Holocaust Free Essays

It was the biggest genocide to ever take place in human history. Most history teachings are based upon factual records but many horrors of the Holocaust went undocumented and can only be understood through the court hearings, diaries, stories, drawings, and first hand experiences of the survivors. Holocaust history focuses on Jews but all undesirables were included in the genocide including: handicapped, Jehovah witnesses, homosexuals, and gypsies. We will write a custom essay sample on Holocaust or any similar topic only for you Order Now After World War l, Germany was pounded with war reparations. They didn’t only lose the war; they lost their pride and nationalism to their country. Germany’s was limited to an army of 100,000 men, and limited to even fewer ships. They suffered a great amount of territorial losses, and the worst of all, they had to accept the humiliation of being held solely responsible for the war. The losses, the destruction, and the depression after World War I was all rested upon the shoulders of the Germans. (Hosted) Along with these harsh war reparations, the world was suffering from the Great Depression. Their entire middle class was wiped out and they were undergoing ass unemployment. Their fragile democracy didn’t stand a chance in restoring their nation. Social unrest gave the rise to countless radical parties and the democracy fell to pieces. Germany was longing for stability and direction, and desperate for a powerhouse to restore organization. Unfortunately many found this hope in Hitler. Hitler was an unhappy child growing up but his youth was nothing out of the ordinary. He grew up in Austria, but he moved to Vienna in his later years. In Vienna, Jews were given the equal opportunity to express their talent, providing Hitler with the opportunity to develop his racism towards the group. He had little social life; he believed that art, military, and music were the only important things in life. He was intelligent, and a great speaker, which would later become very useful to him. (Hitler in color) World War I enabled Hitter’s rise to power. Germany was in ruins and desperate for any power to take over, and Hitler was there to step in and relate to them. He shared their misery and hatreds and knew how to attract crowds. His convincing and motivational speeches that spoke of Germany on the track to coming a world power again gained people’s vote. Hitler promised the people of Germany a future. He promised to reinitialize the Rangeland, reclaim German territories, and bring power back to Germany. Disparity among the people caused them to overlook the harsh terms of the Nazi way of life. Hitler was appointed Chancellor of Germany in January of 1933. He became the head of state and the head of government, in the now totalitarian government of Germany. During Hitter’s regime, also commonly known as the â€Å"Third Reich† or â€Å"Nazi Germany’, Hitler restored jobs to over a million people. He created public works programs and he funded them with military spending. This gained him a lot of support from his people who had been suffering from a financial depression, and economic chaos. Opposition to the government was nonexistent. Civil service members swore to an oath in which the vowed to be unconditionally obedient to their Ruler. Whatever Hitler did was the law. The government even controlled opinions and artwork; there was no room for any up rises or outbreaks. In classrooms, the youth were taught to obey Hitler. Hitler created a Nazi Youth Group that became very popular among the children. The best of the best were recruited for his group: the athletes, the educated, and the well-off in Hitter’s Nazi Youth Group skyrocketed from 50,000 members to 5 million members. In late 1936, it became mandatory for all children to Join the Nazi Youth Group. The children were taught of superior traits, and how the Jews were at fault for the unfortunate times that their country had been suffering. School teachings included racism, anti-Semitism, and obedience to the state. At eighteen, it was mandatory for all boys to enlist in Hitter’s army. The people of Germany were taught by a young age o obey Hitler. It was as the whole country was brainwashed into the thoughts of their new leader. At first Jews and other undesirables were Just separated from society and denied certain rights. They were not allowed to intermarry with non-Jews and they couldn’t practice certain professions such as: teachers, nurses, lawyers, etc. Eventually all undesirables were to be eliminated from society all in all. Hitler created â€Å"camps† that would separate the Jews from the rest of the population so they could no longer affect their nation’s success and prosperity. Urban) On November 9th, 938, Non-Germans flooded the streets where Jewish businesses and homes were located. They threw glass through windows, burned down homes and stores, demolished the streets, and murdered and beat thousands of Jews. The night will forever be remembered in history as Circumstantial. On this night, 30,000 