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The Beginning
Hitler had ordered all "non-Aryans" to be removed from government jobs. This was the order that moved into the campaign for racial purity, eventually leading to the Holocaust. -
Political Opponents
After taking power, the Nazis concentrated on silencing their political opponents - communists, socialists, liberals, gypsies, Freemasons, and Jehovah's Witnesses. They were targeted because they spoke out against Hitler's word, or didn't follow him. They also targeted other Germans whom they found unfit to be a part of the "master race." Victims like homosexuals, mentally deficient, mentally ill, physically disabled, and the incurably ill. -
Nuremberg Laws
The Nuremberg Laws stripped Jews of their German citizenship, jobs, and property. To make it easier for the Nazis to identify them, Jews had to wear a bright yellow Star of David attached to their clothing. -
Kristallnacht
Known as the "Night of Broken Glass" the Nazi storm troopers attacked Jewish homes, businesses, and synagogues across Germany and Austria. Around 100 Jews were killed, and hundreds more were injured. Some 30,000 Jews were arrested and hundreds of synagogues were burned. After, the Nazis blamed the Jews for the destruction. -
St. Louis
Official indifference to the plight of Germany's Jews was in evidence in the case of the ship St. Louis. This German ocean liner passed Miami in 1939. Although 740 of the liner's 943 passengers had U.S. immigration papers, the Coast Guard followed the ship to prevent anyone from disembarking in America. The ship was forced to return to Europe. more than half of the passengers were later murdered in the Holocaust. -
The Final Solution
The Nazis targeted many, including: communists, socialists, liberals, gypsies, Freemasons, Jehovah's Witnesses, homosexuals, mentally deficient, mentally ill, physically disabled, and incurably ill. These people were all "unfit" to be a part of the race, or disagreed with Hitler's beliefs. Concentration camps were labor camps. They were hauled by trains or trucks to these. People were tortured and many were killed. They were very unfit for supporting lives. Many families were separated. -
Death Camps
The prisoners were not being killed fast enough, so they built 6 death camps in Poland, including Chelmno and Auschwitz. Chelmno was the first operating, each camps had several gas chambers in which as many as 12,000 people could be killed a day. Auschwitz was the largest death camp. When they arrived, they had to parade by several SS doctors, where they were separated from weak to strong. Both groups had to leave their stuff behind. Then the weak were led into gas chambers and were killed. -
The Final Stage
These prisoners were led to death by being overworked, starved, beat, and were shot. Along with that, they were put into gas chambers. These could kill 12,000 people a day. After being gassed, they were thrown into pits, or their ashes were burned. They were told they were just going to be taking a shower, but they were in for a rude awakening. They were also either hung or injected with poison.
