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Research Paper
Holocaust Overview
Anne DeCamillo
Mr. Neuburger
English 102-120
9 April 2013
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Throughout history there are many memorable events that one cannot forget,
some of them may be happy historical events while others one could only wish that they
could be forgotten. The historical events of the Holocaust and the deaths of so many
makes this one of the most well-known and unforgotten events in history. As the Nazi
party grew so did their hatred towards the Jewish people. Once Adolf Hitler is appointed
chancellor, this eventually leads to the deaths of nearly six million Jews and six million
more people of different ethnicities in Europe. Very few understand how the Holocaust
could take place, and to truly comprehend the Holocaust one needs to understand the
series of events and methodologies used to systematically murder over twelve million
people.
Nazi rise to power
According to the article, Rise of the Nazi Party Timeline, the Nazi party began
as a gang of unemployed soldiers in 1919; they were called the German Workers Party.
Adolf Hitler joined this party in 1919 and rose to leadership through his ability to
publically speak. The article explains how he encourages national pride, militarism,
racially pure Germans; all while condemning Jews and exploiting anti-Semitic feelings.
Furthermore, Hitler changes the name of the party
to national socialist workers party called for short
the Nazi Party. According to this timeline article,
by 1920 the Nazi Party had roughly 3000
numbers, a year later Hitler became the official
leader. The article further explains, in 1923 Hitler attempts to over throw local authorities
known as the Beer Hall Pustch. Although, this act fails and Hitler and the other
Hitler and followers
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participants are sentenced to jail, this is also a huge breakthrough for Hitler as he realizes
he is not going to be able to overthrow the government by force, he decides to take a
more political approach. Although Hitler is sentenced to five years, he is released after
just one year. However, Hitler uses the time in jail to organize his thoughts and plans for
Germany and writes the book Mein Kampf. The article goes on to further explain, after
Hitler is released he begins rebuilding and reorganizing the Nazi party. After a short
while Hitler becomes sole leader of the Nazi party and all final decisions rest with him.
Furthermore, Hitler hopes to create a bureaucracy that he envisions as the gem of future
state. In addition this article explains, the Nazi part begins a mass movement from
roughly 27,000 members in 1925 to 108,000 in 1929. This party becomes known for its
strong arm tactics of street brawling and terror, eventually the Nazi party becomes the
legal Government of Germany by 1933 and Adolf Hitler becomes chancellor of
Germany. (The Rise of the Nazi Party.)
Nazi view on Jews Anti-Semitism
In the article written by Dr. Steve Paulsson it states, the Nazis were the heirs of a
centuries old tradition of Jew-hatred.(A View of the Holocaust) Another article written
by Arno Schickedanz explains, how the Nazis think Jewish Zion religion is part of the
general Jewish plot to control the world. (Zionism) In addition, an article found on the
United States Memorial Museum(ushmm) goes onto explain how Hitler and other Nazi
leaders view the Jews not as a religious group but a poisonous race which feeds off other
races and weakens them. (Nazi Racism) Furthermore on the Ushmm web site, the
Holocaust is histories most extreme example of anti-Semitism. The most common acts of
anti-Semitism throughout history are called pogroms they are violent riots launched
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against Jews and encouraged by Government authorities. The article further explains
most pogroms were often started by blood libels, which
are false rumors that Jews are using the blood of Christian
children for ritual purposes. In addition, modern anti-
Semites add politics into their hatred and falsely
denounce Jews as disloyal citizens which is a potent
component of political anti-Semitism. (Anti-Semitism)
Moreover, according to the article Anti-Semitism In
History: Nazi Anti-semitism after the Nazi party gained popularity and legitimately
seizing power partially by portraying the Jews as the source for many different political,
social, economic, and ethical problems the country is facing, the Nazi party begins
ordering anti-Jewish boycotts, staged book burnings, and in 1935 the Nuremberg laws a
mandate for total separation of Aryans and non Aryans. (Ushmm)
Nuremberg Laws
According to the Jewish Virtual Library, a conference was held August 20, 1935
by Adolf Hitler and the party representatives to discuss the economic effects of party
actions against Jews. The party argued that the actions making the economy fall would
cease once the Government made a firm policy against the Jews. Within the next month
two laws are announced at an annually party in Nuremberg making this known as the
Nuremberg Laws. Furthermore, the article goes on to explain the first Law is The Law
for the Protection of German Blood and German Honor. This Law prohibited marriage,
extra-marital intercourse between Jews and Germans, and employment of German
women under forty-five in Jewish households. The second law, The Reich Citizenship
Nazi anti-Semitism poster
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Law, This law was put in place to strip Jews of German citizenship and made a new
distinction between Reich citizens and nationals.
