The writings of leading early twentieth-century, German biologists reveal that most of them actively supported Nazi race policies. They believed that the human gene pool could be improved by using selective breeding similar to the manner in which farmers breed superior cattle. In formulating their racial policies, Hitler’s government relied heavily upon the works of Darwinists, including such prominent spokesmen as Chamberlain, Spencer, and Haeckel. Consequently, the development and implementation of government policies designed to evolve a "superior race" had widespread support from the scientific community. This philosophy culminated in the extermination of approximately six million Jews and four million other people who belonged to what German scientists labeled as "inferior races."