How did German occupation policies affect people in conquered European countries?

German occupation policies during World War II were characterized by ruthless economic exploitation, systemic brutality, and the implementation of Nazi racial ideologies, which caused immense suffering across conquered European nations.12

Economic Exploitation and Forced Labor

The Nazi regime systematically drained occupied territories of resources to fuel the German war machine, leading to severe deprivation for local populations. Millions of able-bodied individuals were forcibly deported to Germany to serve as forced labor in factories and on farms. These workers, particularly those from Eastern Europe, were treated as slave labor and subjected to appalling living conditions, malnutrition, and disease.21

Racial Persecution and Terror

Nazi policy was driven by the pursuit of Lebensraum (living space) and the belief in Aryan supremacy. In Eastern Europe, this resulted in the systematic destruction of society and nationhood. The Nazis targeted Jews for annihilation, confining them to ghettoes or murdering them in extermination camps. Other groups, including political dissidents, Roma, and those deemed "inferior," were also subjected to mass murder, imprisonment, and forced sterilization.314

Reprisals and Resistance

German authorities enforced control through terror, including the execution of hostages and the destruction of entire communities in reprisal for resistance activities. These brutal measures, while intended to suppress opposition, often fueled further clandestine resistance movements that sought to undermine Nazi rule.125