The

government A government is the system or group of people governing an organized community, generally a State (polity), state. In the case of its broad associative definition, government normally consists of legislature, executive (government), execu ...

s of the

German Empire The German Empire (),; ; World Book, Inc. ''The World Book dictionary, Volume 1''. World Book, Inc., 2003. p. 572. States that Deutsches Reich translates as "German Realm" and was a former official name of Germany. also referred to as Imperia ...

and

Nazi Germany Nazi Germany, officially known as the German Reich and later the Greater German Reich, was the German Reich, German state between 1933 and 1945, when Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party controlled the country, transforming it into a Totalit ...

(under

Adolf Hitler Adolf Hitler (20 April 1889 – 30 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was the dictator of Nazi Germany from 1933 until Death of Adolf Hitler, his suicide in 1945. Adolf Hitler's rise to power, He rose to power as the lea ...

) ordered, organized, and condoned a substantial number of

war crime A war crime is a violation of the laws of war that gives rise to individual criminal responsibility for actions by combatants in action, such as intentionally killing civilians or intentionally killing prisoners of war, torture, taking hostage ...

s, first in the

Herero and Nama genocide The Herero and Nama genocide or Namibian genocide, formerly known also as the Herero and Namaqua genocide, was a campaign of ethnic extermination and collective punishment waged against the Herero people, Herero (Ovaherero) and the Nama people, N ...

and then in the

First First most commonly refers to: * First, the ordinal form of the number 1 First or 1st may also refer to: Acronyms * Faint Images of the Radio Sky at Twenty-Centimeters, an astronomical survey carried out by the Very Large Array * Far Infrared a ...

and

Second The second (symbol: s) is a unit of time derived from the division of the day first into 24 hours, then to 60 minutes, and finally to 60 seconds each (24 × 60 × 60 = 86400). The current and formal definition in the International System of U ...

World Wars. The most notable of these is

the Holocaust The Holocaust (), known in Hebrew language, Hebrew as the (), was the genocide of History of the Jews in Europe, European Jews during World War II. From 1941 to 1945, Nazi Germany and Collaboration with Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy ...

, in which millions of

European Jews The history of the Jews in Europe spans a period of over two thousand years. Jews, a Semitic people descending from the Judeans of Judea in the Southern Levant, Natural History 102:11 (November 1993): 12–19. began migrating to Europe just b ...

were systematically abused, deported, and murdered, along with

Romani Romani may refer to: Ethnic groups * Romani people, or Roma, an ethnic group of Indo-Aryan origin ** Romani language, an Indo-Aryan macrolanguage of the Romani communities ** Romanichal, Romani subgroup in the United Kingdom * Romanians (Romanian ...

in the

Romani Holocaust The Romani Holocaust was the genocide of European Roma and Sinti people during World War II. Beginning in 1933, Nazi Germany systematically persecuted the European Roma, Sinti and other peoples pejoratively labeled 'Gypsy' through forcible ...

and non-Jewish

Poles Pole or poles may refer to: People *Poles (people), another term for Polish people, from the country of Poland * Pole (surname), including a list of people with the name * Pole (musician) (Stefan Betke, born 1967), German electronic music artist ...

. Millions of civilians and

prisoners of war A prisoner of war (POW) is a person held captive by a belligerent power during or immediately after an armed conflict. The earliest recorded usage of the phrase "prisoner of war" dates back to 1610. Belligerents hold prisoners of war for a ...

also died as a result of German abuses, mistreatment, and deliberate starvation policies in those two conflicts. Much of the evidence was deliberately destroyed by the perpetrators, such as in

Sonderaktion 1005 ' 1005 (, 'Special Action 1005'), also called ''Aktion'' 1005 or ' (, 'Exhumation Action'), was a top-secret Nazi operation conducted from June 1942 to late 1944. The goal of the project was to hide or destroy any evidence of the mass murder t ...

, in an attempt to conceal their crimes.

Herero Wars

Considered to have been the first

genocide Genocide is violence that targets individuals because of their membership of a group and aims at the destruction of a people. Raphael Lemkin, who first coined the term, defined genocide as "the destruction of a nation or of an ethnic group" by ...

of the 20th century, the

was perpetrated by the

between 1904 and 1907 in

German South West Africa German South West Africa () was a colony of the German Empire from 1884 until 1915, though Germany did not officially recognise its loss of this territory until the 1919 Treaty of Versailles. German rule over this territory was punctuated by ...

(modern-day

Namibia Namibia, officially the Republic of Namibia, is a country on the west coast of Southern Africa. Its borders include the Atlantic Ocean to the west, Angola and Zambia to the north, Botswana to the east and South Africa to the south; in the no ...

), during the

Scramble for Africa The Scramble for Africa was the invasion, conquest, and colonialism, colonisation of most of Africa by seven Western European powers driven by the Second Industrial Revolution during the late 19th century and early 20th century in the era of ...

. On January 12, 1904, the

Herero people The Herero () are a Bantu people, Bantu ethnic group inhabiting parts of Southern Africa. 178,987 Namibians identified as Ovaherero in the 2023 census. They speak Otjiherero, a Bantu language. Though the Herero primarily reside in Namibia, there ...

, led by

Samuel Maharero Samuel Maharero (1856 – 14 March 1923) was a Paramount Chief of the Herero people in German South West Africa (today Namibia) during their revolts and in connection with the events surrounding the Herero and Nama genocide. Today he is con ...

, rebelled against German colonialism. In August, General

Lothar von Trotha Adrian Dietrich Lothar von Trotha (3 July 1848 – 31 March 1920) was a German military commander during the European new colonial era. As a brigade commander of the East Asian Expedition Corps, he was involved in suppressing the Boxer Rebelli ...

of the

Imperial German Army The Imperial German Army (1871–1919), officially referred to as the German Army (), was the unified ground and air force of the German Empire. It was established in 1871 with the political unification of Germany under the leadership of Kingdom o ...

defeated the Herero in the

Battle of Waterberg The Battle of Waterberg (Battle of Ohamakari) took place on August 11, 1904, at the Waterberg, German South West Africa (modern day Namibia), and was the decisive battle in the German campaign against the Herero. Armies The German Imperial F ...

and drove them into the desert of

Omaheke Omaheke (the Otjiherero word for sandveld) is one of the fourteen regions of Namibia, the least populous region. Its capital is Gobabis. It lies in eastern Namibia on the border with Botswana and is the western extension of the Kalahari Desert. Th ...

, where most of them died of thirst. In October, the

Nama people Nama (in older sources also called Namaqua) are an African ethnic group of South Africa, Namibia and Botswana. They traditionally speak the Khoekhoe language, Nama language of the Khoe languages, Khoe-Kwadi language family, although many Nama ...

also rebelled against the Germans only to suffer a similar fate. In total, from 24,000 up to 100,000 Herero and 10,000 Nama died.Walter Nuhn: ''Sturm über Südwest. Der Hereroaufstand von 1904.'' Bernard & Graefe-Verlag, Koblenz 1989. . The genocide was characterized by widespread death by starvation and thirst because the Herero who fled the violence were prevented from returning from the

Namib Desert The Namib ( ; ) is a coastal desert in Southern Africa. According to the broadest definition, the Namib stretches for more than along the Atlantic coasts of Angola, Namibia, and northwest South Africa, extending southward from the Carunjamba Ri ...

. Some sources also claim that the German colonial army systematically poisoned wells in the desert.Dan Kroll, "Securing our water supply: protecting a vulnerable resource", PennWell Corp/University of Michigan Press, pg. 22

World War I

Documentation regarding German war crimes in World War I was seized and destroyed by Nazi Germany during World War II, after occupying France, along with monuments commemorating their victims.

Chemical weapons in warfare

Poison gas Many gases have toxic properties, which are often assessed using the LC50 (median lethal concentration) measure. In the United States, many of these gases have been assigned an NFPA 704 health rating of 4 (may be fatal) or 3 (may cause serious ...

was first introduced as a weapon by Imperial Germany, and subsequently used by all major belligerents, in violation of the 1899 Hague Declaration Concerning Asphyxiating Gases and the 1907 Hague Convention on Land Warfare, which explicitly forbade the use of "poison or poisoned weapons" in warfare.

