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Political Silence
After taking power, the Nazis concentrated on silencing their political opponents such as communists, socialists, liberals, and anyone who spoke out against the government. -
"Non-Aryans"
Hitler ordered all "non-Aryans" to be removed from government jobs. -
Nuremberg Laws
The Nuremberg Laws stripped Jews of their German citizenship, jobs, and property. They then forced them to wear a bright yellow star of David on their chest. -
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Kristallnacht
Nazi storm troopers attacked Jewish homes, businesses, and synagogues across Germany, Around 100 Jews were killed and hundreds more were injured. 30,000 Jews were arrested and hundreds of synagogues were burned. -
St. Louis
The German ocean liner, the St. Louis, passed Miami in 1939. Although 740 of the 943 Jewish passengers had immigration papers, the Coast Gaurd followed the ship to prevent anyone from disembarking in America.The ship was forced to return to Germany and more than half of the passengers were killed in the Holocaust. -
Final Solution
A policy of genocide that targeted many European groups such as the Gyspies, Freemasons, and Jehovah's Witnesses. Jews were forced into ghettos and later concentration camps. They were work camps that were crammed with people who slept in wooden barracks. Inmates worked from dawn to dusk. Those too weak to work were killed. -
Death Camps
The Germans built 6 death camps in Poland. The first was Chelmno. Each camp had huge gas chambers where as many as 12,000 people could be killed every day. Auschwitz was the largest death camp. Jews were killed using cyanide gas that spewed from vents. Bodies were then cleaned out of the chambers and burried into huge piles. -
Final Stage
When prisoners arrived at Auschwitz, they had to march by several SS doctors. The doctors separated the ones that were strong enough to work from the ones that were too weak and would die that day. Both groups were told to leave their belongings behind. Those destined for death were led to to a room outside the gas chamber. They were given soap and told to undress to take a shower. They were then led into the chamber and poisoned with cyonide gas. Sometimes cheerful music was played by prisoners