Ghettos §
- Hitler was obsessed with the “Jewish Question”
- 1939 - Hitler aimed to “cleanse” Europe of Jews through “resettlment” into ghettos
- Seperated Jews from the rest of the population
- Designed to be temporary; some lasted only a few days or weeks, others for several years
- Most ghetto inhabitants died from disease or starvation or they were deported to killing centers
The “Final Solution” §
- Hitler planned to systematically murder all Jews in Europe
- 1941 - The Einsatzgruppen murdered 2 million Soviet Jews
- 1942 - Death camps were built to murder Jews using gas chambers
- Considered top secret by the SS
- Victims were cremated to eliminate all evidence
- Nearly 3 million Jews are murdered
Liberation §
- The Nazis moved prisoners out of camps and away from Allied troops on “death marches”
- Long distances in bitter cold, with little or no food, water, or rest
- Those who could not keep up were shot
- Allied troops began encountering concentration camp prisoners as they moved across Europe
- The victims resembled skeletons, and were so weak that they could hardly move
- Disease was a major issue, and many of the camps had to be burned down to prevent the spread of epidemics
The Nuremberg Trials §
- After the war, some of those responsible for crimes comitted during the Holocaust were brought to trial in Nuremberg, Germany
- Judges from the Allied powers presided over the hearings of 22 major Nazi criminals
- Sentenced 12 prominent to death
- Most defendants claimed that they were simply following the orders of a higher authority
- The highest ranking Nazis leaders committed suicide, and were missing from the trials