Belgium

In August 1914, as part of the

Schlieffen Plan The Schlieffen Plan (, ) is a name given after the First World War to German war plans, due to the influence of Field Marshal Alfred von Schlieffen and his thinking on an invasion of France and Belgium, which began on 4 August 1914. Schlieffe ...

, the German Army invaded and occupied the neutral nation of Belgium without explicit warning, which violated a treaty of 1839 that the German chancellor dismissed as a "scrap of paper" and the 1907 Hague Convention on Opening of Hostilities. Within the first two months of the war, the German occupiers terrorized the Belgians, killing thousands of civilians and looting and burning scores of towns, including

Leuven Leuven (, , ), also called Louvain (, , ), is the capital and largest City status in Belgium, city of the Provinces of Belgium, province of Flemish Brabant in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is located about east of Brussels. The municipalit ...

, which housed the country's preeminent university, mainly in retaliation for Belgian guerrilla warfare, (see ''

francs-tireurs (; ) were irregular military formations deployed by France during the early stages of the Franco-Prussian War (1870–71). The term was revived and used by partisans to name two major French Resistance movements set up to fight against Nazi G ...

''). This action was in violation of the 1907 Hague Convention on Land Warfare provisions that prohibited

collective punishment Collective punishment is a punishment or sanction imposed on a group or whole community for acts allegedly perpetrated by a member or some members of that group or area, which could be an ethnic or political group, or just the family, friends a ...

of civilians and looting and destruction of civilian property in

occupied territories Military occupation, also called belligerent occupation or simply occupation, is temporary hostile control exerted by a ruling power's military apparatus over a sovereign territory that is outside of the legal boundaries of that ruling powe ...

Bombardment of English coastal towns

The raid on Scarborough, Hartlepool and Whitby, which took place on December 16, 1914, was an attack by the

Imperial German Navy The Imperial German Navy or the ''Kaiserliche Marine'' (Imperial Navy) was the navy of the German Empire, which existed between 1871 and 1919. It grew out of the small Prussian Navy (from 1867 the North German Federal Navy), which was mainly for ...

on the

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. * British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...

seaport towns of

Scarborough Scarborough or Scarboro may refer to: People * Scarborough (surname) * Earl of Scarbrough Places Australia * Scarborough, Western Australia, suburb of Perth * Scarborough, New South Wales, suburb of Wollongong * Scarborough, Queensland, sub ...

Hartlepool Hartlepool ( ) is a seaside resort, seaside and port town in County Durham, England. It is governed by a unitary authority borough Borough of Hartlepool, named after the town. The borough is part of the devolved Tees Valley area with an estimat ...

West Hartlepool West Hartlepool was a predecessor of Hartlepool, County Durham, England. It developed in the Victorian era and took the name from its western position in the parish of what is now known as the Headland. The former town was originally formed ...

, and

Whitby Whitby is a seaside town, port and civil parish in North Yorkshire, England. It is on the Yorkshire Coast at the mouth of the River Esk, North Yorkshire, River Esk and has a maritime, mineral and tourist economy. From the Middle Ages, Whitby ...

. The attack resulted in 137 fatalities and 592 casualties. The raid was in violation of the ninth section of the 1907 Hague Convention which prohibited naval bombardments of undefended towns without warning, because only Hartlepool was protected by

shore batteries In military organizations, an artillery battery is a unit or multiple systems of artillery, mortar systems, rocket artillery, multiple rocket launchers, surface-to-surface missiles, ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, etc., so grouped to facil ...

. Germany was a signatory of the 1907 Hague Convention. Another attack followed on 26 April 1916 on the coastal towns of Yarmouth and Lowestoft but both were important naval bases and defended by shore batteries.

Unrestricted submarine warfare

Unrestricted submarine warfare Unrestricted submarine warfare is a type of naval warfare in which submarines sink merchant ships such as freighters and tankers without warning. The use of unrestricted submarine warfare has had significant impacts on international relations in ...

was instituted in 1915 in response to the British naval blockade of Germany.

Prize rules In admiralty law prizes (from the Old French ''prise'', "taken, seized") are Military equipment">equipment, vehicles, Marine vessel, vessels, and cargo captured during armed conflict. The most common use of ''prize'' in this sense is the capture ...

, which were codified under the 1907 Hague Convention—such as those that required

commerce raider Commerce raiding is a form of naval warfare used to destroy or disrupt logistics of the enemy on the open sea by attacking its merchant shipping, rather than engaging its combatants or enforcing a blockade against them. Privateering is a fo ...

s to warn their targets and allow time for the crew to board lifeboats—were disregarded and

commercial vessel A merchant ship, merchant vessel, trading vessel, or merchantman is a watercraft that transports cargo or carries passengers for hire. This is in contrast to pleasure craft, which are used for personal recreation, and naval ships, which are ...

s were sunk regardless of nationality, cargo, or destination. Following the sinking of the on 7 May 1915 and subsequent public outcry in various neutral countries, including the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

, the practice was withdrawn. However, Germany resumed the practice on 1 February 1917 and declared that all merchant ships regardless of nationalities would be sunk without warning. This outraged the U.S. public, prompting the U.S. to break diplomatic relations with Germany two days later, and, along with the Zimmermann Telegram, led the U.S. entry into the war two months later on the side of the Allied Powers.

World War II

Chronologically, the first German World War II crime, and also the very first act of the war, was the

bombing of Wieluń A bomb is an explosive weapon that uses the exothermic reaction of an explosive material to provide an extremely sudden and violent release of energy. Detonations inflict damage principally through ground- and atmosphere-transmitted mechan ...

, a town where no targets of military value were present. More significantly,

of the

, the extermination of millions of

, the

Action T4 (German, ) was a campaign of Homicide#By state actors, mass murder by involuntary euthanasia which targeted Disability, people with disabilities and the mentally ill in Nazi Germany. The term was first used in post-WWII, war trials against d ...

killing of the

disabled Disability is the experience of any condition that makes it more difficult for a person to do certain activities or have equitable access within a given society. Disabilities may be cognitive, developmental, intellectual, mental, physica ...

, and the

Porajmos The Romani Holocaust was the genocide of European Roma and Sinti people during World War II. Beginning in 1933, Nazi Germany systematically persecuted the European Roma, Sinti and other peoples pejoratively labeled 'Gypsy' through forcible ...

of the

are the most notable war crimes committed by

during World War II. Not all of the crimes committed during the Holocaust and similar mass atrocities were war crimes.

Telford Taylor Telford Taylor (February 24, 1908 – May 23, 1998) was an American lawyer and professor. Taylor was known for his role as lead counsel in the prosecution of war criminals after World War II, his opposition to McCarthyism in the 1950s, and his o ...

(The U.S. prosecutor in the German High Command case at the

Nuremberg Trials #REDIRECT Nuremberg trials {{redirect category shell, {{R from other capitalisation{{R from move ...

and Chief Counsel for the twelve trials before the U.S. Nuremberg Military Tribunals) explained in 1982: *

German mistreatment of Soviet prisoners of war During World War II, Soviet Union, Soviet prisoners of war (POWs) held by Nazi Germany and primarily in the custody of the German Army (Wehrmacht), German Army were starved and subjected to deadly conditions. Of nearly six million who were cap ...

– at least 3.3 million Soviet POWs died in German custody, out of 5.7 million captured; this figure represents 57% POW casualty rate. *

Le Paradis massacre The Le Paradis massacre was a World War II war crime committed by members of the 14th Company, 3rd SS Panzer Division Totenkopf, SS Division Totenkopf, under the command of ''Hauptsturmführer'' Fritz Knöchlein. It took place on 27 May 1940, d ...

, May 1940, British soldiers of the

Royal Norfolk Regiment The Royal Norfolk Regiment was a line infantry regiment of the British Army until 1959. Its predecessor regiment was raised in 1685 as Henry Cornwall's Regiment of Foot. In 1751, it was numbered like most other British Army regiments and named ...