It is said the Nuremberg Laws formalized the
unofficial measures taken against Jews up to
1935. In addition, the Nazi Party was consistent
in enforcing this legislation by demanding that
Jews are deprived of their rights as a citizen. (The Nuremberg Laws)
Nazi Propaganda
In 1924 the start of Nazi propaganda began. Adolf Hitler wrote a book that clearly
expressed his thought and ideas on National Socialism--among them racism, anti-
Semitism, and anti-Bolshevism. Adolf Hitler wrote "The function of propaganda is to
attract supporters, the function of organization to win members... Propaganda works on
the general public from the standpoint of an idea and makes them ripe for the victory of
this idea."(qtd in Nazi Propaganda.) This was the beginning of the biggest horror
Germany and the Jewish people would ever face. Nazi propaganda helped many Nazi
soldiers and Adolf Hitler carry out racism as a whole country. The point to the Nazi
propaganda was to convey certain thoughts or ideas against the Jews. According to the
United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Hitler appointed Joseph Goebbels the head
of a Reich ministry for public enlightenment and propaganda just to ensure messages
were being communicated through all avenues such as art, music, theatre, films, books
radio, and educational materials, and of course through the media. (Propaganda Timeline)
With so much being controlled by the Nazis it was very difficult for the German people
to know what was really going on. The Germans and the Jews were being very much
Newspaper article about new Laws
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misled through this propaganda. Once Goebbels was appointed head of the Reich
ministry it was nearly impossible for the German people to receive anything other than
the propaganda the Nazis were presenting. Stated in the propaganda timeline in 1927 the
Nazi party begins producing propaganda films to show in film mobiles in rural areas.
(USHMM) Germans were reminded of the struggle against foreign enemies and Jewish
subversion constantly. To the Nazis this is there threat to the German people. According
to the propaganda timeline on September 23, 1939 all Jews were required to surrender
radio sets to authorities. By May of 1940 all German radio stations were synchronized.
(USHMM) Goebbels was very serious about his
position in controlling the media and educational
material. According to the Propaganda Principles,
Goebbels propaganda materially aided Hitlers rise to
power in 1933. Goebbels used all media of education,
communications to further Nazi propagandistic aims,
Goebbels was trying to install in the Germans the
concept of their leader as a veritable God and of their destiny as the rulers of the world.
(Joseph Goebbels) Through the media and educational material the Nazi propaganda had
the Germans deceived. Furthermore, through that deception the Nazis were able to
exterminate more than six million Jews and six million non Jewish nationals not only
without notice but with the support of a blinded country. In addition, according to the
USHMM, propagandist cast Germany as the victim or potential victim of foreign
aggressors, as a peace loving nation forced to take up arms to protect its populace.
(Deceiving the Public)
Nazi Propaganda Poster
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Burning Synagogue
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Kristallnacht
The article Kristallnacht, explains the events leading up to the horrifically
memorable night of November 9, 1938. According to the article a seven-teen year old
Polish Jewish student was enraged by the deportation of his parents to Poland from their
home town in which they lived since 1914. The young man named Hershel Grynszpan
shot Ernst vom Rath, the Third Secretary of the German Embassy in Paris. The young
mans assasanation attempt was successful as vom Rath died the night of November 9th
,
however, this attack gave Josseph Gobbels the urgency to deliver what was described as
an inflammatory speech urging crowds to take to the streets and make the Jews pay for
the death of vom Rath. Furthermore, this growing
rampage led to the destruction of 7,000 Jewish
businesses, fire to more than 900 synagogues, the
deaths of 91 Jews and deportation of some 30,000
Jewish men to concentration camps. In addition
the article further explains the next day Goebbels
announced, "We shed not a tear for them" He went on to mention the destruction of the
synagogues saying, "They stood in the way long enough. We can use the space made free
more usefully than as Jewish fortresses. It is said Kristallnacht provided the Nazi
government with an opportunity at last to totally remove Jews from German public
life. (qtd in KristallnachtThe American Experience)
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Barbed wired Jewish Ghetto
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Rounding up Jewsghettos
According to British Library web site the Germans found a way to keep the Jews
separated from the general German population by creating what is called Ghettos, These
ghettos are made in run down parts of the cities and enclosed with barbed wire or walls
surrounded by guards spread throughout the occupying countries. The ghettos allowed
the Nazis more control by restricting the rights of the Jews. The ghettos are overcrowded
and the living conditions are extremely poor. In addition the article further explains not
only were the living conditions extremely poor but there was a major shortage of food in
which caused mass starvation that many people died from. Within the ghettos the Nazis
set up Jewish councils which were
called Judenrat. They appointed the Jewish
council officials to follow through with Nazis
orders during the time in the ghettos. Moreover
any refusal to carry out Nazi orders was
punishable by death. Although to some extent the
Jewish councils helped to alleviate the suffering
of the Jews by setting up soup kitchens, orphanages and hospitals. Establishing nutrition,
