The Nazis established several key institutions and systems to assist with the implementation of the "Final Solution," which was their plan for the systematic extermination of the Jewish people and other targeted groups during the Holocaust. These included:
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Concentration Camps: The Nazis constructed a network of concentration camps where Jews, political dissidents, Romani people, and others were imprisoned. Camps like Auschwitz, Treblinka, and Belzec became central to the mass murder operations.
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Extermination Camps: Special camps were specifically designed for mass killings, often employing gas chambers. Examples include Sobibor and Belzec, where large numbers of victims were systematically exterminated.
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Einsatzgruppen (Mobile Death Squads): These were paramilitary death squads responsible for mass shootings of Jews and others in occupied territories. They followed the German army into Eastern Europe and conducted mass executions.
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The Wannsee Conference: In January 1942, senior Nazi officials met at this conference to discuss and coordinate the implementation of the Final Solution, establishing clear policies and responsibilities for executing the genocide.
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Deportation and Transport Systems: The Nazis organized mass deportations of Jewish populations from various countries to concentration and extermination camps using trains.
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Collaboration with Local Authorities: The Nazis often collaborated with local governments and police forces in occupied territories to facilitate the arrest and deportation of Jews.
These measures were part of the broader genocidal strategy that resulted in the deaths of approximately six million Jews, along with millions of others deemed "undesirable" by the Nazi regime.