, were captured by the SS and subsequently murdered. Fritz Knoechlein was tried, found guilty and hanged. *

Wormhoudt massacre The Wormhoudt massacre (or Wormhout massacre) was the mass murder of 81 British and French POWs by Waffen-SS soldiers from the 1st SS Division Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler during the Battle of France in May 1940. Fighting As part of the Brit ...

, May 1940, British and French soldiers captured by the SS and subsequently murdered. No one was found guilty of the crime. *

Lidice massacre The Lidice massacre () was the complete destruction of the village of Lidice in the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia, which is now a part of the Czech Republic, in June 1942 on orders from Nazi Party, Nazi leader Adolf Hitler and acting ''Rei ...

after assassination of

Reinhard Heydrich Reinhard Tristan Eugen Heydrich ( , ; 7 March 1904 – 4 June 1942) was a German high-ranking SS and police official during the Nazi era and a principal architect of the Holocaust. He held the rank of SS-. Many historians regard Heydrich ...

in 1942, when the Czech village was utterly destroyed, and inhabitants murdered. *

Normandy Massacres The Normandy massacres were a series of killings in-which approximately 156 Canadian and two British prisoners of war (POWs) were murdered by soldiers of the 12th SS Panzer Division Hitlerjugend, 12th SS Panzer Division (Hitler Youth) during the ...

, a series of killings in which up to 156 Canadian prisoners of war were murdered by soldiers of the 12th SS Panzer Division (Hitler Youth) during the Battle of Normandy **

Ardenne Abbey massacre The Ardenne Abbey massacre occurred during the Battle of Normandy at the Ardenne Abbey, a Premonstratensian monastery in Saint-Germain-la-Blanche-Herbe, near Caen, France. In June 1944, 20 Canadian soldiers were massacred in a garden at the ...

, one of the Normandy massacres; June 1944 Canadian soldiers captured by the SS and murdered by 12th SS Panzer Division Hitlerjugend. SS General

Kurt Meyer (Panzermeyer) Kurt Meyer (23 December 1910 – 23 December 1961) was an SS commander and convicted war criminal of Nazi Germany. He served in the Waffen-SS (the combat branch of the SS) and participated in the Battle of France, Operation Barbarossa, and oth ...

sentenced to be shot 1946; sentence commuted; released 1954 * Graignes massacre, 11 June 1944, United States POWs that had surrendered were executed by

17th SS Panzergrenadier Division Götz von Berlichingen The 17th SS Panzergrenadier Division "Götz von Berlichingen" () was a German Waffen-SS division that saw action on the Western Front during World War II. Formation and training The division was raised near Poitiers, France, as the ''Panzer ...

by shooting and stabbing. * Malmedy massacre, December 1944, United States POWs captured by ''

Kampfgruppe Peiper Joachim Peiper (30 January 1915 – 14 July 1976) was a German ''Schutzstaffel'' (SS) colonel, convicted war criminal and car salesman. During the Second World War in Europe, Peiper served as personal adjutant to Heinrich Himmler, leader of the ...

'' were murdered outside of

Malmedy Malmedy (; , historically also ; ) is a city and municipality of Wallonia located in the province of Liège, Belgium. On January 1, 2018, Malmedy had a total population of 12,654. The total area is 99.96 km2 which gives a population dens ...

Belgium Belgium, officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. Situated in a coastal lowland region known as the Low Countries, it is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeas ...

. * Wereth massacre. 17 December 1944, soldiers from 3./SS-PzAA1 LSSAH captured eleven African-American soldiers from 333rd Artillery Battalion in the hamlet of Wereth, Belgium. Subsequently, the prisoners were tortured, shot, and had their fingers cut off, legs broken, eyes gouged out, jaw broken and at least one was shot while trying to bandage a comrade's wounds. * Wahlhausen massacre, January 1945, United States POWs from the 28th Infantry Division captured by German troops were summarily executed. *

Gardelegen massacre The Gardelegen massacre was a massacre perpetrated by the locals (Volkssturm, Hitlerjugend and local firefighters) of the North Germany, northern German town of Gardelegen, with direction from the Schutzstaffel, SS, near the end of World War ...

of April 1945 when

Nazi concentration camp From 1933 to 1945, Nazi Germany operated more than a thousand concentration camps (), including subcamp (SS), subcamps on its own territory and in parts of German-occupied Europe. The first camps were established in March 1933 immediately af ...

prisoners were herded into a barn, which was then set alight, killing all inside *

Oradour-sur-Glane massacre On 10 June 1944, four days after Normandy landings, D-Day, the village of Oradour-sur-Glane in Haute-Vienne in German military administration in occupied France during World War II, Nazi-occupied France was destroyed when 642 civilians, inclu ...

Massacre of Kalavryta The Kalavryta massacre (), or the Holocaust of Kalavryta (), was the near-extermination of the male population and the total destruction of the town of Kalavryta, Axis-occupied Greece, by the 117th Jäger Division (Wehrmacht) during World War II, ...

against merchant shipping. *The intentional destruction of major medieval churches of

Novgorod Veliky Novgorod ( ; , ; ), also known simply as Novgorod (), is the largest city and administrative centre of Novgorod Oblast, Russia. It is one of the oldest cities in Russia, being first mentioned in the 9th century. The city lies along the V ...

, of monasteries in the

Moscow region Moscow Oblast (, , informally known as , ) is a federal subjects of Russia, federal subject of Russia (an oblast). With a population of 8,524,665 (Russian Census (2021), 2021 Census) living in an area of , it is one of the most densely populate ...

(e.g., of

New Jerusalem Monastery The Resurrection Monastery () or New Jerusalem Monastery () is a major monastery of the Russian Orthodox Church in Moscow Oblast, Russia. The Voskresensky Monastery has given rise to the eponymous village, which has grown into the town of Voskr ...

) and of the imperial palaces around

St. Petersburg Saint Petersburg, formerly known as Petrograd and later Leningrad, is the second-largest city in Russia after Moscow. It is situated on the River Neva, at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea. The city had a population of 5,601, ...

. *The campaign of extermination of Slavic population in the occupied territories. Several thousand villages were burned with their entire population (e.g.,

Khatyn massacre Khatyn (, ; , ) was a village of 26 houses and 157 inhabitants in Belarus, in Lahoysk Raion, Minsk Region, 50 km away from Minsk. On 22 March 1943, almost the entire population of the village was massacred by the Schutzmannschaft Battal ...

Belarus Belarus, officially the Republic of Belarus, is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by Russia to the east and northeast, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and Latvia to the northwest. Belarus spans an a ...

). A quarter of the inhabitants of Belarus did not survive the German occupation. *

Soap made from human corpses During the 20th century there were various alleged instances of soap being made from human body fat. During World War I, the British press claimed that the Germans operated a corpse factory in which they made glycerine and soap from the bodies of ...

produced on a small-scale by German scientist Rudolf Spanner. *

Commando Order The Commando Order () was issued by the Oberkommando der Wehrmacht, OKW, the high command of the Wehrmacht, German Armed Forces, on 18 October 1942. This order stated that all Allies of World War II, Allied commandos captured in Europe and Africa ...

, the secret order issued by Hitler in October 1942 stating that Allied combatants encountered during

commando A commando is a combatant, or operative of an elite light infantry or special operations force, specially trained for carrying out raids and operating in small teams behind enemy lines. Originally, "a commando" was a type of combat unit, as oppo ...

operations were to be executed immediately without trial, even if they were properly uniformed, unarmed, or intending to surrender. *

Commissar Order The Commissar Order () was an order issued by the German High Command ( OKW) on 6 June 1941 before Operation Barbarossa. Its official name was Guidelines for the Treatment of Political Commissars (''Richtlinien für die Behandlung politischer Ko ...

