The HOLOCAUSTThe HOLOCAUSTBy: Mrs. ChapmanBy: Mrs. Chapman

World War IIWorld War II• http://www.ushmm.org/wlc/media_nhttp://www.ushmm.org/wlc/media_n

m.php?lang=en&ModuleId=100051m.php?lang=en&ModuleId=10005137&MediaId=337637&MediaId=3376

Adolf Hitler salutes the crowd Adolf Hitler salutes the crowd from his open car during the from his open car during the Reichsparteitag (Reich Party Day) Reichsparteitag (Reich Party Day) parade in Nuremberg. (September parade in Nuremberg. (September 4-10, 1934)4-10, 1934)

What is the Holocaust?What is the Holocaust?• The Holocaust refers to a specific genocidal The Holocaust refers to a specific genocidal

event in twentieth-century history: the state-event in twentieth-century history: the state-sponsored, systematic persecution and sponsored, systematic persecution and annihilation of European Jews by Nazi annihilation of European Jews by Nazi Germany and its collaborators between 1933 Germany and its collaborators between 1933 and 1945. Jews were the primary victims—6 and 1945. Jews were the primary victims—6 million were murdered; Gypsies, the million were murdered; Gypsies, the handicapped, and Poles were also targeted handicapped, and Poles were also targeted for destruction or decimation for racial, for destruction or decimation for racial, ethnic, or national reasons.ethnic, or national reasons.

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Holocaust (cont.)Holocaust (cont.)The The HolocaustHolocaust (also called (also called ShoahShoah in Hebrew) refers in Hebrew) refers to the period from January 30, to the period from January 30, 19331933, when , when Adolf HitlerAdolf Hitler became chancellor of Germany, to May became chancellor of Germany, to May 8, 8, 19451945 (V E Day), when the war in Europe ended. (V E Day), when the war in Europe ended. During this time, During this time, JewsJews in Europe were subjected to in Europe were subjected to progressively harsh persecution that ultimately led progressively harsh persecution that ultimately led to the murder of 6,000,000 to the murder of 6,000,000 JewsJews (1.5 million of these (1.5 million of these being children) and the destruction of 5,000 Jewish being children) and the destruction of 5,000 Jewish communities. These deaths represented two-thirds communities. These deaths represented two-thirds of European Jewry and one-third of world Jewry. The of European Jewry and one-third of world Jewry. The JewsJews who died were not casualties of the fighting who died were not casualties of the fighting that ravaged Europe during that ravaged Europe during World War IIWorld War II. Rather, . Rather, they were the victims of Germany's deliberate and they were the victims of Germany's deliberate and systematic attempt to annihilate the entire Jewish systematic attempt to annihilate the entire Jewish population of Europe, a plan population of Europe, a plan HitlerHitler called the called the “Final Solution”“Final Solution” ( (EndlosungEndlosung). ).

Jewish Population Jewish Population DistributionDistribution

Casualties During Casualties During HolocaustHolocaust

USSR-USSR-1,100,001,100,0000

Poland-Poland-3,000,003,000,0000

Romania-Romania-287,000287,000

Greece-Greece-67,00067,000

Czech-Czech-260,000260,000

Austria-Austria-50,00050,000

Italy-Italy-7,6807,680

YugoslaviYugoslavia-a-63,30063,300

LithuaniaLithuania--143,000143,000

Hungary-Hungary-569,000569,000

Latvia-Latvia-71,50071,500

Denmark-Denmark-6060

Belgium-Belgium-28,90028,900

France-France-77,32077,320

Estonia-Estonia-1,1001,100

Finland-Finland-77

Holocaust HistoryHolocaust History• In 1933, the In 1933, the

Jewish population of EuropeJewish population of Europe stood at over nine million. Most stood at over nine million. Most European Jews lived in European Jews lived in countries that Nazi Germany countries that Nazi Germany (the (the Third ReichThird Reich) would occupy ) would occupy or influence during World War or influence during World War II. The Nazis established II. The Nazis established concentration campsconcentration camps to to imprison Jews, other people imprison Jews, other people targeted on ethnic or “racial” targeted on ethnic or “racial” grounds, and political grounds, and political opponents. Germany opponents. Germany invaded Polandinvaded Poland on September on September 1, 1939, beginning World War 1, 1939, beginning World War II. Over the next two years, II. Over the next two years, German forces conquered most German forces conquered most of Europe. of Europe.

Outline of HolocaustOutline of Holocaust• Propaganda: “The Propaganda: “The

Jews Are Our Jews Are Our Misfortune” (1933)Misfortune” (1933)

• The Jews Are The Jews Are Isolated from Isolated from Society (1935)Society (1935)

• Kristallnacht Kristallnacht (1938)(1938)

• The Jews Are The Jews Are Confined to Confined to Ghettos (1939)Ghettos (1939)

• The “Final The “Final Solution” (1941)Solution” (1941)

• Liberation (1945)Liberation (1945)

Auschwitz memorial service in Poland. Over 1.1 million died in Auschwitz during the Holocaust.

