Research Paper Holocaust Overview

Missy Forgey

ENG Comp 102-101 Mr. Neuberger 18 April 2012

Forgey 2 To this day, the Holocaust remains one of the most tragic and devastating periods of our history. However, most people are unaware of the complete story behind the catastrophe. If we allow the Holocaust to become an example and learn from the tragedy, we can acknowledge and honor those who were lost and devote ourselves to the promise of never letting it happen again. Our generation has a history of repeating its mistakes, so the only real way to avoid another disaster of this magnitude, is to educate ourselves. Although the Holocaust actually occurred over only a two and a half year period of time, there is a long and detailed history beforehand that we should all be aware of. Nazi Rise to Power Following the end of World War I, Germany was left with a rather bruised ego. The tide had obviously not turned in their favor, and a vast majority of their political population was left with a feeling of defeat and betrayal. According to A Teachers Guide to the Holocaust (TGH), German propaganda had not prepared for the downfall, and most politicians felt as if they had been deceived by the Jews, Communists and leftwing politicians. Moreover, after signing the Treaty of Versailles in 1919, Germans were made to pay extensive reparations to the French and British for their cost of war, leaving the German community with a continued feeling of resentment. It was at this time that Adolf Hitler entered the
Nazi Party Members, 1922 http://bit.ly/Iad2Uk

National Socialist Party, otherwise known as the Nazi Party. A naturally gifted and talented public speaker, Hitler was able to build back up a sense of German pride and achievement, while at the same time instilling an anti-sematic and militaristic undertone. Within just two years the Nazi party developed a following of over 3000 members, and Hitler was appointed their leader,

Forgey 3 The Fhrer. In 1923, Hitler and his followers attempted, and inevitably failed, to overthrow Munich authority. They were arrested and made subject to trial for high treason. Hitler used his trial as a podium, presenting lengthy speeches about the faults of their government and the need for reform. Though he was sentenced to five years in prison, Hitler was able to build an even greater following through his trial, and thanks to the favor of his jury and politicians, only endured a year of his sentence. Hitler used this time to strategize for his ambitions and campaigns after his release, and wrote his first book volume, Mein Kampf, during his time in prison (Rise of The Nazi Party). Nazi View on Jews While building his following with the Nazi party, Hitler was also establishing a harsh anti-sematic rhetoric within its members. Under Hitlers guidance, the Nazi party quickly adapted to the belief that the Jewish community was to be considered as Non-German. According to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum (USHMM), Hitlers book, Mein Kampf presented vivid detail on what he considered the necessary removal of the Jews. Hitler detailed the need for the expansion of the German master race, and in his opinion the Jews
Cartoon depicting a sign reading Jews are not wanted here http://bit.ly/hI6aZd

hindered his plan. His belief was that everything reverted

back to genetics. The theory of eugenics presents the idea that all human belief, personality, and thought is predetermined based on genes, and Hitler considered Jewish genes unworthy (Antisemitism).

Forgey 4 Nuremberg Laws In 1934, German President Hindenberg named Adolf Hitler the Chancellor of Germany giving him the power and authority he needed to dictate over the people and eventually carry out his plans for the German master race. According to the USHMM, it was during a Nazi rally in 1935 that the Nuremberg Laws were created. A set of very strict and harsh regulations for the Jewish community, the laws were a heavy step toward total segregation. Based mostly on his believed theories in eugenics, the article
Public poster depicting the process of Jewish status determination. http://binged.it/Hx3Ee1

states, The laws excluded German Jews from Reich citizenship and prohibited them from marrying or having sexual relations with persons of German or related blood (The Nuremberg Race Laws). In addition, the article states that the standard by which Jewish status was determined was also quite severe. Being Jewish was not strictly based on religious belief. Again reverting back to eugenics, the Nuremberg Laws qualified all people with a certain level of Jewish heritage as Jews. Whether or not they were currently practicing Judaism, a person could be considered Jewish, and therefore subject to the confines of the Nuremberg Laws, based solely on the number of Jewish grandparents they had. Publicly posted charts and posters were distributed showing the exact standards used to determine Jewish standing, and Jews were forced to begin carrying Jewish marked identification cards (The Nuremberg Race Laws). Propaganda The Nazi party continued to gain members at a stunningly rapid pace. The TGH states that between 1925 and 1929 the Nazi

