Timeline: Holocaust

1933

Holocaust

It was a big fight between Hitler and Jews. Hitler, the Nazi's, and a bunch of other groups involved.

1933

In January 1933, Hitler is named Chancellor

How did Hitler gain support and worked his way up to Chancellor?
-eliminate political rivals to be head of Nazi's
-rising popularity of Nazis forces Hindenburg to give him some power.

1933

Reichstag's Fire of February 1933

-Hitler blames Communists for fire...

1933

1933: First Concentration Camps Set up, mostly for political prisoners

Early on, the camps were for imprisonment and hard labor, not for killing

Mar 23, 1933

Enabling Act of March 1933

-Basically gives power of decision making to Hitler.
-Within a few months, all other political parties besides the Nazis were eliminated
-This allowed Hitler to get rid of all his rivals
-At this time, we see an OFFICIAL BOYCOTT OF JEWISH BUSINESS as well (timeline).

1935

Nuremberg Laws-1935

Nazis needed a way to identify Jews so they could discriminate them.
Nuremberg Laws defined people with 3 or 4 Jewish Grandparents as "Jewish" and 1 or 2 as "Mixed Blood"
-Denied Citizenship
-Forbade Jews from marrying non-Jews
-Cannot fly National Flag

1938

1938-German Army moves into Austria and Germany annexes CZECHOSLOVAKIA.

To avoid war, other countries let them do it.

1939

1939-Germany Invades Poland

A world war will result in the destruction of the Jewish race in Europe.

1939

1939-Nazis begin rounding up millions of Jews and confining them to Ghettos

Largest Ghettos were in cities like Warsaw or Lodz in Poland

1939

Euthanasia Program Begins

_Euthanasia- Systemic killing of those Germans whom the Nazis deemed "unworthy of life" because of mental illness or physical disability.
-Eventually, 80,000 people with disabilities will be killed.

1941

First "Death Camp" opens at Chelmno (in Central Poland)...
Vans with small gas chambers in the rear are used.

1941

At about the same time, Zyklon B gas is first tested at the Auschwitz-Birkenstock camp as a use for mass extermination.

This would become the Nazis' "preferred method" for the Auschwitz- Birkenau and Majdanek camps.

1942

Wannsee Conference

-Nazi Leaders approve the "FINAL SOLUTION" or plan o EXTERMINATE THE JEWS

1943

Warsaw Ghetto Uprising (1943)

-Residents smuggled weapons in
-Uprising lasted for about a month
-SS troops arrested and deported residents after the uprising ended.

1943

Prisoners fought back at death camps...Treblinka (Aug. 1943) Sobibor (Oct. 1943)

After stealing weapons from guards, prisoners tried to escape. Most were killed but a few dozen made it out and survived the war.
Auschwitz-Birkenau(1944)
Members of the Sonderkommando working in the Crematorium fought SS guards killing over 70, but all 250 as well as 200 others were killed in response.

1945