The Holocaust

Nazi Anti-Semitism Anti-Semitism- hostility or prejudice against Jewish people Hitler rose to power in part by promising Germany to its former glory Hitler provided a scapegoat to blame all of Germany’s woes Jews Hitler told Germans they had descended from the mythical Aryan people

Anti-Jewish Policy(1933-1945) Broken into four periods: The first period, 1933-1934, included boycotts against Jews and the civil Service Law that dismissed Jews from govt jobs. The second period began in the spring of 1935 with Nuremburg Laws.

Nuremberg Laws The Nazi government established a series of anti-Semitic laws Nuremberg Laws (1935) Purpose was to drive the Jews out of German stripped Jews of German citizenship and took away most civil and economic rights Also defined who was a Jew and who was an Aryan German

Nazi Forced Sterilization and Execution Hitler believed the nation had become weak, corrupted by the infusion of degenerate elements into its bloodstream. These “weak” elements of society had to be removed Hitler believed that the strong and the racially pure had to be encouraged to have more children "This person suffering from hereditary defects costs the community 60,000 Reichsmark during his lifetime. Fellow German, that is your money, too."

The third period, (1933-1939) – time of increasing anti-Jewish violence, confiscation of Jewish property, and the forbidding of Jewish ownership of business concerns. The turning point of thisperiod was the Kristallnacht Pogram

Kristallnacht November 9-10, 1938- anti- Jewish riots broke out across Germany The attack came to be called Kristallnacht (night of broken glass) During the rampage, thousand of Jewish businesses and places of worship were damaged 100 killed, 26,000 sent to concentration camps The Nazis blamed the Jews for Kristallnacht and held them responsible. Fined over a billion marks

When Hitler came to power, Europe was home to 9 million Jews The first concentration camps were created in Germany before the start of WWII These were for political enemies of Hitler The Nazis established many more camps to hold Jews from the countries that Germany invaded

The Final Solution The German invasion of the Soviet Union raised the killing of Jews to a new level Hitler now called for the total destruction of all of Europe’s Jews At first, the bloody work was carried out by mobile killing units “Einsatzgruppen” 1941, over 33,000 people were massacred in two days

The Final Solution (cont) Nazi leaders were not satisfied  the killing was not going quickly enough Adopted a new plan known (Wannasee Conference) as the Final Solution 6 new camps were established Sole purpose was to kill on a massive scale (men, women, and children) 3 million Jews died in Nazi extermination camps 3 million died at Nazi hands by other means 5 million others killed (prisoners of war, homosexuals, disabled people, and gypsies)

The Camps Conditions were terrible- received little food and forced to perform grueling labor Combination of overwork and starvation was deliberately designed to kill

American Response Many Americans were doubtful of the horrific reports coming from Europe 1944, Soviet troops started to reach concentration camps in Poland  now America knew the truth

The Nuremberg Trials After the end of WWII, many Nazis faced trial for their role in the Holocaust The court, located at Nuremberg, Germany, was called the International Military Tribunal Organized by the U.S., Great Britain, France, and the Soviet Union 22 Nazi were tried 12 were sentenced to death