WWII Atrocities: The Holocaust

What do you know about the Holocaust?

What do you want to know about the Holocaust?

What is the Holocaust? The Holocaust was the systematic, bureaucratic, state-sponsored persecution and murder of approximately six million Jews and minorities by the Nazi regime and its collaborators. 2/3 of European Jews Killed- 6 million

What caused the Holocaust? Hitler’s View of Race Anti-Semitism Nazi Propaganda WWII

What caused the Holocaust? Hitler’s Race Beliefs: Behavior is linked to race, people of certain races can not change “Social Darwinism” strongest race will survive-naturally leads to war Against race mixing- will taint gene pool obligation of society to rid world of inferior races

Hitler’s Anti-Semitism Believed all non-Aryan races were “bad” “Jewish Race”- was the primary enemy tainting German blood Minorities: anyone who exhibits bad behaviors is included: gypsies, disabilities, Polish, Soviets, Communist, Afro-Germans, homosexuals, alcoholics, Muslims…

Aryan Race Ideal- Germanic race Must cleanse this race: weed out disabled, low level, low achieving, deviant. Acquire new living space to allow expanded birthrate for German’s to survive as a master race.

Nazi Propaganda Promote Belief in Superiority Dehumanize minorities- differ guilt Its ok to… Separate, Kill and steal from someone who threatens you!

Nazi Propaganda “….Aryan German would have to expand and dominate, a process requiring the elimination of all racial threats– especially the Jews--- or else they would face extinction themselves…” Paraphrased from Adolf Hitler

Nazi Propaganda

The 3 Phases of the Holocaust: Persecution ----- Segregation ---- Extermination Step 1: Persecution 1933- Nazi’s seize control State sponsored anti-Jewish laws, boycotts of businesses, were stars and tags Gestapo& S.S. led terror Kiristallnacht-”Night of Broken Glass” Nov. 9-10, 1938- Hitler’s armies invaded Jewish stores, and houses and shipped to concentration camps 130,000 Jews fled Germany

The 3 Phases of the Holocaust: Persecution ----- Segregation ---- Extermination Segregation and Imprisonment After invasion of Poland- crimes increased Hitler inherited millions of Jews from military conquest Ghettos sections of cities sectioned off Overcrowded, unsanitary & inadequate food Many would die in ghettos or be shipped to Concentration Camps

The 3 Phases of the Holocaust: Persecution ----- Segregation ---- Extermination Invasion of SU, situation worsened SS- “Einsatzgruppen” Mobile Killing Units Murder political and/or racial enemies Firing Squads; Mobile Gas Chamber Trucks

The 3 Phases of the Holocaust: Persecution ----- Segregation ---- Extermination Concentration Camps Prisons for Jews, minorities, prisoners of war Work camps Mainly in Poland

The 3 Phases of the Holocaust: Persecution ----- Segregation ---- Extermination “Final Solution” July 31, 1941- Hitler tells SS General Heydrich to …”make preparations and implementation of a complete solution to the Jewish Question.” Created Killing Centers

The 3 Phases of the Holocaust: Persecution ----- Segregation ---- Extermination Killing Centers Treblinka, Sobibor, Belzec, Aushwitz II Use gas chambers- Zyklon B Sytematic Killing Centers Jews arrive by train, separate, disrobing area, gas chamber, crematorium Aushwitz killed 12,000 Jews/ day= total 1.5 million

Liberation US/ Soviet Troops find camps as German’s retreat Death Marches Horrors of Camps Reach America

German’s Forced to See the Horrors

12 Nazi Leaders order to Death Penalty