, the order from Hitler to

Wehrmacht The ''Wehrmacht'' (, ) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the German Army (1935–1945), ''Heer'' (army), the ''Kriegsmarine'' (navy) and the ''Luftwaffe'' (air force). The designation "''Wehrmac ...

troops before the invasion of the

Soviet Union The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...

in 1941 to shoot

Commissar Commissar (or sometimes ''Kommissar'') is an English transliteration of the Russian (''komissar''), which means ' commissary'. In English, the transliteration ''commissar'' often refers specifically to the political commissars of Soviet and ...

s immediately on capture. *

Nacht und Nebel ''Nacht und Nebel'' ( German: ), meaning Night and Fog, also known as the Night and Fog Decree, was a directive issued by Adolf Hitler on 7 December 1941 targeting political activists and resistance "helpers" in the territories occupied by Na ...

decree of 1941 for disappearance of prisoners.

War criminals

List of Axis personnel indicted for war crimes The following is a list of people who were formally indicted for committing war crimes or crimes against humanity on behalf of the Axis powers during World War II, including those who were acquitted or never received judgement. It does not includ ...

* List of Nazi doctors *

Adolf Eichmann Otto Adolf Eichmann ( ;"Eichmann"
''Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary''. ; 19 March 1906 – 1 Ju ...

* Heinrich Gross *

Hans Heinze Hans Heinze, sometimes referred to as ''Euthanasie-Heinze'' ("Euthanasia Heinze"; 18 October 1895 – 4 February 1983), was a Nazi German psychiatrist and eugenicist. Life Heinze was born in Elsterberg, the 13th of 14 children, and was educated ...

* Rudolf Hoess *

Karl Linnas Karl Linnas (August 6, 1919 – July 2, 1987) was an Estonian who was sentenced to death during the Holocaust trials in Soviet Estonia in 1961–1962. He was later deported from the United States to the Soviet Union in 1987. Linnas was tried ...

Josef Mengele Josef Mengele (; 16 March 19117 February 1979) was a Nazi German (SS) officer and physician during World War II at the Russian front and then at Auschwitz during the Holocaust, often dubbed the "Angel of Death" (). He performed Nazi hum ...

Otmar Freiherr von Verschuer Otmar Freiherr von Verschuer (; 16 July 1896 – 8 August 1969) was a German-Dutch human biologist and geneticist, who was the Professor of Human Genetics at the University of Münster until he retired in 1965. A member of the Dutch noble Vers ...

Alfred Trzebinski Alfred Trzebinski (29 August 1902 – 8 October 1946) was an Schutzstaffel, SS-physician at the Auschwitz concentration camp, Auschwitz, Majdanek and Neuengamme concentration camp, Neuengamme concentration camps in Nazi Germany. He was sentenced t ...

Massacres and war crimes of World War II by location

Austria

Alkoven Schloss Hartheim 2005-08-18 3589

*Murders of disabled children by Heinrich Gross *Recommendation of disabled children for

euthanasia Euthanasia (from : + ) is the practice of intentionally ending life to eliminate pain and suffering. Different countries have different Legality of euthanasia, euthanasia laws. The British House of Lords Select committee (United Kingdom), se ...

Hans Asperger Johann Friedrich Karl Asperger (, ; 18 February 1906 – 21 October 1980) was an Austrian physician. Noted for his early studies on atypical neurology, specifically in children, he is the namesake of the former autism spectrum disorder Asperger ...

Belarus

The Holocaust in Belarus The Holocaust saw the systematic extermination of Jews living in Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic, Byelorussia during its German occupation of Byelorussia during World War II, occupation by Nazi Germany in World War II. Before the constru ...

* Anti-partisan operations in Belarus * Operation Bamberg * Operation Cottbus ; 1941 *27 October,

Slutsk Slutsk is a town in Minsk Region, in central Belarus. It serves as the administrative center of Slutsk District, and is located on the Sluch (Belarus), Sluch River south of the capital Minsk. As of 2025, it has a population of 59,450. Geography ...

, Slutsk Affair (4,000 people, including women and children) *28 September – 17 October, Pleszczenice- Bischolin-

Szack Shatsk (, ; ; ) is a Rural settlement#Ukraine, rural settlement in Volyn Oblast, Kovel Raion, north-western Ukraine. It is located to the north-west of Kovel. Population: The village is situated in a picturesque area in the western part of Voly ...

(Šacak)- Bobr-

Uzda Uzda (; ) is a town in Minsk Region, Belarus. It serves as the administrative center of Uzda District. In 2009, its population was 10,000. As of 2024, it has a population of 10,619. The town's name means "bridle". History Uzda was first refer ...

(

White Ruthenia White Ruthenia (; ; ; ; ) is one of the historical divisions of Kievan Rus' according to the color scheme, which also includes Black and Red Ruthenia. In the Late Middle Ages and Early Modern period, the name White Ruthenia was characterized by i ...

) massacre (1,126 children) ; 1942 * 26 March – 6 April, Operation Bamberg ( Hłusk,

Bobrujsk Babruysk (, ) or Bobruysk (, ; , ) is a city in Mogilev Region, Belarus. It serves as the administrative center of Babruysk District, though it is administratively separated from the district. It is situated on the Berezina River. Babruysk occ ...

; 4,396 people, including children) * April 29 and August 10, 1942, Dzyatlava massacre, Diatłowo (

Dzyatlava Dzyatlava or Dyatlovo is a town in Grodno Region, Belarus. It serves as the administrative center of Dzyatlava District. It is located about southeast of Grodno. The population was 7,700 in 2016. As of 2025, it has a population of 7,596. His ...

); 3,000- 5,000 people, including women and children *9 – 12 May, Kliczów-

massacre (520 people, including children) *Beginning of June, Słowodka-

massacre (1,000 people, including children) *15 June Borki (powiat białostocki) massacre (1,741 people, including children) *21 June Zbyszin massacre (1,076 people, including children) *25 June Timkowiczi massacre (900 people, including children) *26 June Studenka massacre (836 people, including children) *18 July, Jelsk massacre (1,000 people, including children) *15 July – 7 August,

Operation Adler Operation Adler was the code name designated by the Luftwaffe for their air offensive against Great Britain in the summer of 1940. The defensive side of this operation was known as the Battle of Britain. This offensive was part of an ambitious camp ...

(

Mohylew Mogilev (; , ), also transliterated as Mahilyow (, ), is a city in eastern Belarus. It is located on the Dnieper River, about from the border with Russia's Smolensk Oblast and from Bryansk Oblast. As of 2024, it has a population of 353,110. In ...

Berezyna Byerazino or Berezino is a town on the Berezina River in Minsk Region, Belarus. It is located east of the capital Minsk, and serves as the administrative center of Byerazino District. As of 2025, it has a population of 11,250. History Ea ...

; 1,381 people, including children) *14 – 20 August, Operation Greif ( Orsza, Witebsk; 796 people, including children) *22 August – 21 September, Operation Sumpffieber (

; 10,063 people, including children) *August, Bereźne massacre *22 September – 26 September ( Małoryta massacre; 4,038 people, including children) *23 September – 3 October, Operation Blitz (

Połock Polotsk () or Polatsk () is a town in Vitebsk Region, Belarus. It is situated on the Dvina River and serves as the administrative center of Polotsk District. Polotsk is served by Polotsk Airport and Borovitsy air base. As of 2025, it has a pop ...

, Witebsk; 567 people, including children) *11 – 23 October, Operation Karlsbad ( Orsza, Witebsk; 1,051 people, including children) *23 – 29 November, Operation Nürnberg ( Dubrowka; 2,974 people, including children) *December, Mirnaya massacre, Mirnaya (Мірная), Belarus ''(be)''; 147 including women and children *10 – 21 December,

Operation Hamburg Operation or Operations may refer to: Arts, entertainment and media * ''Operation'' (game), a battery-operated board game that challenges dexterity * Operation (music), a term used in musical set theory * ''Operations'' (magazine), Multi-Man ...

(

Niemen Neman, Nemunas or Niemen is a river in Europe that rises in central Belarus and flows through Lithuania then forms the northern border of Kaliningrad Oblast, Russia's western exclave, which specifically follows its southern channel. It drains ...

River- Szczara River; 6,172 people, including children) *22 – 29 December, Operation Altona (

Słonim Slonim is a town in Grodno Region, in western Belarus. It serves as the administrative center of Slonim District. It is located at the junction of the Shchara and Isa rivers, southeast of Grodno. As of 2025, it has a population of 48,402. ...