Propaganda example. Poster states: Only Hitler. http://bit.ly/a6l7gP

Forgey 5 party grew from 27,000 members to over 108,000 members, largely credited to the SA unit. Responsible for the creation and distribution of Nazi propaganda, the SA worked to spread the Nazi cause and increase its numbers, while gaining the political support it needed (Rise of the Nazi Party). According to the Oracle Education Foundation, the Nazi party used any number of media platforms to spread their cause. Posters, flags, radio commentaries and public speeches are some of the most well-known uses of Nazi propaganda, but books and information pamphlets were also handed out to designated groups. Not only did propaganda do the job of spreading the Nazi cause and helping to recruit new members, it also helped in distributing the right information to the right people. German citizens were somewhat unaware of the complete details pertaining to the Nazi party and their agenda, and the Nazis full intention was to keep it that way. Therefore, well cultivated and presented information was released to the masses, as to keep the people somewhat informed, but also unaware of the more unsavory information (Nazi Propaganda). Kristallnacht Following the implementation of the Nuremberg Laws and the rush of anti-Jew propaganda being released, Jewish capture and deportation was becoming quite common. Decided Jewish citizens were being gathered and exiled from the German Reich, often leaving family members left behind. According to USHMM, Hershel Grynszpan was left alone after his parents were exiled from the Reich with over 17,000 other Jews and in an act of anger and retribution, Grynszpan lashed out against the Nazi party and shot Nazi Ernst Vom Roth on Novermber 7th, 1938. Within two days Roth had died, and the Nazi party began its
A destroyed Jewish Synagogue following Kristallnact. http://bit.ly/f7lcBs

Forgey 6 assault. The night of November 9th, 1938 would come to be known as Kristallnacht, translated to the Night of Broken Glass.. Thousands of Jewish homes, businesses, and synagogues were damaged, burned, and destroyed. No less than 91 Jews were killed during Kristallnacht, and hundreds more were injured. Furthermore, the USHMM explains that this was the beginning of the first wave of large scale Jewish capture and concentration camp placement. In the short time following Kristallnact over 30,000 Jews were arrested and placed in ghettos or concentration camps (Kristallnacht). Rounding Up Jews: Ghettos After the devastation of Kristallnacht and the subsequent gathering of Jewish citizens, the Nazi party was forced to determine a manner of relocation of the Jews. It was decided that those Jews deemed worthy of manual labor and work would be placed in concentration camps to work at Nazi controlled factories, while the majority would be placed in designated cities to live and govern amongst themselves until further plans were determined. Sections of highly Jewish populated cities were fenced off and all Jewish citizens were forced to live within the fences,
Common Jewish Ghetto Market http://bit.ly/tZTP4u

while captured Jews were imported to live within them as

well. These fenced in cities were labeled as ghettos, and the majority of their citizens lived in constant hunger, filth and deprivation. The website Yad Vashem writes, the ghetto establish in Warsaw, Poland was little more than three square miles of city, but housed almost half a million Jews at its peak. Jews were striped of almost all personal belongings, forced to live in apartments and houses with other families and people, and starved of food and nourishment. The Nazi intention was to hold the Jews in these ghettos only until plans could be made for their execution.

Forgey 7 While much of the Jewish community believed they would eventually return home, or be relocated, the truth was the Nazis never intended on letting them live (The Ghettos). Wannsee Conference: The Final Solution On January 20th 1942, fourteen Nazi party members met for what would come to be known as the Wannsee Conference. The sole purpose of the meeting was to decide upon a permanent solution for the Jewish question, meaning the decision of what to do with the Jews now that they were largely contained within camps and ghettos. According to the Holocaust History Project (HHP), The phrase Final Solution of the Jewish Problem had taken on a series of increasingly ominous meanings in the Nazi vocabulary The various implications had included voluntary emigration, confinement to ghettos in cities located along rail lines, forced removal to concentration camps, and finally, extermination (The Wannsee Conference). This meant, the Nazis had many options to consider when deciding upon the
Villa owned by the SS-Nordhav Foundation, where the Wannsee Conference was held. http://bit.ly/2DkTM

impending future of the Jews. The HHP continues to state that the ultimate decision of the Wannsee Conference, and what would eventually be known as the Final Solution, was the total and complete elimination of all Jewish citizens. The Wannsee Conference lasted little more than an hour, meaning it took the fourteen party members less than 90 minutes to decide that their definitive goal was to murder all Jews. By this time nearly half a million Jews had already lost their lives, and it was decided that they remainder should meet the same demise. It was later made abundantly clear that by the time of the conference, the official decision of extermination had already been made. The actual purpose of the conference was not to come to a decision, but

