Evacuation of Nazi Camps & Death Marches of Prisoners
In January 1945, Nazi Germany stood on the
verge of defeat. As Allied forces approached
the Nazi concentration camps, the SS organized death marches of inmates to keep the large numbers of prisoners from falling into Allied hands. The term
"death march" was probably coined by the concentration
camp prisoners themselves. It referred to forced marches over long distances under heavy guard and
extremely harsh conditions. During death marches, SS guards
brutally mistreated the prisoners and killed many. The
largest death marches were launched from Auschwitz and Stutthof..
Sources: U.S. Holocaust
Memorial Museum
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