; 1,032 people, including children) ; 1943 *6 – 14 January, Operation Franz ( Grodsjanka; 2,025 people, including children) *10 – 11 January, Operation Peter ( Kliczów, Kolbcza; 1,400 people, including children) *18 – 23 January, Słuck- Mińsk-

Czerwień Czerwień was a West Slavic settlement near the site of modern Czermno near Tyszowce. In early Middle Ages, the town was the administrative centre of the so-called Czerwień Towns, that is the region roughly correspondent to later Red Ruthenia ...

massacre (825 people, including children) *28 January – 15 February, Operation Schneehase (

, Rossony, Krasnopole; 2,283 people, including children); 54; 37 *Until 28 January, Operation Erntefest I (

, Osipowicze; 1,228 people, including children) *Jaanuar,

Operation Eisbär Operation "Polar Bear", German language, German: ''Operation Eisbär'' (October 1942) - a punitive police and military anti-guerrilla operation of the German occupation troops in the Kursk Oblast of the Russia, Russian Federation, aimed at the des ...

(between Briańsk and Dmitriev-Lgowski) *Until 1 February, Operation Waldwinter ( Sirotino-Trudy; 1,627 people, including children) *8 – 26 February,

Operation Hornung Operation Hornung was an anti-partisan operation during the Occupation of Belarus by Nazi Germany, carried out in February 1943. It was directed against the area Hancewicze- Morocz-Lenin- Łuniniec, a thinly populated area of about 4,000 square ...

(

Lenin Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov ( 187021 January 1924), better known as Vladimir Lenin, was a Russian revolutionary, politician and political theorist. He was the first head of government of Soviet Russia from 1917 until Death and state funeral of ...

, Hancewicze; 12,897 people, including children) *Until 9 February, Operation Erntefest II ( Słuck, Kopyl; 2,325 people, including children) *15 February – end of March, Operation Winterzauber ( Oświeja, Latvian border; 3,904 people, including children) *22 February – 8 March,

Operation Kugelblitz Operation Kugelblitz () was a massive counter-insurgency operation by the German 2nd Panzer Army conjunction with collaborationist forces against the Yugoslav Partisans around the eastern Bosnian region of the Independent State of Croatia during ...

(

, Oświeja, Dryssa, Rossony; 3,780 people, including children) *Until 19 March,

Operation Nixe Operation or Operations may refer to: Arts, entertainment and media * ''Operation'' (game), a battery-operated board game that challenges dexterity * Operation (music), a term used in musical set theory * ''Operations'' (magazine), Multi-Man ...

( Ptycz, Mikaszewicze,

Pińsk Pinsk (; , ; ; ; ) is a city in Brest Region, Belarus. It serves as the administrative center of Pinsk District, though it is administratively separated from the district. It is located in the historical region of Polesia, at the confluence of ...

; 400 people, including children) *Until 21 March, Operation Föhn (

; 543 people, including children) *21 March – 2 April,

Operation Donnerkeil Unternehmen Donnerkeil (Operation Thunderbolt) was the codename for a German military operation of the Second World War. ''Donnerkeil'' was an air superiority operation in support of Operation Cerberus, also known as the Channel Dash by the ' ...

(

, Witebsk; 542 people, including children) *March 22,

, Khatyn; 149 people including women and children *1 – 9 May, Operation Draufgänger II (:be:Горад Рудня, Rudnja and Manyly forest; 680 people, including children) *17 – 21 May, Operation Maigewitter ( Witebsk, Suraż, Haradok, Gorodok; 2,441 people, including children) *20 May – 23 June, Operation Cottbus (Lepel, Begomel, Uszacz; 11,796 people, including children) *27 May – 10 June, Operation Weichsel (Dniepr-Prypeć triangle, South-West of Homel; 4,018 people, including children) *13 – 16 June, Operation Ziethen (Rechytsa, Rzeczyca; 160 people, including children) *25 June – 27 July, Operation Seydlitz (Owrucz-Mozyrz; 5,106 people, including children) *30 July, Mozyrz massacre (501 people, including children) *Until 14 July, Operation Günther (Woloszyn, Lagoisk; 3,993 people, including children) *13 July – 11 August, Operation Hermann (Iwie, Nowogródek, Woloszyn, Stołpce; 4,280 people, including children) *24 September – 10 October, Operation Fritz (Głębokie, Gniezno County, Głębokie; 509 people, including children) *9 October – 22 October, Stary Bychów massacre (1,769 people, including children) *1 November – 18 November, Operation Heinrich ( Rossony,

, Idrica; 5,452 people, including children) *December, Spasskoje massacre (628 people, including children) *December, Bely, Belarus, Biały massacre (1,453 people, including children) *20 December – 1 January 1944, Operation Otto (Belarus), Operation Otto ( Oświeja; 1,920 people, including children) ; 1944 *14 January, Oła massacre (1,758 people, including children) *22 January, Baiki massacre (987 people, including children) *3 – 15 February, Operation Wolfsjagd ( Hłusk,

; 467 people, including children) *5 – 6 February, (near Buczacz) massacre (126 people, including children; see :pl:Zbrodnie w Baryszu) *Until 19 February, Operation Sumpfhahn ( Hłusk,

; 538 people, including children) *Beginning of March,

-Bielnicz massacre (686 people, including children) *7 – 17 April, Operation Auerhahn (

; c. 1,000 people, including children) *17 April – 12 May, Operation Frühlingsfest (

, Uszacz; 7,011 people, including children) *25 May – 17 June, Operation Kormoran; (Wilejka, Barysaw, Borysów, Minsk; 7,697 people, including children) *2 June – 13 June, Operation Pfingsrose (Talka; 499 people, including children) *June, Operation Pfingstausnlug (:be:Горад Сянно, Sienno; 653 people, including children) *June, Operation Windwirbel (Chidra; 560 people, including children)

Belgium

; 1940 *May 25, Vinkt Massacre (Vinkt, East Flanders; 86-140 people, including children) ;1944 *August 18, Courcelles Massacre (Courcelles, Belgium, Courcelles, Hainaut Province; 20 People, including children) *December, Malmedy massacres (

and surrounding region; at least 373 American POWS) *Dec 17, Malmedy massacre#Massacre at Baugnez crossroads, Baugnez crossroads massacre (Baugnez (near Malmedy), Liège Province; 81 American POWS) *Dec 17, Wereth 11, Wereth massacre (Wereth, Liège Province; 11 American POWS) *Dec 24, (Bande, Belgium, Bande, Luxembourg (Belgium), Luxembourg Province; 34 People aged between 17 and 32 years old)

Croatia

;1943 *30 November 1943, Ivanci massacre (73 killed) ;1944 *26-30 March 1944, Massacre of villages under Kamešnica (1,525 killed, including children) * 30 April 1944, Memorial Centre Lipa Remembers, Lipa massacre (269 killed, including 96 children)

Czechoslovakia

Koncentracni tabor Mauthausen Praha 2012 7934

* International Students' Day, 17 November Raid against universities and colleges * First Martial Law (First Reinhard Heydrich#Acting Reich Protector of Bohemia and Moravia, Heydrichiada in Prague) * First Martial Law (First Reinhard Heydrich#Acting Reich Protector of Bohemia and Moravia, Heydrichiada in Brno) *

* Ležáky massacre * Liquidation of the Theresienstadt concentration camp * "Transport of Death" in Brandýs nad Orlicí * "Transport of Death" in Stod (Czech Republic) * Jablunkov Massacre * "Transport of Death" in Nýřany * Killing in the Mikulov clay pit * Murder in Gästehaus * Ploština Massacre * Zákřov Massacre * Court-martial in Medlánky * Prlov Massacre * Salaš Massacre * Suchý Massacre * Letovice Massacre * Last execution in Theresienstadt * Execution in Lazce * Execution in Fort XIII * "Transport of Death" in Olbramovice * Podbořany-Kaštice Death march * Javoříčko Massacre * Brandýs Tragedy * Volary Death march * Velké Meziříčí Massacre * Leskovice massacre, Leskovice Massacre * Úsobská street Massacre * Psáry Massacre * Lednice Massacre * Kolín massacre * Třešť massacre * Velké Popovice massacre * Lahovice massacre * Masarykovo nádraží massacre * Massacre in Trhová Kamenice * Malín tragedy * Kobylisy Shooting Range, a site of execution for primarily political prisoners * Životice (Havířov), Životice massacre * Prague uprising#War crimes, War crimes during the Prague uprising included using civilians as human shields, summary executions and massacres * Massacre in Trhová Kamenice

