World War II & The

Holocaust

What was WWII?• 1939-1945

• 61 countries were involved

• 72,000,000 deaths

Why did WWII start?

• After WWI, Germany had to give up land and their armed forces

• Germans elected Adolf Hitler (Nazi party) as Chancellor in 1933

• Hitler promised to make Germany a great country again

Who was Hitler?• Absolute ruler of

Germany from 1933 until 1945

• Responsible for Germany’s military decisions

• Responsible for the restrictions placed on Jews

• Responsible for the treatment of Jews in the “Final Solution”

Why did Hitler dislike Jews?

• Hitler saw the world in terms of race.

• He believed that all of the different races were in competition to world domination.

• Hitler thought the superior race were those with fair skin, blue eyes, and blonde hair (Aryan race).

Examples of Jewish Restrictions

Leaving Germany

• Jews began to leave Germany because of the persecution they were facing.

(Greek) Sacrifice by fire.

The systematic, state-sponsored persecution and murder of Jews by the Nazi regime and their collaborators.

The Holocaust

Ghettos• Jews were forced to leave their

homes and live in ghettos– ghetto (n.) : a part of a city

predominantly occupied by a particular ethnic group that may be looked down upon for various reasons

From Ghettos to Concentration Camps

Concentration Camps

• There were two kinds of concentration camps: death and work.

The Final Solution

• The term refers to Germany's plan to murder all the Jews of Europe. The term was used at the Wannsee Conference (1942) where German officials discussed its implementation.

The Final Solution

Gas chamber at Camp Auschwitz

Young Faces of the Holocaust

An estimated 6,000,000 people died as a result of the Holocaust.

Play this video: http://teachertube.com/viewVideo.php?video_id=106062

How did WWII end?

• May 8, 1945 Germany surrenders• August 15, 1945 Japan Surrenders

Comparisons

• 9/11 2,977• The U. S. Civil War: 620,000• Rwanda * 800,000• Holocaust* 6,000,000

* Genocide: The systematic elimination of a people or nation.

Anything you would like to add to our KWL chart?