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Research Paper Holocaust Overview

Lauren Bodine

Mr. Neuburger English Comp. 102-117 4 April 2013

Bodine 2 The largest case of genocide to take place on this planet remains to be the Holocaust. The Nazi regime is responsible for the systemic murder of approximately six million Jews and also the killings of others whom believed to be of racial inferiority. While studying the Holocaust and all the events that take place throughout this period, one can create hatred towards the man behind it all, Adolf Hitler. Hitler and his army strive to be superior and by doing so they are able to claim the lives of two million Jews in just 250 days. One needs to be knowledgeable of the series of events leading up to such a travesty. Nazi rise to power Germanys suffers a terrible defeat after losing World War I in 1918 and because of this the citizens of Germany are losing faith in the Treaty of Versailles and the new government. The global depression of 1929 along with the economic strains of the Treaty of Versailles is making life very hard for the citizens, and the economy makes a turn for the worse in a matter of hours. As the article on Alpha History explains, once The Great Depression begins it leaves many Germans in deep devastation and misery, this creates a fertile soil for a new type of government to grow. Furthermore, the web article explains that the crisis the depression brings
Nazi rise to power Source: http://bit.ly/YJrY1e

creates a severe conflict between the political parties in

the Reichstag. Adolf Hitler reorganizes the Nazi party and because of this the Nazi party dominates the 1924 Reichstag elections and Hitler moves into a role to dictate Germany. These are desperate times and the Germans are looking for someone to change the struggles from the depression even if that means Adolf Hitler (The Great Depression in Germany). Nazi views of Jews- anti-Semitism

Bodine 3 Following the Reichstag elections in 1933 Hitler and the Nazis begin their total takeover of Germany. The Nazi organizations Hitler is a part of began to unleash their anger onto the Jews. Hitler creates a Nazi theory and believes that the Aryan race is the master race, and is superior to all other races. According to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum (USHMM) the Nazi party ordered Jewish boycotts, staged book burnings, and created

Aryan Aryan Race Race http://bit.ly/14xxaw4 http://bit.ly/14xxaw4

discriminatory anti-Jewish legislation. The ideal Aryan, as identified by Hitler, is blond, blueeyed, and tall. Hitler uses the strong force of propaganda to his advantage to promote his beliefs in newspaper prints, in movies, and radio. In addition, Nazi leaders including Hitler believed the Jews were poisonous and weakened any other race around them ("Anti-Semitism"). Nuremberg Laws Immediately after the Nazis take power, the Jews in Germany become targets for discriminatory laws that ultimately remove their citizenship. The web article History Place states that, Jews make up less than one percent of the German population; however, Hitler still views them as mortal enemies. The laws introduced on September 15, 1935, are Hitlers final plan to break away from the Jews. Within
Nuremberg Laws http://bit.ly/YwnTfx

the laws Hitler promotes full blooded Germans and that the Reich Citizenship is superior to all. As the web article

further details, Jews react with a sense of relief to the new laws knowing exactly where they stand in the Nazi's eyes and believing that the worst is now over ('The Nuremberg Laws").

Bodine 4 Propaganda Using his power to his advantage Hitler creates total control of all communication and that is published to the public. He does this to make sure everyone is on the same page as him, and believe what exactly he believes. Through these actions by Hitler it creates hostility and hatred towards the Jews. According to the History Learning Site, Dr. Joseph Goebbels is put in charge of all Nazi Propaganda, while being officially titled as Minister of Propaganda and National Enlightenment. Dr. Goebbels main concern is not all residents in Germany are able to hear Hitler's speeches and in order to do that he lines most roads with speakers, and makes radios a cheaper price so more are able to afford them. Furthermore, the Nazi party is the largest party in 1933, but support for them was hard to come by in the people. It is another goal of Dr. Gobbels to make sure the opposing citizens realize that the Nazi's are too strong to break and should conform ("Propaganda in Nazi Germany"). Kristallnacht Hitler has a talent to take horrific events and turn them into a political stepping stone to better him. Herschel Grynszpan shot and kills Ernst Vom Rath, a German Embassy located in Paris, once hearing the news that his family is getting deported back to their country of origin, Poland. As the article Holocaust History states, the Nazis believe that the
Kristallnacht http://bit.ly/XShiRz Joseph Goebbels Minister of Propaganda http://bit.ly/XHybwg

shooting is an attack from the Jews to the Germans and Dr.

