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Appointment of Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler was appointed as the Chancellor of the German Nazi Party which had come into power in Germany. The Nazi Regime grew by using propaganda to spread racist views and ideals. It was believed by those in power that Germans were the superior race and that Jews, who were deemed inferior, were a threat to Germany. At this point in time Europe had a Jewish population of over 9 million, however, they only made up about 1% of the German population. -
Creation of the Nuremberg Laws
The Nuremberg Laws were introduced in Germany which took away citizenship from German Jews and prohibited them from marrying or having relations with other Germans. These laws and regulations implemented strict restrictions in the public and private lives of Jewish Europeans as well as gave Nazi's the right to persecute German Jews. Germans viewed anyone with Jewish ancestry as having "impure blood lines" and anti-Semitism was enforced in all areas of German life, even in schools. -
The Berlin Summer Olympic Games
The 1936 Summer Olympics were held in Berlin, Germany which gave Hitler's Nazi Regime two weeks to hide its racist, antisemitic policies and instead put on a peaceful façade. Despite the fact talk about possible boycotts, the games ended in success due to German propaganda that made the nation appear peaceful and respectable. -
Kristallnacht - The Night of Broken Glass
A night known as Kristallnacht or The Night of Broken Glass saw the destruction of numerous synagogues, Jewish businesses, as well as the death of close to 100 Jews. This led to neighboring nations taking in more Jewish refugee children from Germany, many of which were from orphanages destroyed during Kristallnacht. -
Germany Invades Poland
Germany's invasion of Poland prompted Britain and France to declare war on Germany. This marked the start of World War II which led to the increased and more systematic murder of Jews as well as Poles. At this time Hitler also began plans to incarcerate and kill people with physical and mental disabilities. -
Establishment of Auschwitz Concentration Camp
In the midst of the German occupation the Auschwitz concentration camp was established in Poland. Auschwitz was the largest of all concentration camps as it consisted of three camps and a killing centre which is where the gas chambers were held. Over 1.1 million people were killed in the camp throughout the war. -
"The Final Solution"
At the Wannsee Conference in 1942 the Nazi's established what was known as "the final solution to the Jewish question". This escalated the systematic murder of Jews across Nazi occupied nations leading to the murder of over 6 million Jews throughout WWII. The German authorities also persecuted anyone else that did not correspond with their prescribed ideals. This included homosexuals, Roma people, as well as individuals with physical and mental disabilities. -
Liberating the Camps
Nearing the end of the war allied forces began to move across Europe liberating individuals held as prisoners in concentration camps, however, SS officials (part of the Nazi organization) tried to prevent this by moving inmates away from the camps by train and in death marches. The Nazi's wanted to destroy all evidence of their actions, however, on January 27th, 1945 the Soviet's were able to liberate the remaining 7,000 prisoners still being held in the Auschwitz concentration camp. -
Germany Surrenders
With Adolf Hitler having committed suicide on April 30th, 1945 German armed forces surrendered unconditionally to all allied forces making May 8th 1945 the official end of WWII. From there Allied forces began to uncover the realities of the Nazi regime including the horrors of the concentration camps where over 6 million Jews were killed. -
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The Aftermath
Due to the aftermath of the Holocaust, Allied forces established displaced persons camps which is where many survivors found shelter after the war. In addition to this nearly 700,000 Jews immigrated to Israel following the war while others immigrated to the United States. By 1952 most displaced persons camps had been closed.
