THE HOLOCAUST

Nazi Persecution of the Jews HOLOCAUST -- persecution and death of millions of Jews in Europe (6 million) SHOAH (catastrophe) --Hebrew name for the holocaust

Nazi Ideology European anti-semitism can be traced back centuries. Anti-semitism --hatred of Jews Sept Nuremberg Laws -- laws took Jewish citizenship --Jews couldnt marry Germans

Persecution Timeline 2 months after the Nuremberg laws, one grandparent means Jewish (not pure) By 1938 many Jews were unemployed Jews were being sent to Ghettos (poor areas of the city) November 7, A young Jew kills a German diplomat in Paris because his family had been sent to a ghetto in Poland This was the spark Hitler needed to destroy the Jews Joseph Goebbls (head of propaganda) began to make attacks on the Jewish communities

KRISTALLNACHT Night of broken glass -- burnt synagogues and businesses 90 Jews dead 7500 businesses destroyed 180 synagogues destroyed

Jews Flee Germany Many Jews were trying to flee Germany Why didnt more flee before 1938? 1. They felt a part of Germany 2. Thought it would get better After They couldnt take more than $4 out of Germany 2. Many countries wouldnt take them S.S. St. Louis Jewish refugees went to Cuba, waited in U.S. and ended up back in Germany

THE FINAL SOLUTION Hitlers plan to destroy the Jewish population in Germany Jan. 20, NAZI officials met at the Wannsee conference to decide what to do with the Jews. Remember more land = more Jews and unwanted people

Concentration camps Work camps built prior to the conference Started out for POWs and undesirables Many Jews were forced to them Example -- Buchenwald and Dachau After the conference the NAZIS began to build extermination camps to kill many people very quickly Examples -- Treblinka and Auschwitz

HIDING FROM THE NAZIS Many Jews began to realize their fate and tried to hide from the German military and often from their own neighbors

AUSCHWITZ Largest extermination camp In Poland Housed 100,000 people in 300 barracks Gas chambers could kill 2,000 at a time Gassed 12,000 in a day 1.6 million killed here

Stages of Life for the Jews 1. Restrictions on everything: school, business, practicing their faith, marriage 2. Moved to the Ghettos (poor part of the city) 3. Moved to forced labor camps 4. THE FINAL SOLUTION