Forgey 8 to make sure that the decision was clear to all those involved, and to begin the development and preparation to follow through. Methods of extermination and plans for the transportation and selection of the captured Jews was the actual conversation. Selection: Selektion Transportation of the Jews from the ghettos to the concentration camps and killing centers was swift and efficient. Not long after the Wannsee Conference the Nazis started liquidating the ghettos and using their organized train system to transport the Jews. Cattle cars were packed to their brim with Jews who were forced to ride hundreds of miles with no food, water, or facilities. Knowing nothing about their intended destination or future, all they could do was wait. Once their trains arrived at their designated camp or center, The Holocaust
Selection process at Auschwitz in June 1944. http://bit.ly/tXJa5k

Explained states the Jews were then forced to wait in

their cars even longer, while the Nazis carried out their selection process. Jews were separated first by gender, then by age, and finally based on their physical ability to work. Those who were selected to work were sent on further for registration and cleaning. They were removed of all their personal clothing and shoes, then shaved and tattooed for identification. They were then showered and disinfected before receiving standard issued clothes and being sent into the camp. Most elderly, children and women were immediately separated and condemned to death (Selection). There was one man however, who used the selection process to his advantage, and used those Jews of his choosing to aid in his personal scientific research. Stationed as a physician at Auschwitz, Josef Mengele is widely known for his inhumane experimentation during the

Forgey 9 Holocaust. According to the USHMM, the physicians were strongly involved in the selection process, so Mengele had prime choice over the incoming Jews, and therefore a veritable assortment of possible test subjects. Many of his experiments dealt with the principals of genetics, and he strongly preferred the use of twins as his test subjects, as the presented nearly perfectly constant subjects. He performed experiments with eye coloration and gangrene, and is well known for collecting and keeping the eyes of his deceased subjects (Josef Mengele). Extermination Methods The most widely known manner by which the Nazis murdered the Jews during the Holocaust is the gas chamber. However, during the time leading up to the discovery and implementation of the Zyklon B gas chambers, the Nazis tested a number of different techniques. The PBS Auschwitz website states that originally the Nazi army killed Jews by close range firing squad. However, it was quickly determined that this method was having an adverse psychological effect on Nazi soldiers, and would eventually do great harm. It also left the soldiers with a great number of bodies to handle and dispose of, which added more trouble and work (The Killing Evolution). The next trial was the use of carbon monoxide. In one camp, the Jews were led into mass showers where carbon monoxide was piped in and the Jews slowly suffocated from the fumes. In another, the Jews were corralled into large vans, which were driven into the woods where the exhaust fumes were piped back into the van. PBS notes, these vans would eventually come to be called Hell Vans because those outside could hear the screams and escape attempts of the people inside, but there was nothing they could do
Crematoria Ovens at Buchenwald http://bit.ly/vRH3HN

Forgey 10 but slowly listen to them die. The bodies of those murdered were eventually buried or burned, which to the same end as the firing squads, was determined to be too much work for the Nazi soldiers, and was also considered to leave too much evidence. (The Killing Evolution). The final and most commonly used system was obviously the gas chamber. PBS writes that the chemical Zyklon B was originally used as a disinfectant in the death camps, and was therefore in high supply. However, when exposed to heated air, the chemical quickly turned into a lethal gas, and became a quick way to slaughter the Jews in large numbers. It is mentioned that during the earliest stages of this method, the execution time was highly variable. There were occurrences where, because of the Nazis poor execution, Jews were left in chambers for days waiting on the full effects of the Zyklon B to kill them. In 1943, Auschwitz built eight functional gas chambers and over forty crematoria ovens. With these machines they were able to murder and dispose of over 4400 people a day. Many of those Jews selected for work during the selection process were then chosen to work as sonderkommandos, forced to move corpses from the chambers to the ovens, and then assist in the removal of ashes. It is estimated that at least 1.1 million Jews were killed in the Auschwitz gas chambers (The Killing Evolution). Liberation The inevitable end to the Nazis ultimate power came about in 1944. According to the USHMM, on June 6th almost 15,000 soldiers were deployed by the Western Allies to start what President Eisenhower called the destruction of the German war machine, the elimination of Nazi tyranny over the oppressed peoples of Europe, and security for ourselves in a free world (qtd. in Liberation). The article continues to explain that the Soviet forces quickly joined the Allies, and on their movement across

