Because of his role in deporting European Jews to concentration camps, Eichmann became the target of a fifteen-year search by Israeli agents. Like other Nazis, his defense was that he was following orders.
Eichmann was the mastermind behind the exodus of Jews from their homes into ghettos and concentration camps. He established himself as the Nazis' foremost Jewish expert. His ability to organize, categorize and supervise allowed him to execute over six million Jews. He sent millions to their deaths by piling men, women, and children into cattle train cars.
One of the remarkable aspects of the Eichmann trial was that no one knew much about the Holocaust when it began. Until the trial, Holocaust survivors did not speak about their ordeals at the hands of the Nazis. To many, the Holocaust was an indescribable memory, but the trial provided a catharsis, and people began to tell their stories.
Eichmann was found guilty on all 15 counts of the criminal indictment against him after an emotional 16-week trial. He was executed by hanging, and his ashes were scattered in the Mediterranean Sea.