health and housing departments. However, the council members were still puppets to the
Nazis. They were required to round up fellow Jews for deportation to slave labor and
death camps. Once the Jews were round up, the railway provided the transportation to
their next destination. Many camps were made close to a major railway station so
transporting was more convenient. None the less the article states, approximately 1.5
million children died during the Holocaust. Children not only had to adapt to their
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Jewish Resistance
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surroundings but take on adult responsibilities such as savaging for food, helping with
finances, and in most cases taking care of siblings after their parents were either deported
orhad died. Overall the ghettos made it possible for Nazis to easily and conveniently
murder millions of Jews people. (Background ghettos and deportation)
Resistance
In an article called Unarmed Jewish Resistance, it explains the many different
types of ways Jews resisted, for example many groups were put together, even in the
ghettos and camps the Jews tried to preserve their culture and religion by organizing
prayer groups, underground schools, and even artistic groups. It is said in the article in
the Warsaw ghetto there was a great teacher who set up an orphanage and taught the
children, put on plays, and tried to make their lives as normal as possible. In addition it is
said this teacher even accompanied them to their
deaths in Treblinka so that they would not be
afraid of the dark. (The Holocaust Explained)
Although, there were many resistance groups out
there with the purpose of helping fellow Jews
while placed in the ghettos there are also
resistance groups out there for the purpose of fighting back with hopes of freedom once
again. According to Yadvashem web site, the ghettos were filled with rumors about the
mass murders of the Jews once they were transported from the ghettos. However, the
information was vague and at the time seemed unreliable, not to mention it was difficult
to absorb the information that an entire race was trying to be exterminated which was
unheard of throughout history. Moreover, once reliable information was received by the
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Jewish officials from outside sources that the rumors of this mass extermination was true
an armed and underground operation began. According to the article the war of self
defense was carried out in three levels, such as armed uprisings in the ghettos and camps,
the escapes and smuggling of Jews from towns and ghettos to go to the forests for
partisan warfare, in addition individuals hid in various hiding places, and there were
collective rescue effortsto rescue children as well. Furthermore rebellions took place in
the death camps as well. The article states in August 1943 an uprising in Treblinka broke
out when three groups of prisoners working the burning bodies of their fellow Jewish
people and sorting through the their belongings started killing some of the camp
commanders and guards, they took over the armory, and in addition, they set the gas
chambers and camp barracks on fire. Furthermore, in Sobibor it is said prisoners rose up
and several managed to escape, also in Auschwitz a group of prisoners blew up a
crematoria. (Jewish Armed Resistance and Rebellion) However, even with their
resistance efforts it made little impact on the overall situation.
Wannasee Conference
According to the article The Wannasee Conference, this conference was held on
January 20,1942 , It is said that the conference was presided over by SS-Lieutenant
General Reinhard Heydrich, Chief of the Security Police and Security Service. Heydrich
summoned fourteen men representing the governmental and military branches most
involved in implementing the aspects of the Final Solution of the Jewish Question.
Furthermore, this article explains, the various options of what the Final solution was,
which included voluntary emigration, confinement to ghettos in cities located along rail
lines, forced to concentration camps, and finally, extermination. The Nazis wanted to be
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Location of the Wannasee Conference
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certain there was no confusion within the group that now, the term referred specifically to
the murder of all the Jews. Moreover, during a
trial in 1961 it is said the conference was rather
brief only lasting and hour or so, it was done over
a luncheon and the members who attended the
conference agreed to the extermination of an
entire race. (Holocaust History)
Although, there are many details and countless testimonies of the horrific events
that took place during the Holocaust, one may never come to fully understand how the
Germans publically and systematically murdered more than twelve million people in such
a short amount of time. However we can see how the Nazis used political parties,
propaganda control, ghettos, and death camps to start what the most horrifying historical
event is known to mankind.
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"Holocaust Timeline: The Rise of the Nazi Party."Holocaust Timeline: The Rise of the
Nazi Party. A Teacher's Guide to the Holocaust Produced by the Florida Center for Instructional
Technology, College of Education, University of South Florida 2005. Web. 11 Apr. 2013.
"Jewish Virtual Library - Homepage."Jewish Virtual Library.
"The Rise of Nazi Party."A Teacher's Guide to the Holocaust. The Florida Center for
Instructional Technology,, 2005. Web. 11 Apr. 2013.
"Welcome to PsyWar Society, Thursday, 19 April 2012." The PsyWar Society. Web. 19
Apr. 2012. .
"German Propaganda Archive (Guide Page)." Calvin College. Web. 19 Apr. 2012.
.
"Holocaust Educational Resource."Holocaust Educational Resource. Web. 19 Apr.
2012. .
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