-
Hitler invades Poland
Hitler demanded that Danzing come under Germany's contrrol, and that Germany must be allowed to build a German railway and road across the Polish corridor. Germany also demanded that Polland must join Germany in promising to oppose the Soviet Union. Polland said no to these demands. Hitler had ordered Generals to begin thier attack on August 26.On the evening of August 25, Hitler ordred the invasion to be posponed. He later unleashed his army and airforce on Poland on September 1st, at 4:45 a.m. -
Kristallenact (Night of broken glass.)
Germans made widespread attacks on Jewish owned property. A German chief sent a tellegram to police saying "actions against Jews will take place in all Germany". Fire companies stood by flames with instructions to let the buildings burn. Within 48 hours, more than 1,000 Jewish places of worship were burned, along with Torah scrolls, bibles, and prayer books. 91 Jews were killed, cemeteries, hospitals, schools, and homes were destroyed. Around 30,000 Jewish men were sent to concentration camps. -
Life in the Ghettos
The ghettos which began in Poland was a place where Jews would be strictly isolated from th esuroounding society. It was like a quarantine camp or a giant prision, where harsh and restricted living conditions were imposed. They disposed them of money, valubles, and other goods. It was a phase in the overall development of anti-Jews policy that aimed to find a solution to the "problem" of Jewish prescence in Europe. The ghetto provided various German autorioties with a reserve of available labor. -
Liquidating the Ghettos
The Germans began to evacuate the ghettos in Poland as part has a scheme called operation Rhienhart. It started in Lubin District and ended in the deportion of 350,000 Jews. On July 19,1942, Hienrich Himmer issued a directive for the final annialation of Jews, except the ones for labor. On July 21, 1943, Himmler ordered the deportion of the remaining Jews to concentration camps. The last remaining ghetto was Lodz, where the remaining were sent to the Auschitz death camp in August, 1944. -
Life in a concentration camp
Hard work was an important element of concentration camp imprisonment. Work was intended to dicipline and drill immates. The concentration camp prisoners were increasingly recognized as an asset that the Nazi army could use to develop mental tasks in the milatary construction progects. The Nazis established indentification systems and prisoners were based on nationality and groups for punishment. Living conditions were harsh and extreme but varied from camps and also changed over time. -
Hitler's suicide
In March 1945, the allied armies closed in on Germany. On April 28th, an infuriated Hitler learned that one of his commanders had attempted to surrender German armies to the allies. Around midnight he married Eva Braun. On April 30, Hitler learned that the Soviet army was just blocks away. After hearing the sound of a gunshot, Hitlers staff entered to find Hitler dead by a gunshot wound, and Eva Braun by a caspule of cyanide.Thier bodies were later discovered in a bomb crater. -
Germany surrenders to allied forces
At first, General Jodi hoped to limit the terms of German surrender to only those forces who are still fighting the western allies. But General Dwight Eisenhowere demanded complete surrender. If this demand was not met, Eisenhowere was prepared to seal off the Western front, preventing Germans from fleeing the West in order to surrender, therby leaving them in the hands of Soviet forces. With Russian General and French General signing has a witness, Germany was defeated, at least on paper. -
Freeing prisoners in the concentration camp
Soviet soldiers entered Auschitz and found hundreds of sick and exausted prisoners. also left behind by victims were thier belongings: 348,820 mens suits, 836,255 womens coats and tens of thousands pairs of shoes. Althogh the Germans had attempted to empty the camps of survivng prisoners and all the evidence of thier crimes, the allied soldiers came upon thousands of dead bodies. The prisoners still alive were like skelatons. Survivors had mixed feelings of thier newfound freedom.
