World War II World In Flames Hitler & the Holocaust

Adolf Hitler was an extremely powerful and appealing speaker. He preached that the strong must trample and rule the weak; only violence and war could make Germany an Empire.

The Nazis were the National Socialist Party – Hitler’s Political Party The Nazis come to rule all of Germany. They plan to make Germany a master race.

TRAITORS Hitler said that Germany’s two enemies were “TRAITORS” who stabbed Germany in the back – politicians that surrendered at the end of WWI and agreed to pay reparation & “JEWS” who were responsible for Germany’s economic problems. Hitler’s hatred of TRAITORS & JEWS became the basis of his political platform.

Hitler rose to power during the Depression. He promised jobs, food, the return of dignity and greatness.

1923, Nazis plan an overthrow of Germany’s Government. Nazis try, but police stop them, Hitler is arrest.

In prison, Hitler writes “Mien Kampf” which means My Struggle.

This tells of his plans to overtake Germany and surrounding countries he vows to deal with the Jewish Problem. After getting out of prison, Hitler devoted his life to the Nazi party.

Hitler wins support of business. Business believes only Hitler’s severe methods can save them. 1933, Hitler is appointed chancellor. He then turns the government into his own personal dictatorship. He becomes the Fuhrer = leader.

PBS VIDEO = THE RISE OF THE NAZIS Germans loose civil rights over night. All political parties are outlawed except Nazi. Jews are forbidden to marry non-Jews, teach, or work as doctors.

The Gestapo was Hitler’s secret police that shot or jailed any enemy.

Hitler called his Empire the Third Reich, after 2 earlier German Empires. Hitler promised the Third Reich, Nazis would control the world. At first, most American’s did not take Hitler seriously. President Roosevelt began to warn America. American people believe the best course of action was to stay neutral.

Munich = September, 1938, the Prime Ministers of France and England made a deal with Hitler: they gave the land of Czechoslovakia to Germany to keep the peace.

The land was not theirs to give.

Concentration Camps were set up as prison camps for enemies of the Nazis. The Holocaust was the slaughtering of Jews and other people by the Nazis during WWII.

Anti-Semitism is the violent hatred and prejudice toward Jews. Hitler and his advisors plan to destroy the entire Jewish population in Germany, then all of Europe. Hitler dreams of a “new order” with a “master race.” Hitler’s plan involved eliminating all “sub- humans: Polish & Russian people, Jews, Gypsies, handicapped & homosexual people)” by killing them.

Auschwitz is notorious concentration camp in Poland.

Auschwitz gas chamber (artist's rendition from original documents) It had huge gas chambers.

Crematorium, Auschwitz

PBS VIDEO – A TOUR OF AUSCHWITZ

3 million Jews died in Auschwitz – most from gas chambers, some from starvation, disease, or abuse.

PBS VIDEO – THE USE OF ZYKLON B GAS

Dr. Josef Mengele The Angel Of Death

was a Nazi doctor who used humans (mostly children & especially twins) as guinea pigs in horrible medical experiments.

More than 4,000 children were sent from France to Auschwitz, and every one of them was murdered. PBS VIDEO – THE CHILDREN SENT TO AUSCHWITZ

Dr. Josef Mengele

Children survivors display the tattoos they received while imprisoned in Auschwitz

The deliberate murder of an entire group of people is called genocide.

After the war, some Nazis are brought to trial for their “Crimes Against Humanity.”

In 1947 Rudolf Höss was returned to Poland, tried for his crimes, and sentenced to death. On April 16, 1947, he was hanged on a specially constructed gallows in Auschwitz, the site of his crimes. Execution of Rudolf Höss – Commandant of Auschwitz PBS VIDEO – HISTORY PROFESSORS DISCUSS WAR CRIME TRIALS

Funeral of inmates who died or were killed just prior to liberation

Nearly 6 million Jews (1/2 of all Jews in Europe) are killed by Hitler.

56 million other people die as a result of WWII. 61+ million people die as a result of WWII.

CountryMilitaryCivilianTotal Soviet Union*8,668,00016,900,00025,568,000 China1,324,00010,000,00011,324,000 Germany3,250,0003,810,0007,060,000 Poland850,0006,000,0006,850,000 Japan1,506,000300,0001,806,000 Yugoslavia300,0001,400,0001,700,000 Rumania*520,000465,000985,000 France*340,000470,000810,000 Hungary* 750,000 Austria380,000145,000525,000 Greece* 520,000 Italy330,00080,000410,000 Czechoslovakia 400,000 Great Britain326,00062,000388,000 USA295,000 Holland14,000236,000250,000 Belgium10,00075,00085,000 Finland79,000 Canada42,000 India36,000***36,000 Australia39,000 Spain**12,00010,00022,000 Bulgaria19,0002,00021,000 New Zealand12,000 South Africa9,000 Norway5,000 Denmark4,000 Total circa 61 Million