Estonia

*The Holocaust in Estonia *Murders of children by

; 1941 *2 November, Mass murder of children in Pärnu synagogue, Mass murder of children in Pärnu Pärnu synagogue, synagogue (34 children) ; 1942 *27 March Murder of Pliner children (Holocaust in Estonia; 3 children)

France

*Affair of 27 martyrs 25 August 1945 *Ascq massacre April 1944 *

of British and Canadian troops by Waffen-SS *Drancy internment camp murders *Dortan Massacre *Dun-les-Places massacre *First Saint-Julien-de-Crempse, Saint-Julien massacre * Graignes massacre (Graignes, 17 American prisoners were massacred.) *Izieu#Site of World War II Jewish orphanage, Izieu orphanage deportations to Auschwitz, 6 April 1944 *Karl Hotz, Karl Hotz reprisals *

*Infantry Regiment Großdeutschland#Infanterie-Regiment Großdeutschland - France and The Low Countries, Massacre of the Bois d'Eraine *Maillé massacre *:fr:Massacre de Penguerec, Penguerec massacre *Robert-Espagne, Massacre de la vallée de la Saulx *Saint-Genis-Laval massacre *Second Saint-Julien-de-Crempse, Saint-Julien massacre *Tragedy of the Guerry's wells *Tulle massacre, 9 June 1944 *

(642 men, women and children) 10 June 1944 *

Germany

*Murders of children in the Hadamar Clinic (NS-Tötungsanstalt Hadamar) mostly by Irmgard Huber *Murders of children by

*Otmar Freiherr von Verschuer#Involvement in Nazi human experimentation ; 1945 *20–23 March - Arnsberg Forest massacre *8 April - Celle massacre *11 April - Lüneburg massacre (60–80 Forced labour under German rule during World War II, forced laborers) *13 April - Gardelegen (war crime), Gardelegen Massacre *20 April - Murder of 20 children by

*23 April - Treuenbrietzen massacre (127 Italian POWs) *26 April - Horka, Saxony, Horka massacre (around 300 Polish POWs)

Greece

*Massacre of Kleisoura (Macedonia (Greece), Macedonia, 270 women and children) *Massacre of Kondomari (Crete, 60 men, mainly elder) *Massacre of Pikermi (Pikermi, 54, including women and children) *Pyrgoi (former Katranitsa) massacre (Pyrgoi, 346, including women and children) *Razing of Kandanos (Crete, 180, including women and children) *Holocaust of Viannos (Crete, 500+, including women and children) *Distomo massacre (Central Greece (geographic region), Central Greece, 218, including women and children) *Drakeia massacre (Thessaly, 118 men) *Holocaust of Kedros (Crete, 164, including women and children) *Massacre of Kommeno (Epirus, 317, including women and children) *

(Peloponnese, 1,200+, including women and children) *Burnings of Kali Sykia (Crete, 13, women) *Lyngiades massacre (Epirus (region), Epirus), 92, mostly infants, children, women and elderly *Massacre of the Acqui Division (Kefalonia, 5,000, Italian anti-fascist troops) *Mesovouno massacre (Macedonia (Greece), Macedonia, 268, including women and children) *Paramythia executions (Epirus, 201, including women and children) *The Massacre of Chortiatis (Macedonia (Greece), Macedonia, 146, including women and children) *Executions of Kaisariani (Athens, 200+, all civilians) *Massacre of Mousiotitsa (Epirus, 153, including women and children) *Malathyros executions (Malathyros, 61, including women and children) *Executions of Kokkinia (Athens, 300+, all civilians, assisted by Security Battalions) *Kallikratis executions (Crete, 30, including women and children) *Alikianos executions (Crete, 118, all civilians) *Razing of Anogeia (Crete, unknown, including women and children) *Skourvoula executions, Skourvoula (Crete, at least 36, all civilians) In addition, more than 90 villages and towns are recorded from the Hellenic network of martyr cities.Δήμος Λαμιέων
Δίκτυο μαρτυρικών πόλεων & χωριών της Ελλάδος , Δήμος Λαμιέων
accessdate: 19. Oktober 2015 During the triple German, Italian and Bulgarian, occupation about 800,000 people lost their lives in Greece (see World War II casualties).

Italy

*:it:Strage di Castiglione, Castiglione massacre, 12–14 August 1943, Castiglione di Sicilia, 1st Fallschirm-Panzer Division Hermann Göring massacres 16 civilians and wounds 20. *Boves massacre, 8 September 1943, Boves, Piedmont, Boves, Mass killing of 23 citizens (with another 22 wounded) by German 1st SS Panzer Division Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler occupation troops under Joachim Peiper *Lake Maggiore massacres, September–October 1943, Lake Maggiore, Murder of 56 predominantly Italian Jews by the 1st SS Panzer Division despite strict German orders not to carry out any violence against civilians *Caiazzo massacre, 13 October 1943, Caiazzo, Mass killing of 22 civilians by the German 29th Panzergrenadier Regiment occupation troops under Lt. Richard Heinz Wolfgang Lehnigk-Emden *Ardeatine massacre (Rome, Lazio; 335 prisoners executed) *Guardistallo massacre (Guardistallo, Tuscany; 46 civilians killed on 29 June 1944) *Piazza Tasso massacre, 17 July 1944, Florence, 5 Italian civilians killed in massacre by Fascists and German Army *12 August 1944, Sant'Anna di Stazzema massacre (Sant'Anna di Stazzema, Tuscany; 560 people, including children) *San Terenzo Monti massacre (Fivizzano, Tuscany; 110 civilians and 52 political prisoners killed on 21 August 1944) *Padule di Fucecchio massacre (Fucecchio, Tuscany; 176 civilians killed on 23 August 1944) *Vinca massacre (Fivizzano, Tuscany; between 160 and 178 civilians executed on 24 August 1944) *Certosa di Farneta massacre (Lucca, Tuscany; 60 civilians killed between 2 and 10 September 1944) *29 September – 5 October 1944, Marzabotto massacre (Marzabotto, Emilia-Romagna; between 770 and 1,830 civilians killed) *29 June 1944, Civitella Alfedena, Civitella-Cornia-San Pancrazio massacre (Abruzzo; 203 people, including children) *Cuneo massacre (Cuneo, Piedmont; 189 civilians and partisans killed in two separate massacres) *Cavriglia-Castelnuovo dei Sabbioni massacre (Tuscany; 173 civilians killed on 4 July 1944) *Fosse del Frigido massacre (Massa, Tuscany, Massa, Tuscany; 146-149 prisoners murdered on 10 September 1944) *Pietransieri massacre (Roccaraso, Abruzzo; 128 civilians killed on 21 November 1943) *Stia massacre (Stia, Tuscany; 122 civilians killed between 12 and 15 April 1944) *Valla massacre (Fivizzano, Tuscany; 103 civilians killed on 19 August 1944) *Serra di Ronchidoso massacre (Gaggio Montano, Emilia-Romagna; over 100 civilians killed on 28–29 September 1944) *Verghereto massacre (Verghereto, Emilia-Romagna; 96 civilians killed between 22 and 25 July 1944) *Massacre of Monchio, Susano, Italy, Susano and Costrignano (Palagano, Emilia-Romagna; between 79 and 136 civilians killed on 18 March 1944) *Leonessa and Cumulata massacre (Leonessa, Lazio; 51 civilians killed between 2 and 7 April 1944) *Cumiana massacre (Cumiana, Piedmont; 51 civilians killed on 3 April 1944) *Tavolicci massacre (Verghereto, Emilia-Romagna; 64 civilians killed on 22 July 1944) *Massa, Tuscany, Forno massacre (Massa, Tuscany, Massa, Tuscany; 72 civilians killed on 13 June 1944) *Gubbio massacre (Gubbio, Umbria; 40 civilians executed on 22 June 1944) *Valdine massacre (Fivizzano, Tuscany; 52 hostages executed in August 1944) *Casaglia massacre (Marzabotto, Emilia-Romagna; 42 civilians killed on 29 September 1944) * massacre in Carrara (Carrara, Tuscany; 72 civilians killed on 16 September 1944) *Madonna dell'Albero massacre (Ravenna, Emilia-Romagna; 56 civilians killed on 27 November 1944) *"La Romagna" massacre (Molina di Quosa, San Giuliano Terme, Tuscany; 75 civilians killed on 11 August 1944) *San Polo di Arezzo massacre (Arezzo, Tuscany; 65 civilians killed on 14 July 1944) *Massaciuccoli-Massarosa massacre (Massaciuccoli, Massarosa, Tuscany; 41 civilians killed between 2 and 5 September 1944) *Fossoli-Carpi, Emilia-Romagna, Carpi massacre (Carpi, Emilia-Romagna; 67 civilians killed on 12 July 1944) *Turchino Pass massacre (Fontanafredda, Liguria; 59 civilians executed on 19 May 1944) *Pedescala massacre (Valdastico, Veneto; 82 civilians killed between 30 April and 2 May 1945)

