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First Steps
The Nazis concentrate on silencing their political opponents. Once they eliminated these groups, they turned to the Jews, Gypsies, Freemasons, and Jehovah's Witnesses. Also targeted Germans who they found unfit to be part of the "master race." -
It Begins
Hitler ordered all "non-Aryans" to be removed from government jobs. one of the first moves in a campaign for racial purity that led to the Holocaust. -
Nuremberg Laws
The Nuremberg Laws stripped Jews of their German citizenship, jobs, and property. To make it easier to identify the Jews, the Nazis had them wear bright yellow stars of David attached to their clothing, -
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Kristallnacht
Kristallnacht or "Night of the Broken Glass" was when Nazis storm troopers attacked Jewish homes, businesses, and synagogues across Germany and Austria. Around 100 Jews were killed, and hundred more injured. About 30,000 Jews were arrested. Afterwards the Nazis blamed the Jews for the destruction. -
St. Louis
The St. Louis, a ship, 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. -
The Final Solution
In 1939, Hitler imposed what he called the "Final Solution"- a policy of genocide. He believed Aryans were a superior people. He targeted communists, socialists, liberals, anyone who spoke out against the government, Gypsies, Jews, Freemasons, Jehovah's Witnesses, homosexuals, mentally deficient, mentally ill, physically disabled, and incurably ill. Jews were sent to ghettos in Polish communities. They were also sent to concentration camps, labor camps, where they can usually die. -
Death Camps
The Germans built six death camps in Poland. the first, Chelmno, began operating in 1941. Each camp had several huge gas chambers in which as many as 12,000 people could be killed every day. Auschwitz was the largest death camp. When the prisoners arrived they had to parade by SS doctors. With a wave of the hand, the doctors separated those strong enough to work from those who would die that day. -
The Final Stage
At a meeting in Wannsee, Hitler's top officials agreed to start mass murdering Jews. To do this they would murder people by poison gas. They led people to the gas chambers and told them they were to undress for a shower. Then they gassed them. To get rid of the bodies they either did a mass burial or burned them.
