The Holocaust

Treaty of Versailles

Jun 28, 1919

Stated that Germany was not allowed to expand their army and must pay reparations to the Allies.

Nazi Party

Feb 24, 1920

Hitler reorganized the party and named it the National Socialist German Workers' Party, or the Nazi Party.

Beer Hall Putsch

Nov 8, 1923

Adolf Hitler tried and failed to take over the government and was sent to prison.

Mein Kampf (My Struggle)

Jul 18, 1925

Adolf Hitler's biography that he wrote while in prison is published, stating that racial purity was the only solution to Germany's problems.

Reichstag Elections

Sep 14, 1930

The Nazis won 18.3% of the votes at the September 1930 Reichstag election, making them the second largest political party in the Reichstag.

Hitler Comes to Power

Feb 1, 1933

Adolf Hitler and his Nazi Party gained total control of Germany. They restricted media and allowed themselves to search people's homes and belongings.

Hitler becomes Führer

Aug 2, 1934

German President von Hindenburg dies and Hitler becomes Führer.

Nuremberg Laws

Sep 15, 1935

Nuremberg laws are passed, denying Jewish Germans citizenship and other basic rights.

Union with Austria

Mar 12, 1938

Nazi troops enter Austria, and Hitler announces a union with the country.

Kristallnacht (Night of Broken Glass)

Nov 9, 1938

Jewish businesses and homes are destroyed, and Jews are killed and wounded. Named after the broken glass littering the streets.

St. Louis

May 27, 1939

The MS St. Louis, a ship containing over 900 Jewish refugees, is turned away by Cuba and the United States and sent back to Europe.

Start of WWII

Sep 1, 1939

Germany invades Poland, leading Britain and France to declare war on Hitler's Nazi state in retaliation.

Ghettos Sealed Off

Nov 15, 1940

The Warsaw and Krakow Ghettos, collectively containing about 500,000 Jews, are sealed off.

Deportation

Sep 17, 1941

Beginning of general deportation of German Jews.

Jews Sent to Auschwitz

Mar 24, 1942

The start of deportation of Slovak and French Jews to Auschwitz.

Liquidation Begins

Mar 14, 1943

The Krakow Ghetto is liquidated.

D-Day

Jun 6, 1944

Allied landings in Normandy on the coast of northern France.

First Liberation

Jul 24, 1944

Russian troops liberate the Majdanek concentration camp, where over 360,000 people were killed.

Auschwitz Liberation

Jan 27, 1945

Russian troops liberate Auschwitz, which had a death toll of over 1 million. Other camps would be liberated throughout the year.

End of WWII in Europe

May 8, 1945

Germany surrenders to the Allies, about a week after Hitler committed suicide in his bunker.