Order Police battalions | |
---|---|
Active | 1939–1945 |
Country | Nazi Germany |
Branch | Ordnungspolizei (Order Police, "Orpo") |
Type | Uniformed police |
Role | Participation in the Holocaust Nazi security warfare |
Size | Battalions |
Part of | Police units under SS command |
Order Police battalions were battalion-sized militarised units of Nazi Germany's Ordnungspolizei which existed during World War II from 1939 to 1945. They were subordinated to the Schutzstaffel and deployed in areas of German-occupied Europe, specifically the Army Group Rear Area Commands and territories under civilian administration. Alongside the Einsatzgruppen, Waffen-SS and Wehrmacht, these units were involved in perpetrating the Holocaust and were responsible for large-scale crimes against humanity against civilian populations under German occupation.