Canada WWII and the Holocaust Unit 3 World War II

Learning Goal I can analyze the impact of the Nazi anti-Jewish program known as the Holocaust on Canada, Europe, and the world.

What is the Holocaust? ‘holocaust’ means large-scale destruction by fire (dictionary definition) The Holocaust was the genocide of 6+ million Jews by the Nazi’s during WWII Other targets included Communists, gypsies, homosexuals, those with physical and mental challenges and other dissidents (those who spoke out against Hitler’s rule and policies)

Why? Under Hitler, anti-Semitism (hatred of Jews) became the official policy of Germany Jews became an easy ‘scapegoat’ (blaming an individual or group for something that has nothing to do with them) for Germany’s troubles after WWI because there was already a history of anti-Semitic feelings against Jewish populations around the world

How? huge Nazi propaganda program that infiltrated every aspect of German life, which ensured that no one was immune to hearing about how ‘the Jew’ was a threat to German survival Remember when Tomas reports his own father to the Hitler Youth?

How? 3 Steps to Genocide: 1. You have no right to live amongst us as Jews genocide of the Jewish population was a very gradual process of discrimination Hitler passed the Nuremberg Laws in 1935 which first ◦stripped Jews of their German citizenship ◦took away their right to vote ◦removed them from specific professions – doctors, lawyers, journalists ◦prohibited Jews from frequenting German businesses ◦prohibited them from attending schools ◦forced them to wear the yellow Star of David ◦and then…

How? 3 Steps to Genocide: 2. You have no right to live amongst us. established set curfews dictating movement of the Jewish population confined all Jews to ghettos WTI850eqlg WTI850eqlg liquidated the ghettos and shipped them to labour/work camps and concentration camps AGsLm8 AGsLm8

How? 3 Steps to Genocide: 3. You have no right to live. The Final Solution to the Jewish problem – mass extermination of the remaining Jewish population in death camps pR4we1c pR4we1c And then towards the end of WWII, when the Allies had turned the tide against Germany… z6EcAs z6EcAs