The Holocaust is often a topic we think we know a lot about (and maybe you do!) because it is a part of our "cultural knowledge". That is, Americans of all ages are introduced to this horrible event through movies, books and other outlets. We have a national museum in D.C. and a day every year where we remember the victims.
This week in class we will be talking about the events leading to our involvement in World War Two. The Holocaust, unfortunately, did not compel America to get involved. But of course, the Allies victory over the Axis Powers did liberate the concentration camps.
For this week, you will be visiting this website. Notice there are three sections: 1933-1938, 1939-1945 and After 1945. Each section has different article to read.
For the comment section, choose ONE article from EACH section (so, a total of three articles) and write a summary paragraph for EACH article (so, a total of three paragraphs).
The Holocaust can be a difficult topic but it is important to be reminded on a regular basis of how evil the human heart is and what it can do if left unchecked.
Concentration camps:
ReplyDeleteIn December 1934, the SS became the only agency who was legally authorized to establish and manage facilities that were technically called concentration camps. Local civilian authorities also continue to establish and manage forced-labor camps and detention camps throughout Germany. In 1937, only four concentration camps were left: Dachau, near Munich; Sachsenhausen near Berlin; Buchenwald near Weimar; and Lichtenburg near Merseburg in Saxony for female prisoners. Nazis grew by bloodless conquest between 1938 and 1939. The numbers of those labeled as political opponents and social deviants increased, requiring the establishment of new concentration camps. By the time the Germans invaded Poland in September 1939, unleashing World War II, there were six concentration camps in the so-called Greater German Reich.
Killing centers:
Almost all of the deportees who arrived at the camps (mainly in aushwitz) were sent immediately to death in the gas chambers. The largest killing center was Auschwitz-Birkenau, which by spring 1943 had four gas chambers (using Zyklon B poison gas) in operation. At the height of the deportations, up to 6,000 Jews were gassed each day at Auschwitz-Birkenau in Poland. Over a million Jews and tens of thousands of Roma, Poles, and Soviet prisoners of war were killed there by November 1944. The first killing center was actually in Chelmno, which opened in the Warthegau (part of Poland annexed to Germany) in December 1941. Mostly Jews, but also Roma (Gypsies), were gassed in mobile gas vans there. In 1942, in the Generalgouvernement (a territory in the interior of occupied Poland), the Nazis opened the Belzec, Sobibor, and Treblinka killing centers (known collectively as the Operation Reinhard camps) to systematically murder the Jews of Poland. In the Operation Reinhard killing centers, the SS and their auxiliaries killed approximately 1,526,500 Jews between March 1942 and November 1943.
Post war trials:
Between October 18, 1945, and October 1, 1946, the IMT tried 22 "major" war criminals on charges of crimes against peace, war crimes, and crimes against humanity, and conspiracy to commit such crimes. The IMT defined crimes against humanity as "murder, extermination, enslavement, deportation...or persecutions on political, racial, or religious grounds." Twelve of those convicted were sentenced to death, among them Reich Marshall Hermann Göring, Hans Frank, Alfred Rosenberg, and Julius Streicher. The IMT sentenced three defendants to life imprisonment and four to prison terms ranging from 10 to 20 years. It acquitted three of the defendants. (408)
Concentration camps were an important feature in Germany between 1933 and 1945. A concentration camp is basically somewhere where someone is detained or confined, most of the time under harsh conditions and without legal norms of arrest and imprisonment that are normally acceptable in a constitutional democracy. Hitler was appointed chancellor in January of 1933, which lead to the start of concentration camps. These camps were established all over Germany to handle the masses of people that were arrested. Larger camps were also established in Oranienburg, which is north of Berlin and many other places.
