THE HOLOCAUST

• 1. What policies made persecutions of Jewish German citizens official?

  • nazis required jewish german citizens to register and identify themselves by wearing armbands or yellow stars
  • in 1935, the Nazis passed the Nuremberg Laws. this stripped Jews and Roma of German citizenship and prohibited various kinds of relationship between "pure" Germans and others
• 1. What was Kristallnacht?


  • “the night of the broken glass” 
  • the day of nov 9, 1938, when non-jewish were rioting against jewish ppl
  • non-jewish ppl ransacked and destroyed Jewish synagogues, schools, businesses, hospitals, and homes across Germany
• 1. What was the T4 program?


  • program that intentionally killed disabled teens, adults, and ederly people who were considered unfit members of society
• 1. Who committed the atrocities of the Holocaust?

  • nazi germany, its collaborators, and individuals who carried out orders or participated willingly in the genocide
• 1. Explain the willing participation of women in fascist regimes, even those regimes limited their public and private freedoms.


  • Women participated in fascist regimes, despite limitations on their freedoms, because they perceived new opportunities and contributed to national causes, even as they faced repression
• Causes of the Holocaust

  • Ideological Extremism: The Holocaust was fueled by the Nazi regime's extremist ideology, which propagated racial superiority and sought to eliminate perceived threats to the "Aryan" race
  • State-Sponsored Discrimination: Government policies and propaganda demonized targeted groups, leading to systematic discrimination and dehumanization
  • Totalitarianism: The concentration of power in authoritarian regimes allowed for the implementation of policies that violated human rights and promoted violence against minority groups
  • Economic and Social Instability: Economic hardships and social upheaval can create conditions conducive to the rise of extremist movements and the scapegoating of vulnerable populations
• Consequences of the Holocaust

  • Collective Trauma: The Holocaust resulted in immense suffering and trauma for survivors, their descendants, and affected communities, leaving lasting scars on individuals and societies
  • International Norms and Accountability: The horrors of the Holocaust prompted the development of international laws and norms to prevent genocide and hold perpetrators accountable for their actions
  • Moral Obligations: The Holocaust serves as a reminder of the moral imperative to confront hatred, bigotry, and intolerance in all its forms, and to uphold human dignity and rights
  • Holocaust Remembrance and Education: Efforts to remember and learn from the Holocaust have led to educational initiatives, memorialization, and awareness campaigns aimed at promoting tolerance, understanding, and prevention of future atrocities
• • jews could not employ servants with "German or related blood” and intimate relationships between the two groups were outlawed
• • after Kristallnacht, jews lost more civil rights
  • they were barred from public transport, parks, and schools
• • a Nazi campaign of "Aryanization" began
  • jews lost the right to work in certain jobs. their property and savings were confiscated
• • In July 1941, Hermann Göring requested a "final solution" to the "Jewish question.” this led to Hitler's authorization of mass murder of Jews
• • Extermination camps, where inmates were mass gassed and cremated, were already under construction in occupied Poland by the fall or winter of 1941
• • Mass deportations of Jews to extermination camps began in spring 1942, resulting in over 3 million deaths by war's end
• • Inmates at extermination camps were segregated and selected for hard labor or immediate gassing, with pregnant women, children, and the elderly often targeted for death
• • Widespread use of concentration camp inmates as slave labor occurred during Germany's desperate war efforts, resulting in high mortality rates
• • The Holocaust involved extensive civilian collaboration, with many ordinary people drawn into fascist fervor and propaganda
• • Women and girls made up half of the victims of the Holocaust. they were targeted alongside Jews, Roma, and LGBTQ individuals