THE HOLOCAUST

HOW IT BEGAN

Hitler
How

He Came To Power

Hitler had fought in the first World War and was sent to a military hospital because of injuries. While he was in the hospital the Germans lost the war and were blamed for causing the war. Hitler took the loss extremely hard and began getting involved in German government which eventually got to him to gain much power in Germany.

Why

He Was Against Jews

Hitler blamed Jews for the hardships that Germany was going through. He told the people in Germany that they were to blame and the people believed him since they had no one else to point fingers at. Eventually Hitler convinced the people of Germany to completely hate the Jews and it all went downhill from there.

HOW IT BEGAN

Jews
How

They Were Treated

After Hitler rose to power, Jews werent able to live normally among other people. Often many people would yell at Jews and start beating them if they were just walking down the street. Germans believed that Jews were filthy pigs and horrible creatures that deserved to be tortured and done away with.

How

They Protected Themselves

Many Jews tried to flee from Germany when trouble began brewing. They tried to escape to countries such as Britain, Australia, Switzerland, and Palestine. Most countries would not accept many refugees though due to the Great Depression. Very few Jews were able to get out of Germany and survive.

WHAT HAPPENED

Unfair Treatment

Jews Rights
Hitler completely took away the rights of Jews. They were no longer allowed to be German citizens. No Jewish businesses were allowed to be open. Jews were forced out of their houses and crammed into small ghettos with only a few days to a few hours notice to leave.

Random Punishment
S.S. soldiers, Hitlers army, would often pick random Jews off the streets or from their homes and give them cruel and embarrassing punishments. Some of them would include cleaning the streets with a toothbrush, walking around with a sign that said Jews are pigs, and being randomly beaten whenever the S.S. felt like it. Jews homes were often randomly destroyed and they were constantly being tortured by everyday citizens.

WHAT HAPPENED

Concentration and Death Camps

Who Was Taken There

People that were taken to death and concentration camps included Jews, Russian prisoners of war, Communists, Gypsies, homosexuals, Serbs, cripples, Jehovahs Witnesses, the mentally ill, and beggars.

What Happened Inside Them

In concentration camps and death camps Jews and others were put to hard labor and killed through extreme forms of torture. Most people that went to these camps did not survive. Those who did survive had serious illnesses afterward.

DEATHS OF THE HOLOCAUST

How They Were Killed

Hard Labor and Deprivation

Jews were put to extreme forms of work. Mainly men were only put through this though. Women and children were automatically killed. While at concentration camps Jews were starved to death. They were also deprived of clothing and places to sleep.

Shooting and Gassing

While at death camps people were put in gas chambers and were gassed until they died. Their bodies were either burned or just thrown on the ground. Often times they would also just line people up and shoot them dead. Some people were even burned alive. There were numerous, unthinkable ways that the Jews and others were killed.

DEATHS OF THE HOLOCAUST

Statistics

How Many People Were Killed

About 5.9 million Jews, 3.3 million Soviet POWs, 1.8-2 million non-Jewish Poles, 220,000-270,000 gypsies, 200,000250,000 disabled, 5,000-15,000 homosexuals, and 2,5005,000 Jehovah's Witnesses were killed during the Holocaust.

How Many People Survived

It is estimated that only about 100,000 to 150,000 people survived the concentration camps and death camps.

HOW IT WAS ENDED

Liberation

Who Liberated the Camps

Beginning in the summer of 1944, camps were liberated by the Soviets, Americans, and the British.

How Long Did It Take

The liberations began in July of 1944 and didnt end until around May of 1945.

HOW IT WAS ENDED

Aftermath

What Happened to the Survivors

The few people that survived the Holocaust were permanently scarred. Many people were extremely ill and never truly got better. Others became mentally scarred and were never the same again. The survivors never truly regained a normal life again but they tried.

What Happened to Hitler

After his enormous failure, Hitler committed suicide in Berlin on April 30, 1945. His death was not regretted.

RESOURCES
Adler, David A. We Remember the Holocaust. New York: Henry Holt and Company, 1989. Print. Lace, William W. The Death Camps. San Diego: Lucent Books, 1998. Print.