ReplyDeleteKilling centers were established by the Nazis and were used for mass murder. These were also called "death factories." 2,700,000 Jews were killed by either poison gas or by shooting. The first killing center was called Chelmsford, which opened in December 1941. Almost all of the deportees that arrived at camps were sent immediately to gas chambers. The largest killing center was called Auschwitz-Birkenau. By spring of 1943, this killing center had 4 gas chambers in operation. Around 6,000 Jews were gassed each day at this center, located in Poland. By November 1944, over a million Jews and thousands of other prisoners were killed.
During WWII, the Nazis deported around 8 or 9 million Europeans to Germany. Most of the Jewish survivors that had survived concentrations camps or those who had been hiding were not able to return to Europe because of the destruction of their communities. Even the people that were able to return were terrified. Violent programs were a big deal and the worst one of them all was one that was located in Kielce in 1946, many Jews were killed that were all survivors of the Holocaust. Many of these programs led to a significant movement of Jewish refugees from Poland to the west.
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ReplyDeleteBefore the holocaust most of the jews population lived in eastern Europe. That number being 9.3 million. Poland being the country with the most jews. Before the was the largest jewish community was in Germany and there were about 525,000. Which wasn't even 1% of the jewish population at that time
ReplyDeleteDuring the Holocaust the jews weren't the only ones being attacked. People with disabilities and Slavic people. The nazis looked down on the jews as if they were a problem to society and so they thought that what they were doing was right and they called it the "Final Solution". To kill the jews they used concentration camps and they created ghettos or the jews. Once the Holocaust was coming to an end the concentration camps went on these things called "death marches" and the survivors would end up at an Allied Force camp and would then be safe.
Some people were able to go home after the war to their home country. This wasn't the case for most jews because most of their homes and or communities were destroyed by the nazis during the war. So most people would just move out west to Allie camps were they would have shelter and be safe. (206) Avery
Anti Jewish legislation
ReplyDeleteDuring the first years of Hitler's dictatorship from 1933 until the outbreak of the war in 1939, Jews felt the efforts from more than 400 decrees and regulations that restricted all aspects of their public and private lives. But state, regional and municipal officials on their own initiatives also promulgated a barrage of exclusionary degrees in their own communities. Hundreds of individuals in all levels of the government throughout the country were involved in the persecution of Jews. No corner of Germany was left untouched.
Ghettos
Ghettos were set up to segregate Jews from all population. They were designed to be temporary some only lasted a few day or weeks, others for several years. During World War 2 the Germans concentrated urban and sometimes regional Jewish populations in ghettos. Ghettoes were often enclosed districts that isolated Jewish populations from non Jewish populations. They were three types of ghettos, open ghettos,closed ghettos and destruction ghettos. In Warsaw more than 400,000 Jews were crowded not an area of more than 1.3 square miles. Tens of thousands and Jews were deported to ghettos to the east .
Emigration
During World War Two, the nazis deported between seven and nine million Europeans mostly to Germany. Within months of Germany's surrender in may 1945, the allies repatriated to their home countries more than six million displaced persons. Between 1.5 million and 2 million Dps refused repatriation. Hess programs led to a significant economic movement of Jewish refugees rom Poland to the west. At its peak in 1947 the Jewish displaced person populations reached approximately 250,000.
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Once Nazi leaders got power Jews felt the effects of more than 400 decrees and regulations that restricted all aspects of their public and private lives. Nazi government revoked the licenses of Jewish tax consultants; imposed a 1.5 percent quota on admission of "non-Aryans" in 1935 Nuremberg Laws excluded German Jews from Reich citizenship and prohibited them from marrying or having sexual relations with people of German or German-related blood.
ReplyDeleteIn 1933 the Jewish population in Germany was over nine million by 1945 Germans killed 2/3 Jews in Europe as part as Germany's "final solution" German authorities persecuted homosexuals and others whose behavior did not match the "social norms" they also persecuted communists and people who did not agree with the way that their government was ran.