Mauthausen Concentration Camp on the day of its liberation. http://bit.ly/nZobP3

Forgey 11 Europe the soldiers began to locate the concentration camps, as well as the mass graves of those who had already been murdered. Nazi forces acted quickly, and many crematoriums and chambers were burned down before Allied forces could witness. Thousands of still imprisoned Jews were liberated from the camps, and finally given the medical attention and nourishment they needed. However, before Auschwitz was liberated, the remaining Nazi soldiers forced the majority of its prisoners on death marches. These marches took place in most concentration camps and the Jews were forced to march continuously for several miles, resulting in many more deaths in the days before their liberation (Liberation). Post Liberation After the liberation of the Jews from the concentration camps, the Nazi party was held accountable for their actions in the Nuremberg Trials. According to the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust (HMDT), Twenty-two Nazis were brought before the court, 11 of which were sentenced to death. Many of the Nazi party were never actually tried, and those who were claimed that they were merely following their designated orders. Hitler himself committed suicide
Jewish survivors awaiting transportation following liberation. http://bit.ly/HXc8Jl

following the end of the war, and was never held fully accountable for the death and destruction he help such a powerful hand in. Having been liberated from the death camps and survived the Holocaust, Jewish survivors were not met with a welcome return after the war. Many of those who returned home found that their homes were otherwise occupied, and all their personal belongings were gone. Most Jews were met with open resentment from their fellow citizens, and were left homeless,

Forgey 12 afraid, and lost. The HMDT continues to say that most countries refused to take in any large number of surviving Jews, and because of these circumstances they were placed in Displaced Persons camps because quite simply, there was nowhere else for them to go (Life After the Holocaust). Eventually Jewish survivors would find a new home. Many countries eventually opened themselves to immigrants, and newly founded Israel proved a good destination for their mass population. However, the damage and pain inflicted on those involved can never be forgotten. An estimated 11 17 million people were murdered throughout the course of the Holocaust. Be it starvation, malnutrition, exposure, firing squad, dehydration, or gas chamber, they were all killed at the hands of the Nazi party. There is no way to properly compensate for the harm inflicted on these people. The only real promise that can be made is to never let it happen again. Society must remain well educated and informed on the power we are capable of and the damage that can be inflicted. The Holocaust will forever remain one of the most harrowing and tragic events in our history, as it should be. The harm and destruction havocked on these people should forever remain a focal point for the damage humankind is capable of, and a debt that will always be owed to those who endured.

Forgey 13 Works Cited "Antisemitism." United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. Web. 9 Apr. 2012. "The Ghettos." Yad Vashem. Yad Vashem. Web. 15 Apr. 2012. "Josef Mengele." United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. Web. 15 Apr. 2012. "The Killing Evolution." Auschwitz: Inside the Nazi State. PBS. Web. 15 Apr. 2012. "Kristallnacht." United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. Web. 15 Apr. 2012. "Liberation." United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. Web. 15 Apr. 2012. "Life After the Holocaust." Holocaust Memorial Day Trust. Holocaust Memorial Day Trust. Web. 15 Apr. 2012. "Nazi Propoganda." Oracle Education Foundation. Oracle Education Foundation. Web. 15 Apr. 2012. "The Nuremberg Race Laws." United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. Web. 11 Apr. 2012. "The Rise of the Nazi Party." A Teacher's Guide to the Holocaust. A Teacher's Guide to the Holocaust. Web. 6 Apr. 2012. "Selection." The Holocaust Explained. The Holocaust Explained. Web. 15 Apr. 2012. "The Wannsee Conference." The Holocaust History Project. The Holocaust History Project. Web. 15 Apr. 2012.