The Holocaust Donna Thomas

What was the Holocaust? The Holocaust was the murder on six million Jews and millions of others by the Nazis and their collaborators during World War II. Anne Frank

More Targets During the era of the Holocaust, the Nazis also targeted other groups because of their perceived "racial inferiority": the handicapped, Gypsies, and some Slavic peoples. Other groups were targeted for political and behavioral reasons, among them were Communists, Socialists, and Jehovah’s Witnesses.

Where were the Jews?

Genocide Mass killings began in 1941 when the Germans invaded the Soviet Union. By the end on 1941 the Germans began deporting Jews to concentration camps. By May 1945, about two out of every three Jews in Europe had been murdered.

Concentration Camps Gas chambers killed millions of people Gas chambers killed millions of people Bodies were cremated to destroy the evidence Bodies were cremated to destroy the evidence Those that were not gassed were worked and starved to death Those that were not gassed were worked and starved to death

The Ghettos They took all the Jews from different parts of the country and moved them into one section of a city called the ghetto. They took all the Jews from different parts of the country and moved them into one section of a city called the ghetto. The Ghettos became overcrowded causing illness, starvation, and dirtiness. The Ghettos became overcrowded causing illness, starvation, and dirtiness. The largest ghetto in Poland was the Warsaw ghetto, where approximately 450,000 Jews were crowded into an area of 1.3 square miles. The largest ghetto in Poland was the Warsaw ghetto, where approximately 450,000 Jews were crowded into an area of 1.3 square miles.

What about the children?

The Children Children were especially vulnerable victims of the Nazis. It is estimated that over one million children were murdered. In the ghettos, many died from lack of food, clothing, and shelter. The majority of children were sent straight to the gas chambers. A number of children in the camps, especially twins, were used in Nazi medical experiments.

Liberation On June 6, 1944 (known as D-Day), the western Allies launched the single largest amphibious invasion force in world history, landing almost 150,000 soldiers under the command of U.S. General Dwight D. Eisenhower on the beaches of Normandy, France. By the end of the month, more than 850,000 American, British, and Canadian troops had come ashore to embark upon what Eisenhower called the “Great Crusade, ” the “destruction of the German war machine, the elimination of Nazi tyranny over the oppressed peoples of Europe, and security for ourselves in a free world.” On May 8, 1945, less than one year after D-Day, Nazi Germany's unconditional surrender became official, and the world could celebrate the liberation of Europe from Nazi rule.

Liberation Continued As Allied troops moved across Europe, they encountered concentration camps, mass graves, and numerous other sites of Nazi crimes.

Survivors

Reference United States Holocaust Memorial Museum