The Holocaust

Genocide The United Nations formed the Convention for the Prevention and Punishment of Genocide in 1948. They defined ‘genocide’ as: “...acts committed with the intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group.”

‘Holocaust’ comes from Greek. It means “Sacrifice by fire.” Another term for the killing is ‘Shoah,’ a Hebrew word that means “Destruction or catastrophe” It was the attempt to get rid of ‘inferior people’ by systematic murder.

11 million people were killed in the Holocaust. 6 million of those were Jews. This was two thirds of the Jewish population in Europe. Other victims were the Romani, homosexuals, disabled people, ethnic Poles and Polish and Soviet Prisoners.

1.1 million of the victims were children.

The Nazis built dozens of labour and concentration camps throughout Germany and the parts of Europe they occupied. They built 6 camps designed for the sole purpose of mass extermination. Their names were Auschwitz, Majdanek, Sobibor, Chelmno, Treblinka and Belzec. They were all located outside of Germany

Just over 1 million people were killed at Auschwitz alone Just over 1 million people were killed at Auschwitz alone. It operated for less than 2 and a half years. Over 1000 people, mostly Jews, were killed and cremated every single day.

Stages of the Holocaust Anti-Semitism was already common in Europe. Nazi Aryan ideals and propaganda against Jews intensified this. The Nazi government denied Jews of their citizenship and rights (1935). They also begin to ‘practice’ killing methods on other groups like the handicapped. Jews are the victims of targeted violence in ‘pogroms:’ socially acceptable and semi-organized violence. Kristallnacht, the Night of Broken Glass, is one example. (1938-39)

Stages of the Holocaust Jews are segregated from the rest of the population in Germany and German-controlled areas like Poland, Czechoslovakia and Austria. Cities have walled ghettoes where Jews are forced to live. Concentration camps and Labour camps are built. The first is in 1933 for political prisoners. Jews and other ‘undesirables’ are sent en-masse after 1938.

Stages of the Holocaust 6. The Nazis decide to begin the ‘Final Solution’ in 1942.