Jews were arrested and placed into concentration camps. The first concentration camp to come about was Dachas in Germany near Munich. At the camp, violence and terror kept the inmates in order. Upon entering the camp they were humiliated; they were stripped of their clothes and had their heads shaved. Some were killed immediately. Some were used for slave labor. The camps lacked hygiene and basic medical care so many caught diseases, which spread from inmate to inmate. Along with diseases, the Jews were barely fed, if ever, and rarely given water. Malnutrition and poor living conditions took a toll on the camp’s inmates. This torture and terror on a daily basis was the new life of misery that these Jews were unable to escape. (Dillon) Other concentration camps emerged. The most notorious were: Chanteuses near Berlin, Buchwald near Whimper, Lightener near Murderers, and the most tourism of all, Auschwitz. Auschwitz was the largest concentration camp. It was in southern Poland alongside a military base, and also conveniently located right along a railway making transportation of Jews very easy for Hitter’s civil service. It was right in the center of all of Rupee’s German-occupied countries. The Jews were greeted with the message â€Å"Work will set you free! † Upon entering, Nazi doctors examined the Jews. If they were determined useless, they were directed to the shower-disguised gas chambers. This group included young children, women, and elderly. If they were en as useful, they were directed to the slave labor side of the camp. The ones who didn’t get put to immediate death usually died shortly after from overworking and disease. â€Å"Some Auschwitz prisoners were subjected to inhumane medical experimentation. The chief perpetrator of this barbaric research was Josef Mangle (1911-79), a German physician who began working at Auschwitz in 1943. Mangle, who came to be known as the â€Å"Angel of Death,† performed a range of experiments on detainees. For example, in an effort to study eye color, he injected serum into the eyeballs of dozens of children, causing them excruciating pain. He also injected chloroform into the hearts of twins, to determine if both siblings would die at the World War II began to take a toll on Hitler but he refused to admit defeat. This caused mass destruction and damage to Germany’s infrastructure, and the massive bombing of major cities. Hitler even began to destroy his own buildings so his enemies could not enjoy the pleasure of defeating him. When he was forced to face the fact that the Allied Powers were soon to defeat him, Hitler committed suicide. (A +E Networks) When the Soviet entered Auschwitz, many buildings and records in the concentration camp had already been destroyed. Buildings were torn down and documents were disposed of. Many Jews had been shipped out of the camp along the railway to other camps. Some of the evidence may have been destroyed but the true horrors that took place in this camp could never be covered up and remained behind in the shaved hair, children’s shoes, piles of bones and corpses, and misery drawn across the survivor’s faces. The thousands of frail Jews left behind at Auschwitz were skin and bones, hopelessly waiting for someone to save them. They may have survived, but they will forever carry with them the mental and physical cars from the horrors of the Holocaust. How to cite Holocaust, Papers Holocaust Free Essays When did the Holocaust begin? I. January 1933- Hitler sworn in as the chancellor of Germany A. Whereas before it was only a plan (one which people though Hitler would forgo when actually in office) was now set into motion. We will write a custom essay sample on Holocaust or any similar topic only for you Order Now B. April of the same year would see the beginning of Hitler’s implementation of such anti- Semitic legislation, starting with the prohibition of Jews from the Civil Service. II. November 1935- Nuremberg Laws enacted A. Jews are now subject to a myriad of prohibitions, aimed at their disemancipation. B. Anti-Semitism takes on a legislative form III. November 1938- Kristallnacht A. 7500 Jewish businesses destroyed B. 267 shuls burned C. 91 Jews killed D. 25000 arrests E. Much legislation is made against Jews. They are now banned from public schools, cinemas, etc. F. The Anti- Semitism is brought out from the parliament and into the streets and homes of the Jews. IV. September 1939- Germany invades Poland A. Aditionally, there is the outline by Heydrich of Jewish policy. 1. Einzatzgruppen 2. Complete census of Jews in Poland 3. Judenrats 4. General Gouvernment 5. A-B Aktion B. Forceful, violent anti-Semitism is made into official policy. V. June 1941- Germany invades Russia A. Slaughter intensifies. 