Liberation
During the final months of World War II, Allied powers began to encroach on Nazi occupied Europe. As Allied troops moved into Poland, prisoners from concentration and extermination camps were evacuated by S.S. guards and either immediately killed or forced on excruciatingly long "death marches" before being moved by cattle car to interior Germany.
Forces from the Soviet Union were among the first Allied Powers to encounter prisoners from concentration camps in July, 1944 in Poland. In an attempt to cover up their heinous crimes Nazi powers hastily destroyed the concentration camps and mass executed remaining prisoners, leaving, however, gas chambers to implicate the tragic acts that took place there. Throughout the rest of 1944 and 1945, Soviet powers encountered more abandoned concentration camps and killing centers in Poland, including Auschwitz, the largest concentration camp, in January 1945. Here, there were several thousand of prisoners left behind to die while the rest of the prisoners had been forced on "death marches" by Nazi powers when liberation by the Soviet Union became certain. Soviet troops discovered possessions indicating the how many prisoners had been in Auschwitz, thus revealing the true extent of Nazi cruelty previously unknown to the world. American forces liberated concentration camps in central Germany, such as Buchenwald on April 11, 1945. They also liberated Dachau, Flossenburg, Mauthausen, and Dora-Mittelbau. British forces liberated camps in Northern Germany, including Bergen-Belsen.
While many prisoners from concentration camps were liberated, many more died from disease and effects of starvation and malnutrition before they were evacuated from the camps by Allied powers. Because of the eminent diseases and terrible conditions at the camps, many were burned down by Allied troops.
Forces from the Soviet Union were among the first Allied Powers to encounter prisoners from concentration camps in July, 1944 in Poland. In an attempt to cover up their heinous crimes Nazi powers hastily destroyed the concentration camps and mass executed remaining prisoners, leaving, however, gas chambers to implicate the tragic acts that took place there. Throughout the rest of 1944 and 1945, Soviet powers encountered more abandoned concentration camps and killing centers in Poland, including Auschwitz, the largest concentration camp, in January 1945. Here, there were several thousand of prisoners left behind to die while the rest of the prisoners had been forced on "death marches" by Nazi powers when liberation by the Soviet Union became certain. Soviet troops discovered possessions indicating the how many prisoners had been in Auschwitz, thus revealing the true extent of Nazi cruelty previously unknown to the world. American forces liberated concentration camps in central Germany, such as Buchenwald on April 11, 1945. They also liberated Dachau, Flossenburg, Mauthausen, and Dora-Mittelbau. British forces liberated camps in Northern Germany, including Bergen-Belsen.
While many prisoners from concentration camps were liberated, many more died from disease and effects of starvation and malnutrition before they were evacuated from the camps by Allied powers. Because of the eminent diseases and terrible conditions at the camps, many were burned down by Allied troops.