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After the German invasion of the Soviet Union in 1941, Nazi SS Einsatzgruppen, or mobile killing squads, began the systematic execution of Jews in conquered territories of the U.

Why did the German authorities use gas chambers? :: About Holocaust Home About Facts Testimonies #WeRemember en Arabic (ar) Bulgarian (bg) Chinese (zh) French (fr) German (de) Hebrew (he) Hungarian (hu) Italian (it) Lithuanian (lt) Persian (fa) Polish (pl) Portuguese (pt) Romanian, Moldavian, Moldovan (ro) Russian (ru) Serbian (sr) Spanish (es) Swedish (sv) Turkish (tr) Fact Why did the German authorities use gas chambers? Share Photographs documenting the arrival process of Hungarian Jews from the Tet Ghetto in Auschwitz-Birkenau extermination camp (1944). Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons (Yad Vashem) After the German invasion of the Soviet Union in 1941, Nazi SS Einsatzgruppen, or mobile killing squads, began the systematic execution of Jews in conquered territories of the U.S.S.R. These mass-killings were carried out by firing squad, but it was soon determined that this technique was inefficient. The SS then determined that gassing, which had previously been used to kill the physically and mentally handicapped, was a more efficient means of killing large numbers of people in a short period of time. While the Operation Reinhard camps (Treblinka, Belzec, Sobibor and Chelmno) used carbon monoxide as developed in the Euthanasia program. Auschwitz and Majdanek used Zyklon B, a commercially available pesticide, after experiments on Soviet POWs and Polish prisoners had proved its efficiency. Do you have a question about the Holocaust? Ask Here More Facts See All Was Auschwitz the only camp built by the Nazis? Were all Jews who died during the Holocaust killed in gas chambers? Why do some Jews who survived the Holocaust have a number tattooed on their arm? Home Facts Testimonies Ask a Question #WeRemember UNESCO USHMM WJC © 2022. All rights reserved | Built by Evermore Cookies allow us to understand how you use this site and improve your experience. By continuing to use this website you accept our use of cookies. Close