1. Babi Yar 2. Mass ghettoization VI. January 1942-Wannsee Conference A. Defined and outlined the â€Å"Final Solution† 1. Mass murder is employed-institutional murder. VII. These changes both reflect a pre-determined policy which was being implemented in steps, but situations- both military and social- which were presented to the Nazis forced them to reexamine or restructure policy based on need or opportunity. A. Though much legislation was pre-planned, Wannsee, for example was a response to Nazi failure to fully implement Holocaust goals. This meeting was not necessarily planned before the war, but necessity brought about such an increase in the mass murder. VIII. It is impossible to designate a single moment as it is more like a snowball, building up from ages of anti-Semitism and slowly becoming the Holocaust. Question 2- Emigration I. Jews decided to remain in Germany prior to 1938 for three main reasons: A. They and their families have been Germans fro generations and they were not prepared to leave their homes and businesses. B. They were nationalistic and felt pride and connection to Germany. 1. Central Union of Germans of Hebrew Faith -â€Å"No one can rob us of our home and our fatherland. † 2. Rabbi J. Layman, reform rabbi- political change had not affected their commitment to Germany as Germans of the Hebrew faith. Most Jews should stay in Germany because this is their homeland. C. They thought this was only temporary an that the storm would pass. D. Additionally, they really had no where to go. As many hundreds of thousands of Jews did emigrate, the Evian Conference in Evian, France saw many Western European and American countries basically close their doors to Jewish emigration. II. Nazi stance on Jewish emigration A. In 1934, Hitler was advised that emigration would be the answer. 1. Adolf Eichmann bought land in Equator to send the Jews there. B. But in 1937, Nazis changed their minds and emigration wasn’t the answer. C. Nov 1940- Polish Jewish emigration is prohibited. D. October 1941- All Jewish emigration is prohibited out of German occupied territory E. However, Transfer Agreement was enacted in which Jews could buy German products, ship them to Palestine and sell them through the Jewish Agency there. 1. Through this agreement, over 50,000 Jews immigrated to Palestine. Question 3- Jewish Responses to Nazi Law I. Stages of Anti- Jewish Laws A. There were three stages: 1. Removal from Public Life a. Removal from entertainment and press (1933) 2. Anti-Semitism as Policy of State a. Expelling Jewish Immigrants (1934) b. Nuremberg Laws (1935) 3. Deemancipation a. Out of Economic Life (1938) b. Ousted from Public Schools (1938) II. Jewish Reactions- as the needs arose due to various legislation, the Jews responded in various ways. A. April 1933 the Central Committee for Help and Reconstruction- coordinated welfare activities B. September 17, 1933, the National Representation of the German Jews- political representation C. Jewish organizations focused on social work and aid to the needy. D. They established a Jewish educational system for children who had been ousted from the German educational system E. Disseminated information about various countries of destination, and they offered language and vocational classes. Question 4- Raul Hilberg’s Schemes I. Stage One- Identification, Marking, and Concentration A. Nuremberg Laws of 1935 identified someone with three or more Jewish grandparents as a ‘full Jew’- these laws were applied to Poland basically as soon as it was taken over. B. September 21, 1939- Conference led by Heydrich, Chief of the Reich Central Security Office in Berlin discussing long-term future of Polish Jewry. States that there is an â€Å"final aim. † Calls for concentration of Jews in cities, and the formation of ghettos. C. November 23, 1939 Jews were required to be in public with external markings, a white band with the Star of David D. Laws 1. Jews can not relocate without Nazi permission 2. Spatial separation from Poles 3. Other racial Laws E. Concentration of Jews into the General Government and into Ghettos. 4. Most famous ghettos were in Warsaw and Lodz II. Stage Two- Mass Murder A. 1941- Einzatsgruppen employed to kill Jews B. December 1941- Chelmno- first use of gas C. 1941- Babi Yar D. January 1942- Wannsee Conference established â€Å"Final Solution. † E. Use of Concentration Camps and industrialized murder (Auschwitz, etc. ) Question 5- Jewish Resistance I. There was definitely more Jewish resistance than is popularly mentioned. A. Western Europe- fought in mainstream resistance movements B. Eastern Europe- formed their own partisan units C. April- May 1943- Warsaw Ghetto Uprising 1. ZOB, ZZW- Warsaw Jewish fighting units D. There were many other small uprisings in other ghettos. E. Some concentration camps had uprisings. 1. Auschwitz (1944) 2. Sobibor (1943) 3. Treblinka (1943) II. Additionally, there was unarmed resistance A. In Warsaw, leaflets were distributed urging people to avoid deportations, as they were in fact trains to death camps. B. Yehuda Bauer also defines resistance as any activity that gave the Jewish people dignity and humanity in the most humiliating and inhumane conditions. Hence, most of such acts of ‘resistance† went undocumented. Bauer comments how much resistance there really was, despite the conditions they had to endure. stt How to cite Holocaust, Papers