2.  The “Final Solution” that led to the Holocaust has to be seen in context of the war – it was not an event independent from the war  Hitler’s ideological crusade was against Judeo Bolshevism – a combination of what he saw as two evils he had to fight. The war had to be directed at the Soviet Union because they were the center of Judeo Bolshevism…two birds, one tank…  Remember that racism is not based on logic

3.  Jewish population of Germany was over 505,000 in 1933  German population total was approximately 67 million in 1933  Jews made up less than 0.75% of the German population  There were millions of Jews living in countries like Poland and the Soviet Union at this time

4.  Hitler and the Nazis came to power with 1/3 of the vote  A core idea of the Nazi Party by this point was Anti-Semitism Hitler focused on eliminating the influence of the Jews and getting them out of Germany  Most Germans were not drawn to this aspect of the Nazis, but were instead drawn to the Nazi promise of fixing the economy

5.  During 1933, the Nazis began focusing on racial policy Set up a boycott of Jewish businesses in Germany  This was quickly called off because it was unpopular at home and abroad 1935: Jews are banned from serving in the military Nazi storm troopers block the entrance to a Jewish-owned store in Berlin. Their signs read: "Germans, defend yourselves against the Jewish atrocity propaganda, buy only at German shops!" and "Germans, defend yourselves, buy only at German shops!” From: http://www.historyplace.com/worldwar2/holocaust/ h-boycott.htm

6.  Momentum was soon lost in anti-Jewish policy  Most of the harassment of Jews at this time was on the local level No initiative from the national regime until:  1935 Nuremberg Laws Would eliminate Jews as citizens of Germany  Were subjects instead Prohibited Jews from marrying non-Jews

7.  Anti-Jewish policy momentum was lost again after the Nuremberg Laws No consistent policy  Nazi Policy was to encourage Jews to leave Entjudung – de-Jewification Jews could easily leave, but couldn’t really take much with them

8.  In 1937 Jews were banned from certain professions like practicing medicine or being accountants  In 1938 a variety of laws eventually banned Jews from owning any businesses They also had to register all of their wealth and property with the government

9.  November 9-10, 1938 – Night of Broken GlassNight of Broken Glass  First mass orchestrated violence against Jews by Nazi Government in Germany (Reichskristallnacht)

10.  Set up by Goebbels “in response” to the assassination of a German diplomat by a Polish Jew According to Wikipedia: “In a coordinated attack on Jewish people and their property, 91 Jews were murdered and 25,000 to 30,000 were arrested and placed in concentration camps. 267 synagogues were destroyed and thousands of homes and businesses were ransacked”  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kristallnacht http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kristallnacht  German Jews are then fined 1 billion DM for Kristallnacht related damages

11. Clockwise from top left: NYT claims that Goebbels stopped the violence; burning synagogue; Jewish prisoners at Buchenwald; evidence of violence

12.  On 6 th anniversary of Hitler coming to power:  "In the course of my life I have very often been a prophet, and have usually been ridiculed for it. During the time of my struggle for power it was in the first instance only the Jewish race that received my prophecies with laughter when I said that I would one day take over the leadership of the State, and with it that of the whole nation, and that I would then among other things settle the Jewish problem. Their laughter was uproarious, but I think that for some time now they have been laughing on the other side of their face. Today I will once more be a prophet: if the international Jewish financiers in and outside Europe should succeed in plunging the nations once more into a world war, then the result will not be the Bolshevizing of the earth, and thus the victory of Jewry, but the annihilation of the Jewish race in Europe!"  Adolf Hitler - January 30, 1939

13. Schutzstaffel  Means “Protection Squadron” Was originally a small group of Hitler’s bodyguards  SS was led by Heinrich Himmler (T) and his Lieutenant Reinhard Heydrich(B) Himmler became responsible for Nazi racial policy in 1939 – delegated this to Heydrich Were eventually responsible for figuring out the “Final Solution”

14. Schutzstaffel  As the Nazis grew in power and after the SA had been purged, the SS became a branch in the Nazi government.  The SS was different from other organizations in that it was loyal to Hitler instead of the Nazi Party  The SS was organized in two main groups: General SS (Allgemeine-SS) Military SS (Waffen SS) SS Runic Flag SS Totenkopf (Death’s Head) Insignia

15.  Poland was invaded September 1, 1939. There were over 3 million Jews living in Poland.  September 19, 1939 Heydrich wrote: The Jewish Question in Occupied Territories Wanted to expel non-Aryans from occupied territories so Germans could settle there All of the “undesirables” were supposed to be moved to the Government General of Poland (created October 12, 1939)  Would become a dumping ground for Jews and others  Jews would be moved to concentration centers (ghettoes in urban areas) Not the final aim, but an intermediate step These should be located near rail lines for later transport

16. The Yellow Star  After the Germans invaded Poland, the Germans tried to find ways to indentify the Jews. After September 1, 1941 all Jews over age 6 were required to wear the Star of David with the word Jude on it within the Reich and Czechoslovakia Above: the Judenstern or Jewish Star for Germany; Below: for Vichy France - Juif Jews in the Lodz Ghetto with the Judenstern

17.  Einsatzgruppen (Special Operation Units): SS special forces groups that were sent to round up or kill Jews  About 1 million people were forced into the ghettoes in the Government General of Poland  In the Fall of 1939 Jews from Austria and Czechoslovakia were deported to the Government General  October 1940 Jews were being deported from Western Europe to the Gov. Gen.

18.  The Wehrmacht (Army) command was horrified by the brutality of the Einsatzgruppen who moved in directly behind the troops  Government General of Poland was becoming an unmanageable dumping ground Some ghettoes had hundreds of thousands of people in them Execution of Poles by Einsatzgruppen October 1939

19.  Would be decided on in 1941 – early 1942  We will discuss this later in the war