The Holocaust, also known as Shoah, was the genocide of European Jews during World War II. It was carried out by the Nazi regime. Two-thirds of the European Jewish population was killed. In addition, the regime forcibly sterilized and persecuted Afro-Germans and homosexuals, and it established ghettos in order to isolate and control the Jewish population.
German leadership dissolving amid internal dissent
The German leadership was in disarray by the spring of 1945. A survey of Germans revealed a multitude of competing attitudes. For instance, the military trumped all other groups in terms of its significance.
But despite its importance, the military did not come to the rescue during the war. It was largely unprepared to resist the Nazis. Indeed, one-third of Germans remained anti-democratic in a postwar environment.
A significant number of ordinary Germans did take a stand, however. Some joined small resistance groups, while others embraced individual defiance. In some cases, a few could secure limited concessions. However, the majority did not take note of the atrocities committed by the Nazis.
Nazi regime targeted homosexuals, socials, and so-called socials
The Nazi regime targeted a wide range of people, including those deemed unfit, asocial, or simply undesirable. These included people with disabilities, Gypsies, communists, political dissidents, and others. Many were sent to concentration camps, and some died from starvation or execution.
As the Nazi regime developed, it became increasingly obvious that the regime would not tolerate lesbians or homosexuals. Homosexuals were considered to be the enemy of the master ‘Aryan’ race. According to Nazi ideology, homosexuals were not producing children for the Volksgemeinschaft and therefore had no place in society. They were also considered a threat to the increased birthrate of the ‘Aryan’ race.
Nazi regime forcibly sterilized and persecuted Afro-Germans
In the 1920s, there were at least 24,000 Black people living in Germany. However, they suffered persecution under the Nazi regime. Many Blacks were forced into hiding or went into exile abroad. Some Blacks were active in communist organizations.
After the Nazis came to power, they began to target people who were “unfit” to be Germans. They also persecuted disabled people. The Nazis believed that people who were handicapped were genetically ‘impure’ and needed to be sterilized. Most of these persons were men and women.
One of the first directives from the Nazis was to target mixed-race children. These children were taken from their homes without their parent’s consent.
Germans did not know as much about the extermination camps
The Holocaust was the name given to the mass murder of Jews by the Nazis and their allies during World War II. Many Jews and non-Jewish civilians were murdered in extermination camps. However, the precise number of victims is not known.
The first concentration camps were established by the Nazis in 1933. They were set up to confine political opponents of the Nazi party. Inmates were forced to work for food. Some camps contained gas chambers that used diesel exhaust fumes to kill inmates. Others were created for slave labor.
By the end of 1943, over 75 percent of the Holocaust victims had been killed. The German government and its allies had established hundreds of camps. It is estimated that there were more than 40,000 camps in existence by 1945.
German authorities established ghettos to isolate and control Jewish populations
The Nazis formulated a series of ghettos to impose control over the Jewish populations during the holocaust. The ghettos varied in purpose. Some were meant to be temporary holding centers for Jews before deportation. Others served as permanent fixtures.
Ghettos were created in various countries throughout Europe. Some were designed as “holding centers” for Jews, while others were more strictly designed to evict Jews from surrounding areas. These policies were often implemented by the local police.
In Poland, the ghettos were created as an attempt to clear space for German forces. In Hungary, the ghettos were short-lived and served as holding centers for Jews before deportation.
Non-Jews helped their neighbors, friends, and strangers survive
In the early years of the Holocaust, there was an international network of organizations dedicated to helping the Jews of Europe. One such organization was the Religious Society of Friends, commonly known as Quakers. It was also led by individual Friends. Campfire Cooking Kit These organizations organized rescue missions to save people from the horrors of war. The Friends Service Council of America was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1947.
Another group that helped the Jews of Europe during the Holocaust was the Japanese government. General Hideki Tojo, the commander of the Japanese Army, granted visas and shelter to thousands of refugees from Nazi-occupied Europe. Chiune Sugihara, a Japanese consul in Lithuania, and Swedish diplomat Raoul Wallenberg both helped Jews in Hungary, Poland, and other countries.
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