Most Jewish survivors who had survived concentration camps or had been in hiding were unable or unwilling to return to eastern Europe because of postwar prejudices and the destruction of their communities during the Holocaust.Many Holocaust survivors moved westward to territories liberated by the western Allies. Most displaced Jews were in British occupation zone in northern Germany and in the American occupation zone in the south. Not many Jews could enter the United States In the United States immigration restrictions strictly limited the number of refugees permitted to enter the country.
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Concentration camps
ReplyDeleteThe term concentration camp refers to a camp in which people are detained or confined usually under harsh conditions and without regard to legal norms of arrest and imprisonment that are acceptable in a constitutional democracy. These people were held against their will.
Euthinasa
In the spring and summer months of 1939 a number of planners began to organize a secret killing operation targeting disabled children. They were led by Philipp Bouhler the director of Hitler's chancellery and Karl Brandt Hitler's physician. This I think was the most horrible thing i have ever heard of.
Emigration
Most Jewish survivors who had survived concentration camps or had been in hiding, were unable or unwilling to return to eastern Europe because of postwar antisemitism and the destruction of their communities during the Holocaust. Many of those who did return feared for their lives. In Poland for example locals initiated several violent pogroms. The worst was the one in Kielce in 1946 in which 42 Jews all survivors of the Holocaust were killed. These pogroms led to a significant second movement of Jewish refugees from Poland to the west. These people were afraid of life and it took awhile for them to get over the trauma. (205 words)
World War One Aftermath
ReplyDeleteThe war severely damaged the German economy, considering that a lot of their money was spent on the war and efforts made to help them. Massive unemployment and the taking of personal savings from the middle class were just a few of the many acts of damage to the German economy after the war. To try and reverse the damage already done, expansion and remilitarization were heavily focused on. Political unrest after the war
was also a large side effect of the war, with extremists like Hitler on the rise.
The United States and the Holocaust
In 1924, newer and more restricting laws were made regarding immigration from Europe, heavily because of the communism going on across the pond. Even though most Jews sought a better life in the United States, the limit was often never fully reached. President Herbert Hoover can be thanked for making sure the laws were kept very strict during the Depression. The Great Depression was no exception to keeping immigrants out of America. Isolationism and xenophobia were growing more and more at this time.
Postwar Refugee Crisis
Between seven and nine million Jews were deported from the Nazi's during World War 2. Because of destruction in Jewish communities in most of Europe, people refused to return to their previous homes. Most survivors moved West, and were put in urban housing and camps. (231)
At the beginning, the Nazi Party brought down the weimar republic and thus propelling this party to total dominance after World War one. Their leader, Adolf Hitler, rose to power as chancellor in the year 1930 on the specific date of January 30th. The party quickly swept over into control over the next few months spreading all of their influence in the school systems of Germany. They also used much propaganda as they spread over a sphere of influence and national pride in their homeland.
ReplyDeleteThe Holocaust was a very tragic time in the Nazi country of Germany. The country would go on to massacre 6 million Jews in this major incident that the world will never forget. One of the main principles behind the Third Reich was that the Jews were the main problem own their society and that they had to be eliminated in order to help the country which would lead to the worlds largest massacre.
After the war, the law was quick to seek trials against all the Nazi Germany officials as the nations had all seen the mass killings that had happened in these camps that the Nazis had set up. Between October 18, 1945, and October 1, 1946, the IMT tried 22 major criminals of war on charges of crimes against peace, and crimes against humanity, and conspiracy to commit such crimes. Some would go on to hang themselves but at the end of the day all were found guilty regardless. (262)
Germany was in a critical stage after World War One, funding the supplies and aftermath was catastrophic and something drastic needed to come into play if the people were to ever get over this. Adolf Hitler was their solution and he gave the people of Germany hope as their new leader. Similar to he Soviet Union and other nations they used propaganda to make a huge influence on the war effort and making moral downfalls seem justified or worthy of fighting for.
