1. Gas chambers: Gas chambers were the primary method of mass murder used in extermination camps such as Auschwitz-Birkenau, Treblinka, Sobibor, and Belzec. These chambers were designed to quickly kill large numbers of people by using poisonous gas, typically hydrogen cyanide (Zyklon B). Victims were tricked into entering the chambers, believing they were taking showers, and were then gassed to death.
2. Mass shootings: Mass shootings were another method of killing used by the Nazis, particularly during the early stages of the Holocaust. In operations like the Einsatzgruppen, mobile killing units carried out mass shootings of Jews, Roma, and other targeted groups. These killings often took place in forests or ravines, where victims were lined up and shot by firing squads.
3. Starvation and disease: Many people in concentration and extermination camps died as a result of starvation, disease, and the harsh conditions they were subjected to. Food rations were extremely meager, and prisoners often resorted to scavenging or cannibalism to survive. Overcrowding, poor sanitation, and lack of medical care led to widespread outbreaks of diseases such as typhus, dysentery, and tuberculosis.
4. Medical experiments: Some victims were subjected to horrific medical experiments, conducted by Nazi doctors in concentration camps like Auschwitz and Dachau. These experiments involved procedures such as organ removal, sterilizations, and injections with toxic substances, which resulted in the suffering and deaths of many prisoners.
5. Forced labor: Many Jews and other targeted groups were subjected to forced labor in concentration camps, ghettos, and industrial facilities. They were forced to work in hazardous and exhausting conditions, often leading to death from overwork, malnutrition, or accidents.
These methods of killing, as well as other acts of violence and mistreatment, resulted in the deaths of millions of people during the Holocaust, including approximately six million Jews, as well as Roma, disabled individuals, homosexuals, Jehovah's Witnesses, political dissidents, and others who were deemed "undesirable" by the Nazis.