Holocaust Exam 1

Holocaust

A time period where Hitler (Germans, Nazis) targeted groups of people and killed millions of them because of religious, racial, etc, beliefs.

Genocide

Mass killings of Jews: between 1939-1945, the Nazis killed about 6 million Jews and millions of other civilians throughout Europe.

Antisemitism

Prejudice or hatred of Jews; a certain perception of Jews, rhetorical and physical manifestations directed toward Jewish individuals and/or their property.

Pogrom

A violent, targeted attack against the Jews.

Deicide

Theory/accusation that Jews killed Jesus.

Blood Libel

False belief that Jews kidnapped and killed christian children to use their blood fir Jewish religious rituals.

Anti-Zionism/Anti-Israel

Denying Jews the right to self-determination—they don’t have a right to homeland.

Protocol of the Learned Elders of Zion

The newspaper/pamphlet were Hitler cited documents that Jews were going to take over the world.

Anschluss

Joining or connection to Austria —antisemitism

The Nuremberg Laws

Legalizing discrimination against Jews, deprived Jews of being German citizens

Kristallnacht (The Night of Broken Glass)

Nov. 9-10, 1938; a turning point in Jewish history. The frist nationwide pogrom.

Kindertransports

The effort by the Jewish organziations that ws permitted by the British government to get Jewish children into housing away into safety.

Roll call

part of the daily regime (morning and night) in the Nazi camps, to keep track of prisoners, collective punishment.

Selections

When prisoners first enter the camps and go through selections—seeing who is fit to work.

Muselman

Someone who is on the verge of death; loss will to live.

Kapo/Capo

Prisoner selected by the SS to supervise inmates.

“organzing”

a camp term to steal

Sonderkommando

A group of Jewish workers who did worst work (gas chamber removal/crematorium)

Ghettos

Enclosed districts that isolated Jews.

Transit camps

Temporary holding camps facilities.

Concentration camps

for the detention of civilians seen as real or perceived “enemies of the Reich” (Dachau—1st one).

Forced-labor camps

Exploited the labor of priosners for economic gain and to meet labor shortages.

Extermination camps

Killing centers

The Auschwitz Concentration Camp Complex

3 main camps. A1: concentration and labor camp. A2: the killing center. A3: to provide forced laborers for nearby factories.

“Final Solution”

a euphemistic Nazi term for their plan to annihilate Jews

SS (Schutzstaffel)

Protective squadron—powerful and brutal paramilitary organization under Hitler.

Gestapo

The German Secret State police—did not answer to any judicial or legal oversight.

Death marches

forced long-distance movements of concentration camp prisoners organized by Nazis to avoid Allied forces.

DP camps (Displaced Person Camps)

Temporary facilities set up in Germany, Austria, and Italy to house millions of people uprooted by WWII.