Unit 3 Study Guide: The Holocaust

A summary of key terms, figures, and concepts related to the Holocaust, useful for exam preparation.

Shoah

Hebrew term meaning 'catastrophe,' used by Jews to refer to the Holocaust, encompassing the pain of the event.

Porajmos

Romani word meaning 'devouring,' used to describe the Holocaust.

Final Solution

Nazi code name for the plan to exterminate the Jewish population.

Aktion T4

Nazi program aimed at killing disabled Germans in medical institutions.

Einsatzgruppen

Mobile SS death squads responsible for mass shootings of Jews and others, particularly during Operation Barbarossa.

Nuremberg Trials

Post-World War II military tribunals held to prosecute major war criminals of the Third Reich.

Zyklon B

Chemical pesticide used by Nazis in gas chambers during the Holocaust for mass extermination.

Righteous Among the Nations

Award given by Israel to non-Jews who risked their lives to save Jews during the Holocaust.

Displaced Persons Camps

Camps set up for refugees, including Holocaust survivors, to help them reintegrate into society after World War II.

Warsaw Ghetto Uprising

Jewish resistance against Nazi deportation to extermination camps in 1943.

Christian Wirth

SS officer and former leader in the T4 program, involved in mass murders and the extermination camps.

Heinrich Himmler

Commander of the SS and a key architect of the Holocaust, overseeing concentration and death camps.

Franklin Roosevelt

US President during most of World War II; faced criticism for his lack of intervention regarding the Holocaust.

Oskar Schindler

Nazi businessman who saved over 1,200 Jews by employing them in his factories.

Auschwitz

The largest Nazi concentration and extermination camp, known for the mass murder of Jews.

Elie Wiesel

Holocaust survivor and author of 'Night,' a memoir recounting his experiences in Auschwitz.

Josef Mengele

Infamous Nazi doctor at Auschwitz known for inhumane medical experiments on inmates, particularly twins.

Genocide

The intentional action to destroy a people, in whole or in part, based on their national, ethnic, racial, or religious identity.

Bystander

Individuals who witness events but do not take action against injustices, contributing to the non-intervention of atrocities.

Rescuer

Individuals who actively assisted Jews or other persecuted groups during the Holocaust, often putting their own lives at risk.

Kristallnacht

Also known as the Night of Broken Glass, it was a coordinated attack on Jewish businesses and synagogues in Germany in November 1938.