Nazi PropagandaNazi Propaganda• Cover of the anti-Cover of the anti-

Semitic German Semitic German children’s book, children’s book, Der GiftpilzDer Giftpilz

• (The Poisonous (The Poisonous Mushroom).Mushroom). United States United States Holocaust Holocaust Memorial Museum Memorial Museum #40000 #40000

Kristallnacht Kristallnacht • Kristallnacht--literally, "Crystal Night"--is Kristallnacht--literally, "Crystal Night"--is

usually translated from German as the usually translated from German as the "Night of Broken Glass"; it refers to the "Night of Broken Glass"; it refers to the violent anti-Jewish pogrom of November 9 violent anti-Jewish pogrom of November 9 and 10, 1938. The pogrom occurred and 10, 1938. The pogrom occurred throughout Germany, which by then included throughout Germany, which by then included both Austria and the Sudetenland region of both Austria and the Sudetenland region of Czechoslovakia. Hundreds of synagogues all Czechoslovakia. Hundreds of synagogues all over the German Reich were attacked, over the German Reich were attacked, vandalized, looted, and destroyed. Many vandalized, looted, and destroyed. Many were set ablaze. were set ablaze.

Jewish GhettosJewish Ghettos• Before WWII, Warsaw Before WWII, Warsaw

was the center of Jewish was the center of Jewish life and culture in life and culture in Poland. During the war, Poland. During the war, the Nazis established the Nazis established 400 ghettos and forced 400 ghettos and forced Jews to live in miserable Jews to live in miserable and crowded conditions. and crowded conditions. The largest ghetto was The largest ghetto was in Warsaw where over in Warsaw where over 400,000 Jews struggled 400,000 Jews struggled to survive.to survive.

Warsaw Ghetto in Poland

Concentration Camps- Final Concentration Camps- Final SolutionSolution

• Following the Following the invasion of the Soviet Unioninvasion of the Soviet Union in June in June 1941, 1941, EinsatzgruppenEinsatzgruppen (mobile killing units) (mobile killing units) carried out mass-murder operations against Jews, carried out mass-murder operations against Jews, Roma, and Soviet state and Communist party Roma, and Soviet state and Communist party officials. More than a million Jewish men, women, officials. More than a million Jewish men, women, and children were murdered by these units, and children were murdered by these units, usually in mass shootings. Between 1942 and usually in mass shootings. Between 1942 and 1944, Nazi Germany deported millions more Jews 1944, Nazi Germany deported millions more Jews from occupied territories to from occupied territories to extermination campsextermination camps, , where they murdered them in specially developed where they murdered them in specially developed killing facilities using poison gas. At the largest killing facilities using poison gas. At the largest killing center, killing center, Auschwitz-BirkenauAuschwitz-Birkenau, transports of , transports of Jews arrived almost daily from across Europe. Jews arrived almost daily from across Europe.

Concentration Camp Concentration Camp PicturesPictures

Jewish women at forced labor on "Industry Street" in the Plaszow concentration camp.

Newly arrived prisoners, with shaven heads, stand at attention in their civilian clothes during a roll call in the

Buchenwald concentration camp.

Former prisoners of the "little camp" in Buchenwald stare out from the wooden bunks in which they slept three to a "bed." Elie Wiesel is

pictured in the second row of bunks, seventh from the left, next to the vertical beam. (April 16, 1945)

Auschwitz “danger” sign by an electric fence.

Auschwitz-BirkenauAuschwitz-Birkenau• Auschwitz played a Auschwitz played a

central role in the Final central role in the Final Solution, the Nazis plan Solution, the Nazis plan to annihilate the Jews in to annihilate the Jews in Europe. The Nazis Europe. The Nazis exported Jews from exported Jews from nearly every country in nearly every country in Europe to Auschwitz II Europe to Auschwitz II (Birkenau) killing center (Birkenau) killing center in Poland. In all, at 1.1 in Poland. In all, at 1.1 million Jews were killed million Jews were killed and tens of thousands of and tens of thousands of others were killed here.others were killed here.

View of the entrance to the main camp of Auschwitz (Auschwitz I).

The gate bears the motto "Arbeit Macht Frei"

(Work makes one free).

Auschwitz-Birkenau Auschwitz-Birkenau PhotosPhotos

View of the entrance to Auschwitz-View of the entrance to Auschwitz-Birkenau; taken from inside the Birkenau; taken from inside the

camp.camp.

Jews from Carpathian Ruthenia undergo a selection on the ramp at Auschwitz-Birkenau.

Belongings of Auschwitz inmates: suitcases found after liberation (the suitcases had not

been shipped to Germany).

Corpses of Auschwitz prisoners in block 11 of the main camp (Auschwitz I).

Liberation of AuschwitzLiberation of AuschwitzThe Soviets liberated Auschwitz, the largest extermination and concentration camp, in January 1945. The Nazis had forced the majority of Auschwitz prisoners to march westward (in what would become known as "death marches"), and Soviet soldiers found only several thousand emaciated prisoners alive when they entered the camp. There was abundant evidence of mass murder in Auschwitz. The retreating Germans had destroyed most of the warehouses in the camp, but in the remaining ones the Soviets found personal belongings of the victims. They discovered, for example, hundreds of thousands of men's suits, more than 800,000 women's outfits, and more than 14,000 pounds of human hair.

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Liberation NotesLiberation NotesLiberators confronted unspeakable conditions in the Nazi camps, where piles of corpses lay unburied. Only after the liberation of these camps was the full scope of Nazi horrors exposed to the world. The small percentage of inmates who survived resembled skeletons because of the demands of forced labor and the lack of food, compounded by months and years of maltreatment. Many were so weak that they could hardly move. Disease remained an ever-present danger, and many of the camps had to be burned down to prevent the spread of epidemics. Survivors of the camps faced a long and difficult road to recovery.

Soon after liberation, camp survivors from

Buchenwald's "Children's Block 66"--a special

barracks for children. Germany, after April 11,

1945.

We Shall Never Forget!We Shall Never Forget!