Prompt #3 List at least 3 things you already know about the Holocaust? (causes, key people, places, etc.)

The Holocaust Historic Anti-Semitic Myths Myth 1. Christ Killers Myth 2. Blood Libel—Jews use blood of Christian children for their ceremonies/holidays Myth 3. Protocols of the Elders of Zion Myth 4. Blamed for Plague–accused of poisoning wells Myth 5. Profited from WWI and didn’t fight for Germany Myth 6. Accused of being greedy money lenders/bankers

Anti-Semitism Continues Propaganda Radio in every house, speakers in streets – Joseph Goebbels Hitler Youth camps

Rise of Anti-Semitism Nuremberg Laws – legal hatred Stripped of German citizenship No intermarriages Jews could not employ Germans No Jewish doctors, lawyers, civil servants Wear Star of David

Kristallnacht Jewish man kills minor German official in Paris “Spontaneous” demonstrations against Jews all over Germany & Austria Jews forced to clean and pay for damage

Ghettos

More Anti-Semitism St. Louis – over 600 of the 900 passengers eventually perished Discriminatory immigration laws in U.S.

Problems w/ Executions SS would follow army and shoot Jews Psychological damaging Too slow, too public, mass graves

Wannsee Conference Decided on the “Final Solution” - Extermination Hitler (not present) – was assumed that he gave the order

Jewish population before, Jewish population after Holocaust Statistics Jewish population before, Jewish population after Holocaust

Other groups affected 6 million Jews died (2/3rd of Europe’s Jewish population) 5-6 million other people also died Non-Jewish Poles – many Catholics, Slavic civilians, Soviet POWs, political dissidents, handicapped, homosexuals, Jehovah's Witnesses, Gypsies

American Response to the Holocaust Document Activity American Response to the Holocaust

FDR and US Response 1944 - War Refugee Board created to help those being persecuted by Nazis Saves 200,000 lives

Creation of Jewish Homeland UN and US help settle land dispute in Palestine Jews start moving in from Europe and violence erupts Negotiate and create the Jewish state of Israel in 1947

Nuremberg Trials Beginning in October 1945, 22 major war criminals were tried on charges of crimes against peace, war crimes, crimes against humanity, and conspiracy to commit such crimes Judges & prosecutors were from USSR, US, GB, and France 12 of the 22 were sentenced to death