1945 German Mass Suicides Panic

In the final weeks of World War II in 1945, thousands of Germans took their own lives in panic as the Red Army advanced into Hitler’s collapsing Reich. Families killed themselves together, often using poison or gunshots, because they feared Soviet occupation and believed Nazi propaganda about what awaited them. In Berlin alone, authorities recorded around 7,000 suicides during this period. In several places, including entire towns, large groups chose mass suicide instead of surrender.

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