Did the Nazis decide that their early methods of eliminating Soviet Jews were inefficient?

Answer 1

In the early stages of the Holocaust the Nazis sent the killers (the mobile killing units - Einsatzgruppen) to the victims, but later decided that it would be generally more efficient to send the victims to extermination camps to be killed.

There was not a question of efficiency, as this method was scaled down before that came into question, as at this time Germany's success was greater than anyone thought possible. Compared to the other method employed (hanging), mass shootings were highly efficient.

It was General Bach-Zelewski who highlighted the effects (to Himmler) on the men of the executions, before long (a couple of months) the focus of the einsatzgruppen changed to include women and children, this had a bad effect on the executioners, true enough many of them would have to be drunk to do their duty and this also led to them killing many more people than they were supposed to (for which many were brought to trial). The result was that a special (mental) hospital was established for these servicemen and the early methods of summary execution were scaled down.

All over the greater Reich different people were coming up with independent solutions, ranging from automatic killing devices to mass killing devices, with the first zyclon-B experiments in Auschwitz in September of 1941 and the adaptation of the T-4 mobile gas vans at a similar time.

It was because of the effect on the German soldier that the early methods were changed, not because of inefficiency.

Answer 2

Yes, the Nazis' early methods of eliminating Soviet Jews were considered wasteful and time consuming.

Answer 3

Yes, they were considered time consuming.

Answer 4

No