THE HOLOCAUST
HOLOCAUST Greek: Sacrifice by fire Systematic, State- Sponsored persecution and murder Jews, Slavic peoples, Gypsies, Handicapped, Mentally Challenged, Homosexuals, Invalids, Diseased, POW’s
NAZI IDEOLOGY >>> Mien Kampf: Germans are the Master race Jews especially to blame for German hardships Anti-Semitism throughout Europe “FINAL SOLUTION” – Genocide of the Jewish Race
NAZIs In Charge Heinrich Himmler – Leader of the SS (secret police) In charge of the Death Camps Adolf Eichmann – Author of “Final Solution” In charge of deporting Jews to the Camps
The SS The “Gestapo” or Secret Police AKA – “The Death’s Head”
Invasion Of Poland Approx. 9 Million Jews living in Europe in 1939 Most live in Poland and W. Russia Nazis invade Poland and begin rounding up Jews All Jews required to register with Nazi Gov’t
Nazi Racial Examinations
The Ghettos All Jews forced to move out of their homes and into isolated areas of cities – “Ghettos”
Ghetto Conditions All Jews forced to wear “Jewish Identification” Arm Bands or the “Star of David” Multiple families cramped into single apartments Personal Belongings taken by Nazis for personal use Shortages of Everything, Unsanitary conditions Epidemics, starvation and death
Concentration Camps Chances were a stay in the Ghettos was short Transported to “Concentration” or Forced Labor Camps Make items, grow food for Nazi Army Dachau Camp
Dachau Prisoner Barracks
Making Nazi Weapons
Japanese Internment in USA US Gov’t fearful of Japanese spies EX. Order ALL Japanese citizens on West Coast to relocate to Internment Camps (Concentration Camps) Total Violation of Citizens’ Rights???
Nazi Death Camps If not shot, starved, or diseased in Concentration Camps, would be transported to a “Death” or Extermination Camp Six Main Camps Chelmno Belzec Treblinka Sobibor Majdanek Auschwitz
Auschwitz – Birkenau Auschwitz 2 Actually 3 camps at Auschwitz Auschwitz 1 – Conducted Medical Experiments, Sterilization Auschwitz 3 – Forced Labor Camp Auschwitz (2) – Largest Death Camp
AUSCHWITZ Living conditions Horrible Hundreds Stacked into wooden bunks to sleep
Death At Auschwitz At its height, as many as 8,000 persons were killed a day Estimated over 1 million people were executed at Auschwitz alone People would be gassed in the chamber and then cremated in the crematoria
ZYKLON B Poison used to gas victims Cyanide based insecticide Bluish crystal or pellet that vaporizes into gas when reacts with air Pellets would be dropped into the gas chamber from hatches in the ceiling
AUSCHWITZ TODAY
Liberation of the Camps As Germany collapsed, Nazis moved camps and prisoners into Germany to continue killing as many as they could Russian Army Liberated most Death Camps in Poland US liberated Dachau Auschwitz liberated Jan. 27, 1945 Only about 7,000 sick and dying prisoners left Estimated 1.3 million people were transported to Auschwitz 1.1 million never left
Dachau Liberation Toasting
Dachau Massacre
Dachau Memorial
Failure of the Allies As early as Spring of 1942, Allies knew of reports of the death camps Failed to bomb railway lines which led to the camps, or bomb the gas chambers themselves An estimated 6 million Jews alone were killed by the Nazis between
War Criminal Trials Mass graves discovered at the camps Nazis captured, arrested, and tried for war crimes International Military Tribunal (IMT) at Nuremburg, Germany Most high level Nazis either fled or committed suicide, so trials were mostly for low-level Nazis Search for Nazi Officers still continues today
Capture of Eichmann Adolf Eichmann, (Final Solution Author), fled Germany May 11, 1960 – 3 members of the Israeli Secret Service caught Eichmann in Buenos Aires, Argentina Lived in hiding there since 1950 Extradited, tried, and executed in Israel Only death sentence given in Israel’s history
Jews After the War Anti-Semitism persists in Europe, most Jews don’t / can’t return home Most countries did not want to take in a significant amount of refugees Not until the State of Israel was created in 1948 did many have a place to go
Schindler’s List