One of the major problems for Hitler in the summer of 1941 was what to do about the millions of Jews living in the German-occupied countries of Europe. The anticipated German occupation of the Soviet Union magnified the problem. At a Cabinet meeting on 16 July 1941, the Führer announced that the Soviet Union west of the Urals would become the "German Garden of Eden" and that this vast area should be pacified as soon as possible. "This will be achieved more quickly if we wipe out anyone who opposes us," he told his ministers."
Field Marshal Hermann Göring and SS chief Heinrich Himmler interpreted the leader's words as a green light to move more rapidly towards the final solution of the Jewish problem, which consisted of expelling all Jews from German territory. On 31 July 1941 Goering wrote to Reinhard Heydrich, head of the Third Reich's security services, "to take all those initiatives for the complete solution of the Jewish Question in all territories under German influence". He ordered him to "coordinate all government agencies involved" and "to submit to him a draft for the final solution of the Jewish problem". Heydrich was well aware that Goering was Hitler's voice.
In the following months Heydrich and his staff worked out the proposals to be submitted to Goering, which included the expulsion of all Jews from Germany and the occupied countries and their resettlement in concentration camps, either in Poland or in areas of the Soviet Union. By the autumn of 1941, euphoria over the rapid occupation of the Soviet Union had given way to skepticism. Operations had stalled and Hitler's staff anticipated a long war. There was not enough food to feed the population and Hitler's mind went straight to the Third Reich's pariahs, the Jews: "They tell me not to send them into the gutter. Who cares about our people? It's nice to reign terror when we exterminate the Jews. We are making history from a racial point of view." Himmler and Heydrich, hearing these words from their leader, had no doubt about the Führer's intentions.
On November 29, 1941, Heydrich sent invitations to regime officials for the meeting he had scheduled for December 9 at the Berlin resort of Vansee. He was to present his views on the "final solution" and listen to theirs. Goering's letter was enclosed in the invitation so that there would not be the slightest doubt as to the seriousness of the meeting. Bad news from the eastern front, the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor and the US exit from the war created an explosive atmosphere in Berlin and led to the postponement of the conference.
The villa where the conference took place
It was finally held on 20 January 1942 in a villa in Van der Zee, which was a recreation centre for the Nazis. The conference was attended by 14 top officials of the Third Reich under the chairmanship of Heinrich. At the beginning he handed them two lists of European countries and the number of Jews to be exterminated in each. List A, which concerned the conquered countries, included Greece with a total of 69,600 Jews. The lists were compiled by his colleague, the notorious Adolf Eichmann.[BR] Heydrich spoke for an hour. First he gave an account of the measures taken by the regime against the Jews since it came to power in 1933. He reported that by 1941, 530,000 Jews had emigrated out of Germany and Austria and only 170,000 remained. Heydrich went on to say that conditions were difficult for the emigration of the remainder and floated ideas of transporting them to the East and providing forced labor "that would cause them to die of natural causes." For those who survive, and they will be the most hardy, we should treat them accordingly, because if you let them go free they will be the seed for the Jewish Renaissance." Everyone present understood exactly what Heydrich meant. After all, 8 of the 15 were addressed as "doctor", i.e. they had a doctorate.
Heydrich also told them that to avoid legal and political complications they should know which Jews were eligible for "deportation". Excluded are German Jews over the age of 65, those who have been wounded fighting for Germany and have been awarded the highest medals, and Jews who have married German women and vice versa, and the children of such a marriage. Heydrich's speech was followed by clarifying questions and statements from the participants of the meeting, who then tasted the rich buffet and, between heavy doses of cognac, talked about killing and liquidation in the most natural way, as Eichmann mentioned at his trial in 1961.
Then we know what followed. 5,500,000 Jews were exterminated by 1945 by the Nazis in the largest genocide in world history ("Holocaust").
Source:sansimera.gr
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