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From late 1944 through 1945, as Allied forces closed in on German-controlled territory, the Nazis began evacuating their concentration camps. To prevent the Allies from discovering the depth of their persecution, the Nazis sent their prisoners on a forced march in the opposite direction of the advancing Allied armies. Moreover, these marches had the intentional effect of pushing the already weak and starving prisoners past the threshold of survival. Thousands died on these marches, as did many Berga soldiers.
Whether from the brutal treatment of guards who patrolled the marchers or simply from being pushed beyond the limits of human endurance, most of the fatalities that the Berga P.O.W.s incurred took place on the march as opposed to in the camp.
One result of the prisoners' deteriorated condition and the slowly unraveling nature of the Nazi command was that the marching formation began to stretch out as stragglers and ailing soldiers lagged behind. This allowed soldiers who were not always under the watchful eye of an able-bodied guard the opportunity to make a break for it.
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