Heinrich Himmler's suicide

Heinrich Himmler's suicide in May 1945 ended the life of one of Nazi Germany's most powerful leaders. Captured by British troops, he poisoned himself; his death followed a career at the center of the regime's machinery of persecution.

Position in the Nazi regime

Himmler commanded the Schutzstaffel, which controlled the concentration camps, and served as chief of the Gestapo. He also oversaw programs of racial persecution and stood second in power only to Adolf Hitler, placing his death in the context of the collapse of the regime he had helped direct.

Capture and death

British troops captured Himmler in May 1945. He died after poisoning himself. The account gives no further details about the circumstances, marking the event simply as the end of his role in the Nazi regime.