THE HOLOCAUST 16.3

THE PERSECUTION BEGINS Jews were blamed for defeats in WWI, 1935 Nuremberg laws took away citizenship of Jews 1938 Kristallnacht “Night of Broken Glass” German storm troopers raided homes and businesses of Jews Jews attempted to flee Germany, countries around Germany created refugee restrictions U.S. only accepted 100,000 refugees

THE PERSECUTION BEGINS (CONT.) 934 passengers on a ship to St. Louis 740 of them Jews with immigration papers Rejected by the U.S. and sent back to Europe, more than half of them killed later in the Holocaust

HITLER’S “FINAL SOLUTION” Policy of genocide to rid Europe of Jews Rested on belief that Aryans were seen as the superior race Attacked other groups who were seen as “inferior” Created Elite Nazi “security squadrons” Forced Jews into miserable ghettoes to work for German industry Concentration camps cramped thousands of Jews into tight spaces and most ended up dying

Built 6 death camps in Poland THE FINAL STAGE 1942 meeting in Wannsee, decided to begin a new mass murder of Jews using poison gas Built 6 death camps in Poland Auschwitz was largest death camp with large gas chambers, could murder 12,000 a day Tried to hide evidence by cremating bodies Estimated 6 million Jews were killed during the Holocaust