World War I MAIN CAUSES Militarism- most countries had strong armies Alliance system- public and private treaties between nations Imperialism- the desire for a country to expand for resources or prestige Nationalism- extreme pride for your country, in some cases this led to hatred of others

World War I Begins Axis Germany Austria-Hungary Bulgaria Ottoman Empire Allies France Britain Russia United States (neutral at first, entered later) Many more countries

The Axis powers are defeated Germany is forced to take full blame for the war, pay great sums in war damages, give up colonies and is not allowed to maintain an army Germany loses territory and has high unemployment, inflation and many Germans suffer greatly, Many Germans are ashamed and angry

Great Depression The global economic problems after WWI took attention off Germany While the rest of the world was distracted Adolf Hitler rose to power in Germany Hitler rebuilt the German military and blamed Germany’s WWI defeat and economic problems on the Jewish people

The Holocaust The specific term used for the genocide carried out by Adolf Hitler and the Nazi German Government during World War II. Genocide is the deliberate and systematic destruction, in whole or in part, of an ethnic, racial, religious, or national group

The Nazi’s Take Control The Nazi’s pass many Anti-Jewish Laws in order to punish Jews living in Germany.

Anti-Jewish Laws Jews were forbidden to live with, marry or to have extramarital relations with persons of German blood. they were denied access to certain city areas, sidewalks, transportation, places of amusement, & restaurants. They could not do certain jobs like be a dentist, doctor, lawyer, farmer, teacher or radio operator.

Anti-Jewish Laws Continued If you were a Jew you had to pay taxes just because you were Jewish. All Jewish homes, businesses, bank accounts, and real estate were taken away by the German Government.

WWII Begins When WWII begins in 1939, Jews are required to wear gold stars that show that they are Jewish.

Jews are moved Many Jews are rounded up and moved to areas for just Jews to live in. These areas are often really over-crowded and the conditions are very bad.

Ghettos These designated areas for Jews are called Ghettos The Ghettos lacked food and opportunities for work Conditions in the Ghettos were horrible One of these was the Lodz Ghetto in Poland.

Lodz Jews arrive at the Lodz Ghetto A Soup Kitchen at Lodz

Life in Lodz There was a lot of corruption within Jewish Ghettos. Jews could get jobs but most times people would have to give bribes to get a job. Most jobs would involve working for German business men who used Jews for cheap labor.

Jewish Children in Lodz

Life in Lodz Jewish Ghettos were fenced off and sealed. The Jews were given little food and had to fend for themselves. Jews were not permitted to leave the Ghetto unless they had proper papers to work outside of the Ghetto.

There were two fenced off sides of the Lodz Ghetto and a walkway over the main street.

A Nazi Guard checking Jewish Working Papers in the Lodz Ghetto

The War turns for Nazi’s As the War went on, the Nazi’s needed more labor to keep supplying Nazi Troops. This forced the Nazi’s to move Jews from Ghettos to Concentration Camps. This was called “Liquidating” a Ghetto.

Jews are moved to Concentration Camps. Jews were crammed into Train cars that would take them to concentration camps. Sometimes the trip would take days and even up to a week. Jews would die of Starvation, dehydration, and disease on these train trips.

Arrival at Auschwitz Jews would arrive at Auschwitz on foot or by train. When they arrived they would then be separated by males and females. Then Nazi soldiers would decide who was to be executed and who was to do labor in the camp.

“Work is Freedom” This was the Main Gate to Auschwitz

Auschwitz This was the main entrance for trains coming into Auschwitz

Men selected for labor at Auschwitz Jews getting off trains at Auschwitz and then being divided into groups of men and women.

Labor Camps Most men and a few young women were selected to work in Labor Camps within Auschwitz. They would build new buildings to the Auschwitz camp. Workers at Auschwitz

Labor Camps Jews also would have to do the work that Nazi soldiers did not want to do. Jobs like moving dead bodies, filling in mass graves, burning dead bodies, and cleaning crematories. Jewish workers burning dead bodies of executed Jews.

Life in Auschwitz There were many different Camps in Auschwitz. Each was fenced off from the other camps. Conditions would be horrible. There was little to wear to stay warm and the barracks were unsanitary.

Inside Concentration Camp Barracks

The “Final Solution” The “Final Solution” was Hitler’s plan to exterminate all Jews in Europe. Killing of Jews was done in several ways within concentration camps.

Executions, the Beginning….. At the Beginning of WWII, Nazi soldiers would dig mass graves and shoot Jews so that they fell into the graves.

Jews would be made to step into The Mass Grave and would then be shot.

Nazi Killing Methods change… Some Concentration Camps would use vans That had Gas Chambers In the back to execute Jews.

The Most Efficient Method of Killing…. The Nazi’s were killing too many Jews for the Vans to handle. So the Nazi’s began to build Gas Chambers and Crematories at Auschwitz. This made Auschwitz the main Concentration Camp for the execution of Jews at the end of WWII.

The door of a Gas Chamber

The Process of Killing Jews would be told they would be “disinfected” and be able to take a shower. Jews would then line up outside the Gas Chamber and remove their cloths. They would fold them. (This made it easier for Nazi guards to gather up the cloths after they were killed).

This is the inside of an Auschwitz Gas Chamber The Gas Chambers were made to look like a shower. But then a gas called Zyclon B would be dropped into the room.

After the Deaths After the Gassing of the Jewish Prisoners the bodies would be taken to a Crematory. This is where the bodies were burned.

The End of the War Towards the end of WWII the Nazi’s wanted to cover up what they had done in the Concentration Camps. So Nazi soldiers took prisoners who could march and made them leave the camp with them. The other prisoners were left to starve to death in the cold of the abandoned Concentration Camps. The Nazi’s also destroyed gas Chambers and Crematories to hide what they had done.

The Last days Jews marched from Concentration Camps at the end of the War Gas Chambers that were destroyed By Nazi soldiers.

Over 6 Million Jewish people in addition to members of other groups were murdered during the Holocaust Many Germans responsible for the Holocaust were captured and put on trial for war crimes Some WWII war criminals are still be hunted today.