Protection team (National Socialism)

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German order police and Ukrainian protection team , December 1942

As a protection team (in short: SCHUMA ) were in the time of World War II auxiliary police units from collaborating locals in German-occupied areas of Eastern Europe, respectively. The difference to the similar security service was that they were set up in areas under civil administration and were integrated into the command structure of the SS / Orpo .

Shortly after the German invasion of the Soviet Union on June 22, 1941, local Wehrmacht commanders set up local security services to ensure German rule. In the formerly Soviet-occupied Polish territories and the former Baltic states , these units were very popular.

At the end of July 1941, Reichsführer SS Heinrich Himmler's protection teams were expanded into an important instrument of German tyranny in Eastern Europe. By the end of 1942 the Schumas had reached a strength of around 300,000 men, who were organized in units up to battalion strength , but also served as individual items.

As part of the “ final solution to the Jewish question ”, the protection teams were deployed to murder the Jewish population and to guard concentration and extermination camps , or they took an active part in the so-called fight against gangs .

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