World War II 1939 – 1945 The Holocaust

US II SOL 7 Rector

The Holocaust

What was the Holocaust?

• As the Allies fought toward Berlin, they discovered a shocking and horrible sight.

• Scattered throughout German-occupied Europe were camps where Jews and other groups had been murdered.

• It became known as the Holocaust.

What was the Holocaust?

• The Holocaust is where the Nazis killed about 6 million Jewish people and over 5 million other groups of people like Russians, Polish, and Gypsies.

• Over 11 million people were killed in all

The roots of the Holocaust

• Adolf Hitler’s intense racism (strong dislike and prejudice) of the Jewish people.

• He blamed them for many problems Germany was facing

• He said that Jews were inferior (lower) people.

• At first Hitler was only discriminating against the Jews, but after the war began he set out to murder every Jew under German rule.

What caused the Holocaust?

• Anti-Semitism – Hitler opposed to or discriminating against Jews

• Aryan Supremacy – Hitler’s belief in an Aryan master race

• Attempt to rid Europe of all Jews – tactics were used to discriminate against the Jewish people

Anti-Semitism

• This was the core of Hitler’s belief – he discriminated against Jews

• The Jewish people were blamed for many of Germany’s problems.

• Before the war began – Hitler boycotting their stores, taking their property, and discriminating against them

Aryan Supremacy

• Hitler had a vision of an Aryan “Master Race”

• The Aryans were a gentile (non-Jewish) people of Northern European ancestry

• Hitler would rule Europe by enslaving or eliminating Slavs, Jews, Gypsies, and other “subhuman” (lesser) peoples.

The Systematic (Organized) attempt to rid Europe of all Jews

• Once Hitler had conquered much of Europe he took the discrimination to another level

• Hitler’s “Final Solution” – called for Jews and others to be killed

• Men, women, and children were moved to death camps (concentration camps) where they were killed.

Tactics Against Jewish People

• Boycott • Threats• Segregation• Imprisonment• Concentration Camp • Example – Auschwitz • Over 6 million Jews

were executed in these camps

Liberation of the Concentration Camp

• In 1945 Allied troops discovered and liberated (freed) the camps

• Nazi leaders were brought to trial

• Called The Nuremberg trials

• Many Nazi leaders were sentenced to death and others received prison time

Liberation of camps

Summary

Causes• Anti-Semitism• Aryan Supremacy• Attempt to rid Europe of all Jews

Concentration Camps• Death camps where Jewish, Poles, Russians,

Gypsies were sent to their death• Millions were killed• Allied forces liberated the camps as the war was

ending