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Treaty of Versailles
At the end of World War One, the German economy and military was crippled by the treaty of Versailles. For no real reason other than pre-existing prejudices, many people blamed the Jews. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treaty_of_Versailles -
Hitler Becomes Chancellor of Germany
Hitler gaining power started the campaign against the Jewish people http://www.biography.com/people/adolf-hitler-9340144 -
Reichstag Fire
The Nazi's intentionally burned down the Reichstag building to create terror and panic. This leads to more power being transferred to Hitler. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reichstag_fire -
Dachau Concentration Camp Opens
This was the first concentration camp to open. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dachau_concentration_camp -
National Boycott of Jewish Businesses
In April of 1933 there was a national boycott of Jewish businesses that did not gain much support, but foreshadowed things to come. -
Law for the Restoration of the Professional Civil Service
Nazi's pass a law dictating that no people of Jewish descent can serve in government positions. This contained the "Arayan Clause" that was often cited for working against Jewish people. https://www.ushmm.org/wlc/es/article.php?ModuleId=10005681 -
Loss of Citizenship
The Nazi's passed a law that prohibited Jewish immigrants from Poland from being recognized as German citizens. -
Kristallnacht
On a night in November, many followers of the Nazi party attacked, looted, destroyed, and burned many of the Jewish business and homes -
Jews Fined for Kristallnacht
After the Nazi party destroyed many Jewish businesses during Kristallnacht, they then fined the Jewish people one billion Marks for damages to the city related to Kristallnacht. -
Ravensbruck Concentration Camp Opens
This was the first all-women concentration camp to open. An estimated 132,000 women died here. [http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/history-and-overview-of-ravensbr-uuml-ck]http://www.timetoast.com) -
Liberation of Concentration Camps
At the end of the war, the Allied troops began liberating the concentration camps and helping to nurse the prisoners back to health. https://www.ushmm.org/wlc/en/article.php?ModuleId=10005131 -
Unconditional Surrender by Germans
When the Germans unconditionally surrendered, things started to get much better for the Jews. They began their journey back to freedom from all of the hate that they had been receiving. -
Nuremberg Trials
The Nuremberg Trials occurred after the war. They were an attempt to prosecute the leaders of the Nazi Party for their heinous crimes against the Jews. https://www.ushmm.org/outreach/en/article.php?ModuleId=10007722 -
West Germany Pays Reparations
After years of debate, it was finally decided that West Germany owed 845 million dollars in reparations for the Holocaust. 100 million dollars of that went to the Claims Conference, the rest to the nation of Israel. http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/german-holocaust-reparations -
Holocaust Museum Opens in DC
The Holocaust museum in Washington, DC serves as a constant reminder of the atrocities the Jewish people suffered so that we as a people will hopefully not make it happen again. https://www.ushmm.org/
