d to create living space for German citizens. To this end, Himmler created special task forces within the SS, the Einsatzgruppen. The Einsatzgruppen became "mobile killing units" charged with liquidating all political enemies of the Reich in occupied territories. These killing units became operational in 1939. Lawrence D. Stokes writes in the Canadian Journal of History that the Einsatzgruppen was first used in 1938 and 1939 in Czechoslovakia and then Poland to carry out a variety of duties such as confiscating weapons and documents, and generally securing control of areas in the wake of the invading armed forces. On Himmler's orders, these special units operating in occupied and pacified territories be
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