Final answer:
The statement about Einsatzgruppen systematically murdering Jews, Roma, and others in Eastern Europe through mass shootings is true. They were instrumental in the Holocaust, initiating the 'Holocaust by bullets' and killing over a million Soviet Jews, along with many other targeted groups.
Step-by-step explanation:
Explanation in 200 words: During World War II, the Holocaust began to unfold with the invasion of the Soviet Union in 1941. The Einsatzgruppen, a part of the Schutzstaffel (SS), followed the German army, targeting primarily Jewish communities. Initially, their actions were focused on male Jews, but they quickly expanded to include women and children, conducting mass shootings. Victims were rounded up and taken to remote locations, forced to relinquish valuables, and often made to dig their own graves before being executed. The ruthless efficiency of these units resulted in over a million Soviet Jews perishing, along with tens of thousands of others deemed 'undesirables', such as Roma, disabled individuals, and political dissidents.
This period is known as the 'Holocaust by bullets', highlighting the direct, personal nature of the killings compared to the later established gas chambers in concentration camps. The psychological toll on the soldiers performing these executions led to the development of gas vans, which were essentially mobile gas chambers. The Einsatzgruppen's acts of terror underscore the brutality of Nazi ideology and the systematic approach to genocide.