The Holocaust - Overview By: Juan, Danny, and Tito

Introduction Many people today recognize the holocaust as a mass genocide by the Nazi party against people of Jewish background. The word holocaust originates from Greek language meaning "sacrifice by fire". During the time of the holocaust, the Nazi party persecuted people of different backgrounds, ideals, and religions, for example, gypsies, eastern Europeans, disabled people, and homosexuals were among those who threatened their so called "superior" race. The Nazi party who came into Germany during the 1930's brought about a belief that they were a superior race, and that anyone who wasn't a part of their system, or did not match their racial background was considered to be a threat. Many Jewish people were also victims to racism and discrimination by the Nazi Germans, including Gypsies, and Mentally disabled patients. (over 400,000 in total) As the Nazi-party's tyrannical forces spread across Europe, they saw the opportunity to rid of every inferior race around them by capturing them and either burning them alive, starving them, maltreatment, or wearing their health down under unbearable working conditions. 2 to 3 million soviets were killed as a result.

Important Events: Between 1941 and 1944 Nazi Germans Took many Jews from their their territories, to ghettos and concentration camps.  After the invasion of the Soviet Union, battalions  of Order Police carried out mass murder operations on Jews, Roma, and Soviet state and Communist Party officials.  Between 1948 and 1951, around 700,000 Jews left to Israel, World War II ended in Europe on May 8 while Soviet forces announced their “Victory Day” on May 9, 1945.

Conclusion During the final months of the war, Nazi German guards took prisoners away from allied forces by placing them in trains, or forcing them to march. When allied forces began to invade Nazi Europe territory, they would locate the concentration camps holding these prisoners and liberate them. They eventually overwhelmed the Nazi forces in march 7,1945 and caused them to surrender immediately. After the war was over, hundreds of thousands of people tried to find shelter. Eventually, the western allied forces provided the remaining few with displaced persons camps. They helped the survivors find their way out of former Nazi Germany, and assisted in their emigration .

Sources "Introduction to the Holocaust." United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, n.d.  https://www.ushmm.org/wlc/en/article.php?ModuleId=10005143 Greenslade, Roy. "Daily Telegraph's Holocaust Article in 1942 That Went Unheralded."Greenslade. Guardian News and Media, 27 Jan. 2015. https://www.theguardian.com/media/greenslade/2015/jan/27/daily- telegraphs-holocaust-article-in-1942-that-went-unheralded   History.com Staff. "The Holocaust." History.com. A&E Television Networks, 2009. http://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/the-holocaus