The Holocaust



Name: ______________________Date: ____________________Periods: _____ Day: ____United States History & Government 11Holocaust Life During the Holocaust Millions of lives were lost during World War II, but not all of them were due to combat. When the Nazis came to power in Germany, they began to persecute Jews. Adolf Hitler, in a desire to promote a “master race” of pure Aryans, was determined to wipe out the entire Jewish population. Because many German Jews were economically successful, had good jobs, and owned nice houses, Hitler’s misguided reasoning held them responsible for inflation, the Depression, and other German problems. Hitler also believed that the Aryan race was superior and that Jews were polluting it. Many other people believed in this theory, too. In order to eliminate the “Jewish problem,” Hitler built walled prisons called concentration camps in Germany, Poland, and Austria. Some of these prisons were work camps, while others were nothing more than death factories. Prisoners at working camps like Bergen-Belsen and Dachau in Germany made supplies for the German army. On their arrival at a camp, prisoners’ clothing and belongings were taken away. Their heads were shaved and numbers were tattooed on their arms for identification. Conditions at these camps were deplorable. Many inhabitants froze to death; others died from disease or lack of food. Some were killed when they were no longer able to work. At the death camps, such as Auschwitz and Treblinka in Poland, prisoners were taken to a shower, but the rooms were locked and pumped full of deadly gas through the shower heads. Later their bodies were burned in huge ovens. In addition, some prisoners were subjected to supposedly scientific testing, surgeries without anesthesia, and gruesome experiments. In all, over six million Jews were killed—that number represented 40% of the world’sJewish population. Additionally, five million disabled, homosexuals, Gypsies, and political opponents of the Nazis were eliminated. ReferencesNever to Forget: The Jews of the Holocaust by Milton Meltzer (HarperCollins, 1976).Smoke and Ashes: The Story of the Holocaust by Barbara Rogasky (Holiday, 1988).Anne Frank by Richard Tames (Franklin Watts, 1989).(Numerous books and articles exist on this topic.)5943600408940-228600523240Dachau : Nazi concentration camp in southern Germany. Erected in 1933, this was the first Nazi concentration camp. Used mainly to incarcerate German political prisoners until late 1938, whereupon large numbers of Jews, Gypsies, Jehovah's Witnesses, homosexuals, and other supposed enemies of the state and anti-social elements were sent as well. Nazi doctors and scientists used many prisoners at Dachau as guinea pigs for experiments. Dachau was liberated by American troops in April 1945. 5486400241300-228600193040Auschwitz: A complex consisting of concentration, extermination, and labor camps in Upper Silesia. It was established in 1940 as a concentration camp and included a killing center in 1942. Auschwitz I: The main camp. Auschwitz II (Also known as Birkenau): The extermination center. Auschwitz III (Monowitz): The I.G. Farben labor camp, also known as Buna. In addition, there were numerous subsidiary camps.53721000Treblinka: Extermination camp on the Bug River in the General Government. Opened in July 1942, it was the largest of the three Operation Reinhardt killing centers. Between 700,000 and 900,000 persons were killed there. A revolt by the inmates on August 2, 1943, destroyed most of the camp, and it was closed in November 1943. Chelmno:-114300198120605790083820Nazi extermination camp in western Poland, established in 1941, the first of the Nazi extermination camps. Approximately 150,000 Jews were murdered there between late 1941 and 1944, although not continuously. In comparison to the other extermination camps, Chelmno was technologically primitive, employing carbon monoxide gas vans as the main method of killing. The Nazis dismantled the camp in late 1944 and early 1945. The Commander ofthe security police andthe SDEinsatzkommando 3 Kauen [Kaunas], 1 December 1941 -----------------------------| Secret Reich Business! |-----------------------------5 copies4th copyToday I can confirm that our objective, to solve the Jewish problem for Lithuania, has been achieved by EK 3. In Lithuania there are no more Jews, apart from Jewish workers and their families. The distance between from the assembly point to the graves was on average 4 to 5 Km. I consider the Jewish action more or less terminated as far as Einsatzkommando 3 is concerned. Those working Jews and Jewesses still available are needed urgently and I can envisage that after the winter this workforce will be required even more urgently. I am of the view that the sterilization program of the male worker Jews should be started immediately so that reproduction is prevented. If despite sterilization a Jewess becomes pregnant she will be liquidated. (signed) JagerSS-Standartenführer ................
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