community. Additionally, the HSSPFs were directed to extend necessary assistance to the local population in facilitating these pogroms.
Who were the leaders of the Einsatzgruppen?
The Einsatzgruppen and Einsatzkommandos were led by meticulously selected, highly educated officers from the inner circle of Reinhard Heydrich. Chosen not only for their leadership skills but also for their deep indoctrination into Nazi racial ideology, many of these individuals held advanced academic degrees, including doctorates, and possessed extensive expertise in areas such as race theory and criminal law. These leaders played a sinister dual role, not only orchestrating the logistical aspects of mass killings but also serving as conduits for propagating the extremist beliefs of the Nazi regime. Their strategic manipulation aimed to instill a chilling commitment to the brutal objectives of the Einsatzgruppen among their personnel, even those who might not have been inherently predisposed to such heinous acts.
To carry out their reprehensible operations, the Einsatzgruppen collaborated closely with uniformed volunteers sourced from local police forces in the Baltic states. This collaboration underscored the calculated coordination between ideological masterminds and willing local participants, culminating in the efficient and horrifying execution of their sinister agenda.
Did the Einsatzgruppen have enough manpower?
Despite commanding an auxiliary force of 10.000 police officers and 33.000 local collaborators, the Einsatzgruppen still lacked the manpower to carry out the complete extermination of Jews across Eastern Europe. As a result, other SS units and branches of the German military were mobilized to assist in the genocide. Key participants included:
Various SS Brigades, operating behind the frontlines to support mass executions.
The Fegelein Cavalry Division, led by Hermann Fegelein, was active in clearing operations in the marshes of Polesia.
The Arājs Kommando, a notorious death squad led by Latvian Nazi collaborator Viktors Arājs and made up of ethnic Latvian volunteers.
The Wiking Division, which carried out massacres across Ukraine.
Reserve Police Battalions, which played a central role in roundups and shootings of Jews.
The SS Sturmbrigade Dirlewanger, a unit comprised of convicted criminals, notorious for its extreme cruelty and led by Oskar Dirlewanger a known psychopath and child molester.
Even the Wehrmacht (German army) and the Kriegsmarine (Navy) participated in the extermination operations, providing support or engaging directly in killing actions.
Movement of the Einsatzgruppen (1941-1942)
Click on the map to enlarge
The map above illustrates the movement of the Einsatzgruppen A, B, C, and D from June 1941 to November 1942. These mobile units tracked alongside the advancing German Wehrmacht into the Soviet Union under Operation Barbarossa.
Psychological impact of executing innocent people
Surprisingly, members of the Einsatzgruppen experienced battle fatigue, mental anguish and severe alcoholism due to the mass shootings of innocent men, women and children. In 1941, during a trip to Russia, SS Reichsführer Heinrich Himmler discovered this psychological toll and tasked Arthur Nebe of Einsatzgruppe B to find less stressful methods of killing.
A plan was formed to develop more efficient and emotionally detached ways of mass killing. On October 13th, 1941, Heinrich Himmler instructed SS and Police Leader Odilo Globočnik in Lublin to initiate the construction of the first extermination camp at Bełżec in occupied Poland.