The Einsatzgruppen were paramilitary groups formed under the
direction of Reinhard Heydrich, deputy to Heinrich Himmler and
operated by the Schutzstaffel (SS) before and during World War II.
Their principal task, according to SS General Erich von dem Bach,
at the Nuremberg Trials: "was the annihilation of the Jews,
Gypsies, and Soviet political commissars". They were a key
component in the implementation of the final solution of the Jewish
question (German: 'Die Endlösung der Judenfrage) in the conquered
territories. Formed mainly of men from the Ordnungspolizei, the
Waffen-SS, and local volunteers, and led by Gestapo, Kripo, and SD
officers, these death squads followed the Wehrmacht as it advanced
eastwards through Eastern Europe en route to the Soviet Union. In
occupied territory, the Einsatzgruppen also used the local populace
for additional security and manpower when needed. The activities of
the Einsatzgruppen were spread through a large pool of soldiers
from the branches of the SS and Reich.