Latvia

*The Holocaust in Latvia ; 1941 *30 November and 8 December, Rumbula massacre (25,000 people, including children)

Lithuania

*The Holocaust in Lithuania ; 1941 *13 July – 21 August Daugavpils massacre by Einsatzkommando 3 (9,585 people, including children) *July–August 1944, Ponary massacre (c. 100,000 people, including children) *18 August – 22 August, Raseiniai, Kreis Rasainiai massacre (1,020 children) *19 August, Ukmergė massacre (88 children) *Summer-autumn-winter, Holocaust in Estonia#Complete murder of native Jewish population, Complete murder of native Jewish population in Estonia (900 individuals, including 101 children) *1 September, Marijampolė massacre (1,404 children) *2 September, Wilno massacre (817 children) *4 September, Čekiškė massacre (60 children) *4 September, Seredžius massacre (126 children) *4 September, Veliuona massacre (86 children) *4 September, Zapyškis massacre (13 children) *6 September – 8 September, Raseiniai massacre (415 children) *6 September – 8 September, Jurbarkas, Jurbork massacre (412 people, including children) *29 October, Kaunas massacre of 29 October 1941, Kaunas massacre (4,273 children) *25 November, Kaunas, KauenNinth Fort, -F.IX massacre (175 children)

Netherlands

; 1940 *14 May, Rotterdam Blitz, Rotterdam bombing (nearly 1,000 people were killed and 85,000 made homeless.) ; 1944 *1 October, Putten raid (552 deaths) *5 November, Heusden#Heusden Town Hall Massacre - a forgotten Nazi war crime, Heusden Town Hall Massacre (134 people, including 74 children)

Norway

*Attempted deportation of children of Jewish Children's Home in Oslo

Poland

*The Holocaust in Poland *Expulsion of Poles by Nazi Germany *German AB-Aktion in Poland *German atrocities committed against Polish prisoners of war *Gmina Aleksandrów, Lublin Voivodeship *Gmina Besko *Gmina Gidle *Gmina Kłecko *Gmina Ryczywół *Gmina Siennica *Intelligenzaktion, Intelligenzaktion Pommern *Jeziorko woodland cemetery *Kidnapping of Polish children by Nazi Germany *Murders of children by

*Pacification actions in German-occupied Poland *Palmiry massacre *Ponary massacre *Operation Tannenberg *Szczecyn massacre (71 children) *Valley of Death (Bydgoszcz) ; 1939 *1 September, Bombing of Wieluń *1–2 September, Torzeniec massacre (37 Poles) *2 September, Wyszanów massacre (24 Poles) *2 September, Zimnowoda, Silesian Voivodeship, Zimnowoda and Parzymiechy massacre (113 Poles, including 30 children) *2–6 September, Łaziska Górne, Łaziska massacre (69 Poles, including 30 children) *3 September, Albertów, Silesian Voivodeship, Albertów massacre (159 Poles) *3 September, Krzepice massacre (30 Poles) *3 September, Święta Anna, Silesian Voivodeship, Święta Anna massacre (29 Poles) *3 September, Świekatowo massacre (26 Poles) *3 September, Mysłów, Silesian Voivodeship, Mysłów massacre (22 Poles, including 10 children) *3 September, Pińczyce massacre (20 Poles) *4 September, Katowice massacre (about 80 Poles) *4 September, Złoczew massacre (200 Poles and Jews) *4 September, Orzesze, Pasternik massacre (29 Poles) *4 September, Cielętniki, Silesian Voivodeship, Cielętniki massacre (28 Poles, including four children) *4 September, Kruszyna, Silesian Voivodeship, Kruszyna massacre (dozens of Poles, including 10 children) *4–6 September, Częstochowa massacre *5 September, Kajetanowice massacre (over 70 Poles, including ten children under the age of 16) *5 September, Serock, Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship, Serock massacre (over 80 Polish POWs) *5–6 September, Krasnosielc massacre (50 Jews) *6, 8 September, Uniejów massacre (50 people) *6, 9 September, Będzin massacres (20 Poles and 100 Jews) *7 September, Wylazłów, Gmina Poddębice, Wylazłów massacre (24 Poles) *8 September, Ciepielów massacre (around 300 Polish POWs) *8 September, Tyszki-Ciągaczki, Tyszki massacre (33 Poles) *8 September, Chechło massacre, near Pabianice (30 Poles) *8 September, Dominikowice, Łódź Voivodeship, Dominikowice massacre (23 Poles) *8 September, Balin, Łódź Voivodeship, Balin massacre (21 Poles) *8–9 September, Lipsko massacre (66 people) *8, 11 September, Mszczonów massacre (11 Polish POWs and 20 Polish civilians) *9 September, Sławków massacre (98 Jews) *9 September, Wyszków, Wyszków County, Wyszków massacre (65+ Jews) *9–10 September, Łęczyca massacre (29 Poles) *10 September, Rawa Mazowiecka massacre (40 people) *10 September, Zdziechowa massacre (24 Poles) *10 September, Bądków, Łódź Voivodeship, Bądków massacre (22 Poles, including a 14-year-old boy) *10 September, Piaseczno massacre of 1939 (21 Polish POWs) *10 September, Stare Rogowo massacre (21 Poles) *10 September, Gniazdowo, Masovian Voivodeship, Gniazdowo massacre (around 20 Poles) *10 September, Laski Szlacheckie massacre (20 Poles) *11 September, Karczew massacre (75 Poles) *11 September, Skierniewice massacre (60 people) *11 September, Obora, Greater Poland Voivodeship, Obora massacre (22 Poles) *11 September, Niewolno massacre (18 Poles) *12 September, Szczucin massacre (around 40 Polish POWs and around 30 Polish civilians) *12 September, Parma, Łódź Voivodeship, Parma massacre (32 Poles) *12 September, Koźmice Wielkie massacre (32 Jews) *13 September, Łowicz massacre (21 people) *13–14 September, Zambrów massacre (over 200 Polish POWs) *14 September, Olszewo, Gmina Brańsk, Olszewo massacre (30 Polish POWs and 23 civilians) *15 September, Sulejówek massacre (over 90 Poles) *16 September, Retki massacre (22 Poles) *17 September, Henryków, Sochaczew County, Henryków massacre (76 Poles, including women and children) *17 September, Leszno, Warsaw West County, Leszno massacre (around 50 Poles) *18 September, Śladów massacre (around 300 Poles, including POWs, refugees, women and children) *19–21 September, Gąbin massacre (20 Poles) *20 September, Majdan Wielki massacre (42 Polish POWs) *22 September, Sochaczew, Boryszew massacre (50 Polish POWs) *28 September, Zakroczym massacre (around 600 Poles, mostly POWs) *1 October, Szczuczki massacre (64 Poles, including ten boys) *7 November, Dalki, Gniezno, Dalki massacre (24 Poles) *11 November, Ostrów Mazowiecka massacre (up to 600 Jews) ; 1940 *18 January, Piotrowice-Ochojec, Piotrowice massacre (39 Poles) *3–4 April, Dąbrówka Mała massacre (40 Poles) *4 April, Celiny, Tarnowskie Góry County, Celiny massacre (29 Poles) *11 April, Skłoby massacre (265 Poles, including women and children) ; 1941 *Choroszcz, Nowosiółki massacre (several hundred) *1941 Białystok massacres (6,500 people) *Lviv pogroms *July, Massacre of Lwów professors (45 Polish professors) ; 1942 *ca. 15 June, Wodzisław, Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship, Wodzisław massacre of 1942 (50 Jews) *2 July, Lidice Massacre, murder of children of Lidice in the Kulmhof extermination camp (82 children) *16 July, Rajsk massacre (142 people) *6 October, Nowy Bidaczów massacre (22 Poles) *6 December, Stary Ciepielów and Rekówka massacre (31 Poles, including children, and two Jews) *11 December, Kitów massacre (164+ Poles, including women and children) ; 1943 *January, Samoklęski, Lublin Voivodeship, Samoklęski massacre (27 Jews and one Pole) *12 March, Murder of Czesława Kwoka#General historical contexts of child victims of Auschwitz, Czesława Kwoka in KZ Auschwitz-Birkenau (1 child) *18 May, Szarajówka massacre (58–67 Poles, including women and children) *23 May, Kielce cemetery massacre (45 children) *24 June, Majdan Nowy massacre (28–36 Poles) *28 June, Cegłów, Mińsk County, Cegłów massacre (26 Poles and an unknown number of Jews; including women and children) *3 July, Majdan Stary massacre (75 Poles, including women and children) *4 July, Liszki, Lesser Poland Voivodeship, Liszki massacre (30 Poles) *12–13 July, Michniów massacre (at least 204 killed, including 48 children) *13 July, Sikory-Tomkowięta massacre (49 Poles) *13 July, Łysa Góra massacre, near Zawady, Gmina Zawady, Zawady (58 Poles) *17 July, Krasowo-Częstki massacre (257 people, including 83 children) *21 July, Wnory-Wandy massacre (32 Poles) *21 July, Radwanowice massacre (30 Poles) *2 August, Jasionowo, Augustów County, Jasionowo massacre (58 Poles, including 19 children) *3 August, Szczurowa massacre (93 people, including children) *29 September, Ostrówki, Łódź Voivodeship, Ostrówki massacre (246 children) *29 September, Wola Ostrowiecka massacre (220 children) *September–October, Wodzisław, Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship, Wodzisław massacre of 1943 (318 Jews) ; 1944 Polish civilians murdered by German-SS-troops in Warsaw Uprising Warsaw August 1944

