Interwar Germany, the Holocaust, and World War II

Comprehensive practice flashcards covering the timeline of the Weimar Republic, Nazi Germany, education, the concentration camp system, the four phases of the Holocaust, the July 20 plot, and the conclusion of World War II in Europe.

What key political and economic events took place in Germany between 1918 and 1920 according to the timeline?

World War I ended in 1918, the Weimar Republic was established in 1919 alongside the Treaty of Versailles and economic disaster, and the Nazi Party announced its 25-point program in 1920.

What major developments involving Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party occurred between 1923 and 1926?

The Beer Hall Putsch occurred in 1923. In 1924, the Dawes Plan began, Hitler was freed early from jail, the Nazi Party rebuilding started, and the Stresemann years began. In 1926, Hitler published Mein Kampf.

What occurred in 1929 and how did Adolf Hitler capitalize on it?

The Wall Street crash occurred and the Stresemann years ended; Hitler exploited the resulting Great Depression to gain support.

Which major milestones marked the Nazi consolidation of power and anti-Jewish persecution from 1933 to 1938?

In 1933, the Weimar Republic fell, Hitler was appointed Chancellor, and the Holocaust started. The Night of the Long Knives occurred in 1934, the Nuremberg Laws were enacted in 1935, and Kristallnacht (Night of Broken Glass) took place in 1938.

Which Western European nations were conquered by German forces in 1940?

Denmark, Belgium, Norway, the Netherlands, and France.

What major milestones occurred in 1941 and 1942 regarding the war in the East and the Holocaust?

In 1941, Operation Barbarossa (the attack on the Soviet Union) was launched, mass murders (genocide) began, and the Final Solution began. In 1942, the Wannsee Conference was held.

How were school curriculum and reading materials adapted for children during the Holocaust?

Children were taught subjects like Biology and History from the viewpoint that Jewish people were the reason for the world's issues, and they were required to read Mein Kampf.

What were the gender-specific expectations and organizational focuses for boys and girls in Nazi Germany?

Girls were taught to raise children and support household needs with a focus on motherhood, while youth organizations focused on military preparation for boys and motherhood for girls.

What were the total casualties among Jewish people and all victims killed as a result of the Holocaust?

6 million Jews and a total of 17 million people were killed.

What were the casualty numbers, active dates, and locations for the two deadliest camps: Auschwitz and Treblinka?

Auschwitz (Poland, 1940–1945, concentration and extermination) had 1.1 million deaths; Treblinka (Poland, 1941–1943, extermination) had 900,000 to 925,000 deaths.

What were the locations, active years, and death tolls of the extermination camps Sobibor, Chelmno, and Majdanek?

Sobibor (Poland, 1942–1943) had 170,000 to 250,000 deaths; Chelmno (Poland, 1941–1945) had 156,000 to 200,000 deaths; Majdanek (Poland, 1941–1944, extermination and concentration) had 78,000 deaths.

What unique characteristics and casualty figures defined Dachau, Theresienstadt, and Ravensbrück?

Dachau was the first concentration/POW camp (Germany, 1933–1945, 41,500 deaths); Theresienstadt was a ghetto concentration camp (Czech Republic, 1941–1945, 33,000 deaths); Ravensbrück was a women's resistance camp holding Jehovah's Witnesses and political prisoners (Germany, 1939–1945, 30,000 to 50,000 deaths).

What defined Phase 1 of the Holocaust (Planning and Propaganda, 1933–1939) for both Jews and non-Jews?

German Jews were stripped of citizenship through the Nuremberg Laws, faced segregation, economic boycotts, and were fired from jobs. Non-Jews were exposed to anti-Semitic radio broadcasts, posters, and films, witnessed Jewish neighbors being humiliated, and were prepared for war.

What actions characterized Phase 2 of the Holocaust (Expansion and Violence, September 1939–June 1941)?

Jews were forced into overcrowded ghettos, required to wear the Star of David, and hundreds of thousands were killed in mass shootings by Einsatzgruppen. Non-Jews experienced wartime rationing, watched military newsreels, and saw local Jewish families rounded up and deported.

What took place during Phase 3 of the Holocaust (Dedication to Mass Killing, 1941–1944)?

The Nazis systematically deported millions of European Jews in cattle cars to extermination camps for mass murder in gas chambers. Non-Jewish Germans experienced Allied air raids, heard rumors of mass killings, and saw the homes and items of deported Jews being auctioned.

What occurred during Phase 4 of the Holocaust (Death Marches, January 1945–May 1945)?

As Allied forces advanced, Nazis forced starving, emaciated prisoners from Eastern Europe to march back toward Germany, killing thousands. German civilians facing military defeat directly witnessed thousands of dying prisoners marched through their towns and villages.

What was the Stauffenberg assassination attempt of July 20th, 1944, and what was its result?

Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg and high-ranking military officials planted a briefcase bomb in Hitler's headquarters to assassinate him and seize control of the government. Hitler survived with minor injuries, and the regime responded by executing over 5,000 people, eliminating the final anti-Nazi resistance movement within the German officer corps.

What final events took place on April 30th and May 8th, 1945?

On April 30th, as Soviet forces advanced through Berlin, Hitler retreated to an underground bunker and committed suicide alongside his wife, Eva Braun. On May 8th (V-E Day), Germany signed an unconditional surrender to Allied forces, ending World War II in Europe and the Third Reich.