The Big Numbers• It is estimated that 12 million people were killed

during the Holocaust.– Approx. 6 million of those people were Jews. – Approx. over 1 million children were also murdered.

• The Nazis alone killed roughly two-thirds of all the Jews living in Europe.

The Road to the Holocaust

• Hitler blamed the Jews for Germany’s loss of WWI.

• The Nazi party failed to take over Germany, and Hitler was sent to prison for treason. – Wrote “Mein Kampf,” which

means “My Struggle.”

• Mein Kampf details his political & financial plans for Germany’s future.

The Road to the Holocaust

• Mein Kampf – Denounces Communism– Denounces Judaism

• Saw them as weak and untrustable.

• People to get rid of in order to make a better, stronger Germany. “Pure race”

– Demands more living space for the German people.

– Blames the Weimar Republic for being weak and accepting the terms of the Treaty of Versailles.

The Road to the Holocaust

• 1933: Hitler named the Chancellor of Germany.

• 1934: Anointed himself as “Fuhrer” and the supreme ruler.

• 1933-1939: The Nazi party under Hitler’s leadership will begin to persecute anyone who opposes the Fuhrer and the new order.

The Road to the Holocaust

Quick Reminder…How this all plays into World War II…

Policy of Appeasement, 1938-Prime Minister of Britain, Neville Chamberlain, failed to

keep Hitler & Nazi Germany in check during the 1930s. -The policy was a way of securing peace in Europe, giving

Hitler the Sudetenland to avoid going to war. Hitler promised to not invade Poland because he was given the land he had demanded.

September 1, 1939-Hitler invaded Poland

This officially

began WWII!!

Beginning of Persecution

• People that Nazi’s targeted…– Political opponents– Jews– Homosexuals– “Inferiors”

• Disabled, Russians, Polish, Gypsies

Beginning of Persecution• 1939: Euthanasia Program

– Nazis chose ~70,000 people that had been institutionalized for mental illness or disabilities.

– They were gassed to death because they were not considered “good enough” to be part of the German population.

– Hitler put an official end to the program in 1941 due to religious protest, but the killings continued in secrecy.

Beginning of Persecution• April 1, 1933: The Nazis

instigated their first action against German Jews by announcing a boycott of all Jewish-run businesses.

• September 15, 1935: Laws that excluded Jews from public life.– “Nuremberg Laws”– Took away German

citizenship from Jews– Restricted intermarriage

More Laws of Persecution

Over the next few years the Nazis will create more laws to further put down the Jews in Germany.• Must wear yellow star of David at

all times. • Restricted from public places• Denied civil service jobs• Had to register all of their property• Jewish doctors could not treat

anyone other than Jews. • Jewish lawyers could not help

anyone other than Jews.

Kristallnacht

• “Night of Broken Glass”• November 9-10, 1938• Nazi military and non-Jewish citizens carried out

several attacks on Jewish businesses and homes. – Stores, homes, and synagogues were often shattered and

burned. • Cost of Life– “91+ Dead”– 300+ suicides– 30, 000 incarcerated and taken to camps

The Final Solution

In July 1941 Hitler established what he called the “Final Solution” - what to do with the “Jewish question” in Germany and its dominated territories.

Starting in September 1941, anyone labeled as a Jew was targeted.

They were made to pack up and move to ghettos, concentration/death camps, or face immediate death.

Aspects of the Holocaust

Ghettos• Areas of cities that were

closed off. Jews were forced to live there.

• The purpose was to isolate the Jews from the “normal” Non-Jewish population.

Aspects of the Holocaust

Ghettos• Started as “Open” Ghettos.

– Could go & leave as you wanted, but had to be back by curfew.

• Changed to “Closed” Ghettos.– Jews were trapped within the

area.– Ghettos were not kept clean.– Only had the food that was

delivered to the ghetto.

Aspects of the Holocaust

Ghettos• Life in the ghetto could be

short or long. There was no telling who would stay or who would go.

• Deportations happened very suddenly.– 1,000 per day– Sent to either concentration

camp or a death camp

• This was called “liquidating” the ghetto.

Aspects of the Holocaust

Ghettos• Warsaw Ghetto Uprising– Nazis tried to liquidate the

Warsaw Ghetto in April of 1943.– The Jews organized themselves

and fought back. Their resistance held out for 28 days.• Longer than most European

countries were able to do.

Aspects of the HolocaustTrains• When Jews were taken from

ghettos and put on trains they were told they were being “resettled in the east.”

• Many times they were told they were going to work on farms.

• Were not allowed to take most of their belongings with them.– There was no room.

Aspects of the HolocaustTrains• The rides could be for days

or weeks. • Did not provide food or

water.• People suffered through

heat in the summer and freezing temps in the winter.

• There was no where to use the bathroom. – Had to sit in urine and feces.

• Sadly, many people died in the trains before they reached their destination.

Aspects of the Holocaust

The Camps• Concentration camp

– Also known as a “work” camp– You would work yourself to

death, work until you were weak and then put to death, or you’d be taken off the train and immediately die.

• Death camp– Solely used for extermination

and immediate death of all who entered.

– Largest one was Auschwitz.

Aspects of the Holocaust

The Camps• The first concentration camp

was in Dachau (1933).• 1933-1938: Most prisoners

were political opponents who had spoken out against Hitler and the Nazi party.

• At a number of the camps there were Nazi doctors who used the prisoners as “test subjects” for their medical experiments.

Aspects of the Holocaust

Camp Conditions• Absolutely horrible!• Forced to do hard labor• Lived in bunk houses

with small beds – multiple people per bed.

• Very little food• Dirty and no sanitation • Sickness or weakness

often got you killed.

Aspects of the Holocaust

Camp Conditions• Torture was a part of

daily life for the Jews. • Beaten, ridiculed, and

given demeaning and disgusting jobs.

• Women were sometimes made to be prostitutes for Nazi SS.

• Gay Nazi SS would force themselves upon the men.

Aspects of the Holocaust

Modes of Death• Gunfire• Hanging• Crematorium (fire)• Gas chamber

Aspects of the Holocaust

Death Marches• As Russia and the USA

started closing in on Germany during WWII the Nazis knew they needed to start covering up their crimes of the Holocaust.

• Graves were dug up and the bodies burned.

• Camps were evacuated.• “Death Marches” were

the last moments of travel before prisoners were pushed into extermination camps and immediately killed in massive amounts.

Aspects of the Holocaust

Death Marches• SS organized people into

rows – usually 5 across.• Guards stayed on the

outside of the rows and held guns pointed at the prisoners.

• Anyone who was already sick, weak, or injured could not possibly finish the march.

• Anyone who stopped, rested, fell out of line, or tried to run away was immediately shot by the SS guards.

Liberation• Most liberations happened in 1945.• Russia liberated Auschwitz in January 1945.• US forces liberated Buchenwald in April 1945.• Many survivors were so weak and starved that they still did

not live even after liberation.• Disease was very dangerous and spread quickly through the

weakened people.

Liberation• Liberating forces were shocked by the horror and starvation

that they saw among the people.• In the beginning they readily gave the prisoners food, but this

often had consequences, because their stomachs were not able to take in that much.– Stomachs & intestines often ruptured and tore, making the

person bleed incessantly. • Most commonly, liberated people did not know where their

families were (or if they were alive) and often had to start a new life all alone.