Germany ⇒ very successful ⇒ early stages of war ⇒ and captured last amounts of territory in eastern Europe. Many Jews ⇒ lived in these captured territories. 1941 onwards ⇒ Jews ⇒ used as slave labor + forced to live in ghettos ⇒ then systematically killed in death camps. Estimated 6 million Jews were killed by 1945.
Apart from Hitler and SS ⇒ being responsible for death camps ⇒ others were to bear responsibility as well. Genocide ⇒ would not have been possible ⇒ without cooperation of German civil service + police forces in Germany and occupied lands.
Other groups → either cooperated or did nothing to oppose final solution ⇒ including army and owners and managers of major industries. Many historians ⇒ also argue that German people ⇒ should shoulder some responsibility ⇒ as many took part in some aspect of the holocaust ⇒ by closing their eyes to the full reality of what was happening.