Bodine 5 Goebbels makes an announcement indicating that an horrific event is going to occur. Shortly after this is delivered violence erupts. Police and military men are sent out in a disguise dressed as civilians and are ordered to burn, destroy, and demolish Jewish owned homes and businesses. Before the men burn synagogues they are ordered to remove any achieves and give them to security, then may proceed to burn. The article further states that police are ordered to put as many Jews in jail that it would hold, and for them to preferably be young healthy men ("What Was Kristallnacht"). Rounding up Jews: ghettos The events that took place during Kristallnacht lead to the beginning of the ghetto. Ghettos are city like districts in which the Germans force the Jewish to live and endure such miserable living conditions. According to the Jewish Virtual Library article the Germans create the ghettos as a type of temporary location until the Nazis could create a plan to eliminate all of the Jews. The departure date in which the families would move to the ghettos is posted on a billboard for everyone to see ("Ghetto"). Holocaust survivor
Ghetto deportations http://bit.ly/11B1yRi

David Abrams spoke about how his family was given a short amount of time to gather their belongings to be moved to the ghettos. Once the Nazis arrive to pick him and his family up they immediately inspect all of their belongings, and if they found anything they personally wanted or wanted to sell they confiscate the items from them. Abram also spoke about the living conditions inside of the ghettos, being overcrowded, filthy, and unsanitary. He goes into further detail

Bodine 6 describing how he is treated like a prisoner during his stay in the Auschwitz ghetto (USCShoahFoundation). Resistance Regardless of the strong force of Hitler and the Nazi army, some Jews stand up to the hatred that is bestowed on them. Stunned by the fact that Jews are getting deported to killing centers, anything and everything helps. According to Yad Vasham, Jews are using forms of selfdefense in three different ways: armed uprisings in the ghettos and camps, escape and smuggling of Jews, and hiding individuals. Many times people of the ghettos would smuggle food in for the children because of severe malnourishment. If one was ever caught
Warsaw Ghetto Uprising 1943 http://bit.ly/114Zu2m

committing these actions punishment is death. The Nazis practice the doctrine of collective

responsibility. If a Jew kills a Nazi soldier not only is the Jew killed, but also his family and at least a hundred other Jews. Furthermore, if the Germans will ruthlessly kill anyone that they believe is being suspicious, and don't need any approval to do so ("Combat and Resistance"). Wannsee Conference: The Final Solution

Bodine 7 While the number of Jews being deported to already overcrowded ghettos is increasing, the Nazis begin to question what needs to be done to eliminate the mass amount of these people. According to Holocaust History, on January 20, 1942 the Wannsee
The Wannsee Conference http://bit.ly/Yx1A9A

Conference is held. SS-lieutenant General Reinhard Heydrich, Chief of Security Police and Security

Service, summons fourteen men whom are involved to most implement the final solution. In the years leading up the conference the phrase "final solution" takes on many different meanings, many of which being inaccurate. However, Heydrich wants to be clear that from this point on, the final solution specifically means the murder of all European Jews. As this article further reports, the conference was not to decide the fate of the Jews, but to clarify their demise. In a plan that Heydrich put together he figures that approximately 11,000,000 Jews in Europe would fall under the provisions of the final solution ("The Wannsee Conference"). Selection- selektion After deportation trains arrived at the killing centers, guards order the deportees to get out of the trains and from a line. From this point the selection process begins. At this moment the Jews have no idea that they are getting selected to live, or to die. The Holocaust Explains that the Jews are split up, women and children are forced to split from the men. If one is over the age of 14 and is believed to be able to work they are also split from the rest. Jews that are selected to work are sent into a registration building. Furthermore, once the Jews become
Selection of Jews http://to.pbs.org/114ZXkZ

Bodine 8 undressed from all clothing they get their registration number tattooed on their body, and are forced to receive an extreme shower before getting dressed in the striped pajamas. Women and children were immediately taken to the gas chambers to be killed ("Selection"). Extermination methods The Nazis establish killing centers for carry out the final solution plan as quickly as possible. Killing centers also known as extermination camps are used exclusively as death factories. According to PBS, German SS and police murder over two million Jews in the killing centers with poison gas or by shooting. One of the first methods being used is death by firing squad. This method of killing is short lived mainly because of the traumatizing effects it leaves on the men pulling the trigger. An incident that a killing squad commander is
Hundreds of Corpses http://bit.ly/Yx2eDX

involved with creates the next form of killing method. Carbon monoxide was used to suffocate

the Jews, this is much more inexpensive than bullets and the Nazis are not directly taking a life. The article states further, that the most effective and efficient killing method is using Zyklon B. Originally Zyklon B is a disinfectant, but once became heated it became a lethal gas ("The Killing Evolution"). The death camps Six extermination camps are set up by the Nazis outside of Germany in Poland. The Danish Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies (DCHGS) mentions that the camps alarmingly resemble industrial plants. The most advance camp of the six is Auschwitz-Birkenau,

