World History NotesWorld History Notes

The HolocaustThe Holocaust

I. “The Jewish Question”I. “The Jewish Question”

A.A. What do we do What do we do about this Jewish about this Jewish minority among us?minority among us?

B.B. In the Middle AgesIn the Middle Ages1.1. Convert themConvert them

2.2. Expel them from the Expel them from the countrycountry

C.C. For the Nazis, this For the Nazis, this increases to “The increases to “The Jewish Problem”Jewish Problem”

Photo from The History Place

II. LegislationII. Legislation

A.A. Law for Removing the Distress of the People Law for Removing the Distress of the People and the Reich (The Enabling Act)and the Reich (The Enabling Act)

1.1. Gave Hitler the power to make all the laws he Gave Hitler the power to make all the laws he wanted, put him in chargewanted, put him in charge

2.2. Convinced the government to give him this right Convinced the government to give him this right by burning the Reichstag and by terrorizing the by burning the Reichstag and by terrorizing the ParliamentParliament

B.B. Calls for a boycott of Jewish offices and Calls for a boycott of Jewish offices and StoresStores

C.C. The Law of the Restoration of Civil ServiceThe Law of the Restoration of Civil Service1.1. Requires “Aryanism” to hold Civil Service jobsRequires “Aryanism” to hold Civil Service jobs

D.D. Law prohibits Jews Law prohibits Jews from serving as patent from serving as patent lawyers and from lawyers and from serving as doctors in serving as doctors in state-run insurance state-run insurance institutions. institutions.

E.E. Law sets a limit on how Law sets a limit on how many Jewish students many Jewish students can attend schoolscan attend schools

F.F. Law prohibits Jews from Law prohibits Jews from being dentistsbeing dentists

G.G. Law prohibits all non- Law prohibits all non-Aryans and their Aryans and their spouses from spouses from government government employmentemploymentPhoto from The History

Place

H.H. Jews banned from all Jews banned from all cultural and cultural and entertainment (art, entertainment (art, literature, film)literature, film)

I.I. Jews prohibited Jews prohibited from being from being journalists, Nazi journalists, Nazi take control of all take control of all newspapersnewspapers

J.J. June 1933, Dachau June 1933, Dachau concentration concentration camp is builtcamp is built

Photo from The History Place

K.K. Nuremburg Laws Nuremburg Laws (1935)(1935)

1. "The Law for the 1. "The Law for the Protection of German Protection of German Blood and German Blood and German Honor" (no Jew-Aryan Honor" (no Jew-Aryan marriage)marriage)

2. "The Reich 2. "The Reich Citizenship Law" (only Citizenship Law" (only Aryans are citizens)Aryans are citizens)

3. "The Law for the 3. "The Law for the Protection of the Protection of the Genetic Health of the Genetic Health of the German People" German People" (people had a medical (people had a medical exam to get married)exam to get married)Photo from The History Place

III. Kristallnacht III. Kristallnacht (Night of Broken (Night of Broken Glass)Glass)

A.A. November 9, 1938 Nazi November 9, 1938 Nazi storm troopers broke storm troopers broke into and wrecked Jewish into and wrecked Jewish homes and businesseshomes and businesses

B.B. Jewish women and Jewish women and children were brutalizedchildren were brutalized

C.C. Synagogues were Synagogues were vandalizedvandalized

D.D. 25,000 Jewish men were 25,000 Jewish men were sent to concentration sent to concentration campscamps

Photos from The History Place

IV. UndesirablesIV. Undesirables

A.A. JewsJews1.1. 6,000,000 would die in the Holocaust6,000,000 would die in the Holocaust

B.B. Gypsies (Roma)Gypsies (Roma)C.C. Slavic Peoples (Russians, Poles, etc.)Slavic Peoples (Russians, Poles, etc.)D.D. HomosexualsHomosexualsE.E. Jehovah’s WitnessesJehovah’s WitnessesF.F. Handicapped (mentally and Handicapped (mentally and

physically)physically)G.G. CriminalsCriminals

H.H. Markings Markings

1. Prisoners were 1. Prisoners were shaved, shaved, tattooed with a tattooed with a number, and number, and were given a were given a badge that badge that identified what identified what they werethey were

Photo from Wikipedia

V. TreatmentV. TreatmentA.A. Concentration camps were work camps, there Concentration camps were work camps, there

were also Extermination campswere also Extermination camps1. These were the “Final Solution” to the “Jewish 1. These were the “Final Solution” to the “Jewish

Problem”Problem”

B.B. Food was given but was a diureticFood was given but was a diuretic

C.C. Slept on wooden beds with othersSlept on wooden beds with others

D.D. Could be shot or hanged for no reasonCould be shot or hanged for no reason

E.E. Medical Experiments were done on prisoners Medical Experiments were done on prisoners (especially twins and pregnant women)(especially twins and pregnant women)

F.F. Healthy prisoners had to carry bodies of dead Healthy prisoners had to carry bodies of dead prisonersprisoners