Death marches typically occurred when the Nazis evacuated concentration and extermination camps in the face of advancing Allied forces. The prisoners were forced to march for long distances without adequate food, water, or shelter, often in harsh weather conditions. Many died from exhaustion, starvation, disease, or exposure, while others were shot or beaten to death by their guards.
Some of the most notorious death marches included the evacuation of the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp in January 1945, during which an estimated 15,000-30,000 prisoners died; and the evacuation of the Dachau concentration camp in April 1945, during which an estimated 10,000-15,000 prisoners died.
Death marches were a brutal and inhumane aspect of the Holocaust, and they contributed significantly to the total number of deaths during that dark period in human history.