-
The beginning
Adolf Hitler was appointed chancellor and almost immediately excluded jews from German economic, political, social, and cultural life. -
Period: to
Territorial expansion
Germany annexed neighboring Austria and the Sudetenland View This Term in the Glossary and occupied the Czech lands, -
Period: to
Ghettos (forced jew towns)
German occupiers forced Jews to live in overcrowded and unsanitary conditions. German authorities often enclosed these areas by building walls or other barriers. Later in the year, Jews from other parts of Europe are transported to the Ghettos. -
Period: to
World War 2
Nazi Germany began the war by attacking Poland. Germany invaded and occupied much of Europe, including western parts of the Soviet Union. -
The final solution
It was the last stage of the Holocaust, the vast majority of Jewish victims were murdered during this period. There were two main methods of killing; mass shootings and gassing operations. -
"Extermination camps" are created
The Nazi regime began building specially designed, stationary killing centers in German-occupied Poland. These killing centers were for the sole purpose of efficiently murdering Jews on a mass scale. They disguised their intentions by calling the transports to the killing centers “resettlement actions” or “evacuation transports.” -
Period: to
The liberation of Nazi camps
Allied troops moved across Europe against Nazi Germany and found concentration camps, mass graves, and other sites of Nazi crimes. The largest killing center and concentration camp complex was liberated in January 1945 -
The end of the Holocaust
Survivors of the Holocaust faced the daunting task of rebuilding their lives. With little in the way of financial resources and few surviving family members, most gradually emigrated from Europe to start their lives again.