ReplyDeleteThe key time that comes to mind is the Holocaust. This tragedy was more than enough fuel for other nations to get involved. Poland getting hit the worst and losing the highest amount of civilians after being stripped of their rights. The third Reich believed that Jews were an infestation on the earth that were meant to be exterminated. This level of thinking may seem insane in modern day but back then it was all clouded with fake propaganda and the German population was brain washed to this thinking and many didn't realize how severe it was. People looked up to Hitler and would listen to whatever he had to say in order to get their nation back on their feet. We have to put ourselves in the Germans shoes and although hitler was unexceptionally evil and morally wrong. The citizens and Wehrmacht forces were just wanting their country back and didn't notice the enormous problem that was at hand. When a nation is at risk for critical and almost destined demise, they tend to skip some moral laws in order to keep functionality. (266)
The Nazi's took out the Weimar Republic which ensures the total domination of Germany for Adolf Hitler. Which helped him become the leader and that helped him over take Germany and have everyone trust him and basically follow everything he says and do anything he wants. Which then they focused on the school system and train all the minds to follow him and do anything and everything he wants.
ReplyDeleteIn December of 1934 the SS became one of the only ones legally able to make and use the facilities. These facilities where called concentration camps. Which everyone knows those were horrible. All the way up to 1937 there were only 4 concentration camps. By 1939 there were only 6 total camps.
Most of the people in the world went home after the war to there normal country. The only problem was for the Jews they didn't have a country or place to go to because they were deystroyed by the Germans. All of there places they lived where gone and they just couldn't really go any where but they powered through and they are back in the world and back in the places they used to be. (201)
Germany was not in good shape after the war. The war did a lot of damage to Germanies economy because a lot of their money went to supplies for the war and other things for the war. Concentration camp refers to a camp in which people are detained or confined usually under strict conditions and without regard to legal norms of arrest and imprisonment that are acceptable in a constitutional democracy.
ReplyDeleteThe Holocaust was a very big tragedy. The country would go on to massecure 6 million Jews. To kill the Jews the used the concentration camps. When the holocaust came to an end the concentration camps went on death marches in the survivors would end up on Ali forces.
Concentration camps: the first concentration camp was established shortly after hitler was was appointed chancellor in 1933. They were usually camp where they kept Jews or people that hitler did not like or think were good enough and were used for slave work not by the people own will. They eventually after ww11 started were used to kill certain groups of people. Which was part of the final solution.
ReplyDeleteGhettos: were places set up to separate the Jews from the rest of the population. There were three types of ghettos, open closed and destruction ghettos. This was set up along with the final solution to get rid of them. Sometimes these lasted for a couple days other lasted months and year. And while they were in these camps pretty much waiting for there execution they worked for the nazis being forced.
Emigration:during ww11 nazis deported between 7 and 9 million Jews. Mostly to Germany after the war was over they returned but there was over 6 million displaced Jews. “Most Jewish survivors, who had survived concentration camps or had been in hiding, were unable or unwilling to return to eastern Europe because of postwar antisemitism and the destruction of their communities during the Holocaust”.
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Aftermath of WW1: Harsh punishment and economic depression lead to social upheaval and the rise of facism in Germany. Meanwhile, the massive destruction and loss of life cause by the fighting cause a kind of cultural despair; loss of confidence in government, disillusionment with international affairs, and a deep distrust of politics in other countries. The US in particular was affected by this, leading to a growth isolationism which stopped them from signing the Treaty of Marsallas.
ReplyDeleteHolocaust: The Holocaust, to put it simply, was a single-minded, irrational mass genoside, mainly against Jews, by Germans. The Holocaust also included other groups, like gypsis, democrats, and those with divergent views. more than 6 million Jews were killed by the time it was over. Part of the German's final solution was to round up and march Jews to labor camps, and let them die there, either from starvation, beatings, thirst, exhaustion or age.
War Trials: After the war, many sought justice for the evils committed, and used the law to get it. Countries like United States, the United Kingdom, and the Soviet Union made an armstace to send war criminals to their respective countires to be tried and hanged. Criminals were punished harshly, and often executed.
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