Polish civilians murdered by German-SS-troops in Warsaw Uprising Warsaw August 1944

*2 February, Borów, Kraśnik County, Borów massacre (including 103 children) *28 February, Huta Pieniacka massacre *28 February, Wanaty, Masovian Voivodeship, Wanaty massacre (108 Poles, including 35 women and 47 children) *8 March, Jabłoń-Dobki massacre (91 Poles, including 31 women and 31 children) *8 March, Jamy, Lublin Voivodeship, Jamy massacre (152 Poles, including women and children) *1 June, Sochy massacre (181–200 Poles) *2 June, Murder of Yekusiel Yehudah Halberstam#Auschwitz, Yekusiel Yehudah Halberstam's children (9 children) *5 June, Olszanka, Gmina Kraśniczyn, Olszanka massacre (around 100 people) *22 July, Lublin Castle massacre (over 300 Poles and Jews) *2 August, Mokotów Prison Massacre (c. 600 Poles) *4 August, Nur, Poland, Nur massacre (around 120 Poles) *4–25 August, Ochota massacre (c. 10,000 people, including children) *5–8 August, Wola massacre (40,000Muzeum Powstania otwarte
BBC Polish edition, 2 October 2004, Children accessed on 13 April 2007 up to 100,000
Gazeta Wyborcza – local Warsaw edition, 1998-08-01. Children accessed on 13 April 2007 people, including children) *31 August, Małaszek massacre (over 30 Poles, including women and children) *2 September, Lipniak-Majorat massacre (around 450 Poles, including women and children) *Planned destruction of Warsaw *23 December, Bloody Christmas Eve in Ochotnica Dolna (56 Poles, including 19 children and 21 women) *31 December, Nieławice massacre (56 Poles, including children) ; 1945 *21–22 January, Marchwacz massacre (63 Polish civilians, 12 Soviet POWs) *31 January, Podgaje massacre (160–210 Polish POWs) *9 February, Leśno, Chojnice County, Leśno massacre (64 Jewish women)

Russia

*The Holocaust in Russia *

*World War II German war crimes in the Soviet Union *German war crimes during the Battle of Moscow

Serbia

; 1941 *20–21 October Kragujevac massacre (2,778–2,794 civilians killed, including 217 children) *15-20 October Kraljevo massacre (2000 civilians killed)

Slovenia

; 1942 *22 July Celje prison massacre (Celje, 100 civilians killed) *2 October Maribor prison massacres, Maribor prison massacre (Maribor, 143 civilians killed) ; 1945 *12 February Frankolovo crime (Frankolovo, 100 civilians killed)

Ukraine

*The Holocaust in Ukraine *Babi Yar **List of victims of the Babi Yar massacre *Massacres of Poles in Volhynia ; 1941 *June, Czechow massacre (6 children) *June–July, Lviv pogroms *August 27–28, Kamianets-Podilskyi massacre; 23,600 people (including women and children) *September 5, Pavoloch massacre; 1,500 people (including women and children) *September 16–30, Mykolaiv#History, Mykolaiv massacre; 35,782 people (including women and children) *29–30 September, Babi Jar massacre (33,771 people, including children: List of victims of the Babi Yar massacre) *October 5, Berdychiv massacre, 20,000–38,536 people (including women and children) *October 22–24, 1941 Odesa massacre, 125,000-134,000 people (including women and children) *December 15, Drobitsky Yar, 16,000 people (including women and children) ; 1943 *11 January, Artemivsk massacre (1,317–3,000 Jews) *1–2 March, Koriukivka massacre *19 March, Ozeryany, Halych Raion, Ozerjany massacre (267 people). *Second half of March, Kharkov massacre following the Third Battle of Kharkov (2500 people). *29 September, Wola Ostrowiecka massacre (220 children) *10 December, Tarassiwka massacre; 400 people (including women and children) ; 1944 *28 February, Huta Pieniacka massacre *28–29 February, Korosciatyn Massacre (c. 150 people, including children)

Notes

References

*''This article incorporates text from the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, and has been released under the GFDL.'' *United States Holocaust Memorial Museum – Articl
Children during the Holocaust
and online exhibition
Life in the Shadows
an
Give Me Your Children
from Holocaust Survivors and Remembrance Project: "Forget You Not"
The War Crimes of Dr Josef MengeleThe Reich's forgotten atrocity
* * * * * ; Media (on-line) *

* Stills from Soviet documentary "The Atrocities committed by German Fascists in the USSR"
(1)(2)(3)
* Slide sho
"Nazi Crimes in the USSR (Graphic images!)"
{{Authority control German war crimes, German Empire in World War I Germany in World War II Human rights abuses in Germany, War Military history of Germany, War crimes

Herero Wars

World War I

Chemical weapons in warfare

Belgium

Bombardment of English coastal towns

Unrestricted submarine warfare

World War II

War criminals

Massacres and war crimes of World War II by location

Austria

Belarus

Belgium

Croatia

Czechoslovakia

Estonia

France

Germany

Greece

Italy

Latvia

Lithuania

Netherlands

Norway

Poland

Russia

Serbia

Slovenia

Ukraine

See also

Notes

References