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Adolf Hitler Becomes Chancellor
Adolf Hitler of the National Socialist German Workers' (Nazi) party is elected as Chancellor of Germany. -
Nuremberg Laws
Hitler passes a set of laws regulating and stripping Jews of government jobs as well as the ability to vote and marry non-Jews. -
Period: to
The Holocaust
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Kristallnacht
Sparked by the assassination of a German diplomat by a Jew, Nazi soldiers launch a massive attack on Jews. They burned down synagogues. destroyed Jewish shops, and arrested thousands of innocent Jews. -
World War II Begins
Hitler and Nazi army invades Poland and WWII begins. -
Einsatzgruppen (Mobile Killing Squads) Created
Hitler assigns 3,000 specially trained soldiers to follow behing army marches to execute any Jews they encounter. They were known as mobile killing units. -
Wannsee Conference
Hitler and his highest associates meet in Berlin and formulate a plan called the "Final Solution." This was a detailed plan on the organized mass murder of European Jews by gas chambers. They planned to turn work camps into death concentration camps. -
D-Day
Allied forces invade Europe in Normandy, France. -
Himler Haults Gassing of Jews
With Allied advances farther into Germany, Nazi leader Heinrich Himler orders the stopping of the gasing of Jews as well as the desctruction of the camps. However, many Jews still die while marching in the freezing winter to Germany occupied territory. -
Soviets liberate Auschwitz
Soviet forces capture the largest Nazi death camp, Auschwitz, in Poland. Other Allied forces around Europe also liberate many camps like this one. -
Hitler Commits Suicide
Hitler commits suicide along with his wife in a bunker in Berlin. -
V-E Day
Germany surrenders unconditionally and is celebrated as "Victory in Europe" day. -
Nuremberg Trials
Trials are set up to try surviving Nazi leaders for crime's against humanity, Twenty-two Nazi German officials are indicted; three are ultimately acquitted and 19 are found guilty (11 of whom are sentenced to death).