Bodine 9 as it has advanced gassing facilities and crematoria. This camp is also the largest killing center of them all, killing between 1 and 2 million while open. A total of at least 3 million Jews are murdered in the six extermination camps ("Extermination Camps").
Auschwith-Birkenau http://bit.ly/1150EuM

Liberation As the Allied troops approach Nazi soil, the

prisoners suffering and struggling are finally rescued from the death camps. According to the Jewish Virtual Library article, in May 1945 Germany surrenders and the Allies are able to liberate all of the death camps. Unfortunately once the Allies arrive many prisoners are beyond help. The Allies describe the prisoners that are still alive
Liberation from camps http://bit.ly/175hf5A

as living skeletons. The article further explains, half of the prisoners that are found alive die within a few days of being freed. Liberators are so horrified by what they see at the camps they kill the Nazis that are captured ( "Liberation"). After liberation- until 1948 when Israel is formed

Bodine 10 While expecting joy after becoming a free person again, survivors begin to have mixed reactions to the freedom they have desired for so long. The Jewish Virtual Library mentions, while some survivors anticipate becoming united with their families again,
Waving goodbye as they leave the camp http://bit.ly/11gngu3

others have feelings of guilt as to why they are granted freedom when so many of their friends and families

have died. Moreover, the article reports that nearly one million displaced people became an issue for the United Nations, and negotiations are made so that British withdraw from Palestine, and on May 14, 1948 Israel becomes a Jewish state ("U.S. And The Holocaust"). Unfortunately the crimes committed during the Holocaust will continue to create hatred toward the man whom is behind it all. Hitler and his Nazi army are seen as the devil and as cowards. The Holocaust is always going to be known as the systemic murder of six million Jews , and it is important to educate oneself of exactly what occurred during this time. We as people must stick together to not forget about events like these that occur but to rise up make sure it will never happen again. We must protect each other, we are all we have. As spoken by Holocaust survivor, Kristine Keren, "This was the only hope that kept us alive."

Bodine 11 Works Cited "Anti-Semetism." Holocaust Encyclopedia. United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, 11 May 2012. Web. 10 Apr. 2013. "Combat and Resistance." Holocaust History- Jewish Armed Resistance and Rebellions. Yad Vashem, n.d. Web. 10 Apr. 2013. "Extermination Camps." The Danish Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies. The Danish Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies, n.d. Web. 10 Apr. 2013. "Ghetto." Jewish Virtual Library. American-Israeli Cooperative Enterprise, n.d. Web. 10 Apr. 2013. The Great Depression in Germany. Rep. Alpha History, n.d. Web. 9 Apr. 2013. "The Killing Evolution." Auschwitz. PBS, n.d. Web. 10 Apr. 2013. "Liberation." Jewish Virtual Library. American-Israeli Cooperative Enterprise, 2013. Web. 10 Apr. 2013. "The Nuremberg Laws." The History Place. The History Place, n.d. Web. 10 Apr. 2013. "Propaganda in Nazi Germany." History Learning Site. History Learning Site, n.d. Web. 10 Apr. 2013. "Selection." The Holocaust Explained. London Jewish Cultural Center, n.d. Web. 20 Apr. 2013. "U.S Army and the Holocaust." Jewish Virtual Library. American-Israeli Cooperative Enterprise, 2013. Web. 10 Apr. 2013. USCHShoahFoundation. "Kristine Keren Testimony." YouTube. YouTube, 30 Jan. 2009. Web. 10 Apr. 2013. USCShoahFoundation. "David Abrams Testimony." YouTube. YouTube, 30 Jan. 2009. Web. 10 Apr. 2013.

Bodine 12 "Wannsee Conference." Holocaust-History. Holocaust-History, n.d. Web. 10 Apr. 2013. "What Was Kristallnacht?" Holocaust-History. Holocaust-History, n.d. Web. 10 Apr. 2013.

Well done, Lauren. Your score is below.

Bodine 13
Points Available Score

40 20 40 35 25 15 25 Total = 200

Content paper demonstrates understanding and confidence about topic Sources uses only primary and secondary sources In-Text Citations integrates sources within text with effective use of signal words and phrases Formatting properly uses MLA formatting Works Cited works cited page has the required number of sources and is properly formatted Pictures uses pictures to enhance the text with effective captions and source information Writing Mechanics Paper is free from errors in spelling, punctuation, etc.

36 20 40 32 22 13 20
Total Score

183

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