The Holocaust “Never again…”

Genocide  An act committed with the intent to destroy a national, ethnic, racial, or religious group.

Holocaust  The systematic, bureaucratic, state-sponsored persecution and murder of over six million Jews by the Nazi regime and its collaborators.

Nazi High CommandNazi High Command  Adolf Hitler - Dictator of Nazi Germany, Supreme Commander and Commander-in-Chief of German armed forces. His refusal to heed the advice of his Generals was a large factor in the demise of German military fortunes. He committed suicide in his Berlin bunker in April 1945.

Nazi High CommandNazi High Command  Hermann Goering- Chief of the Luftwaffe (German Air Force) and one of the most powerful men in Germany. Vain, greedy and incompetent at his appointed task, he spent most of the war enriching his personal wealth. Sentenced to death after the Nuremburg Trials, he committed suicide before he could be hanged.

Nazi High CommandNazi High Command  Joseph Goebbels- Minister for Propaganda, he had total control of the German press and radio. He was doggedly loyal to his Fuhrer, and was once named by Hitler as his possible successor.

Nazi High CommandNazi High Command  Heinrich Himmler- Head of the SS, the Waffen SS and Gestapo and Minister of the Interior. By the end of the War, Himmler had become the second most powerful man in Germany. He Committed suicide in 1945 after being captured by the Allies.

Who was targeted?Who was targeted?  Jews  Socialists/Communists  Professional Criminals  Homosexuals  Emigrants  Gypsies  Jehovah's Witnesses  A-socials (alcoholics, prostitutes, beggars, pacifists, addicts, etc) and physically/mentally handicapped (non-war veterans).  Blacks

Aryan RaceAryan Race  Hitler’s Vision:  The ‘Superior Race’ would have blonde hair and blue eyes, BUT would accept anyone who did not fall into the categories on the prior page.  WHY  Anti-Semitism- Prejudice or discrimination against Jews, based on their religious beliefs and/or on group stereotypes.

Origins of Anti-SemitismOrigins of Anti-Semitism  Egyptians and Jewish slaves  Romans and the displacement of Jews from Israel  Christianity/Crucifixion of Jesus Christ  The Crusades  Black Plague  The Reformation  World War I/Weimar Republic

1936 Berlin Olympics1936 Berlin Olympics  An attempt to showcase Hitler’s “superior race” to the world.  All anti-Semitic propaganda was removed for the games.  In an effort to not offend Hitler, the United States pulled all of its Jewish athletes from the Olympics.  American Jesse Owens embarrasses Hitler and his Aryan race by winning 4 gold medals and setting two records.  “Fastest man on Earth”

Kristallnacht  The “Night of Broken Glass”  Thousands of Jewish shops, synagogues, and homes in Germany and other European countries were destroyed in response to the death of a German diplomat to France, by a Jewish teenager.  All damages were paid for by the Jews.

The Final SolutionThe Final Solution  Wannsee Conference reveals Hitler’s answer to the “Jewish Question”…  What to do with the Jews now that they are in the concentration camps and ghettos.  Establishes death camps and systematic killings  Ex. Gas chambers, executions via firing squad, etc.

Term to KnowTerm to Know  Ghettos: Ghettos were usually established in the poor sections of a city, where most of the Jews (and other minorities) from the city and surrounding areas were subsequently forced to reside. Often surrounded by barbed wire or walls, the ghettos were sealed.

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