Generalplan Ost (GPO), or the General Plan East, was a secret blueprint developed by the Nazi Germany's regime to reshape the demographic structure of Eastern Europe. The plan aimed at the extermination, expulsion, and enslavement of large segments of the population in Eastern Europe, especially targeting the Slavic peoples, Jews, Romani, and others considered "undesirable" by Nazi ideology, to make room for German settlers.
The plan was formulated by the Reichsführer-SS, Heinrich Himmler, and his associates in the SS Race and Settlement Main Office, with contributions from various Nazi institutions. It was part of the broader Lebensraum (living space) policy, which was a key component of Adolf Hitler's vision for expanding German territory eastward. The GPO was developed from the late 1930s and continued to evolve through the early 1940s, with different versions and adjustments made based on military and political developments.
The implementation of Generalplan Ost was never fully realized due to the military failures of the Wehrmacht in the Eastern Front of World War II. However, elements of the plan were executed:
While the full scope of Generalplan Ost was not implemented, its policies contributed significantly to the genocide and ethnic cleansing that characterized the Nazi occupation of Eastern Europe. The plan reflects the extreme racial ideologies of the Nazi regime, showcasing the intent to ethnically cleanse and colonize vast territories for the benefit of the German people. The failure to fully realize the plan was due to military resistance, logistical challenges, and the eventual collapse of the Nazi regime. The legacy of the GPO is a stark reminder of the depths of racial hatred and the potential for state-sponsored genocide. It has been studied extensively in historical research on The Holocaust and Nazi ideology.