WW2 Europe textbook

How did the Nazis deal with their opponents?

• Extermination Camps, Genocide, and Mass Murder: The Nazis systematically targeted Jews, gypsies, disabled individuals, and other groups they deemed undesirable, employing methods such as extermination camps as part of their 'Final Solution.'

  • Over 12 million people were murdered, including six million Jews.

  • Hitler believed these groups threatened the purity of the German master race.

Extermination Camps

• Establishment of Camps: The first concentration camp, Dachau, was founded in March 1933.

  • Initially aimed at political opponents, the focus shifted to include Jews and other groups.

• Types of Camps:

  • Extermination Camps: Specific camps like Treblinka, Sobibor, Belzec, and Chelmno focused exclusively on killing.

  • Mixed-use Camps: Camps like Auschwitz combined forced labor and extermination.

• Transportation and Selection:

  • Jews were packed into trains, often dying from starvation or disease.

  • Upon arrival, a Nazi doctor assessed survivors for labor suitability; the unhealthy were sent to gas chambers.

  • Certain groups, such as the elderly, pregnant women, and young children, faced high mortality rates during selection.

• Auschwitz: Became the main killing site, where approximately 1.5 million Jews were murdered in gas chambers, and corpses were exploited for gold teeth.

Key Terms

• Genocide: Mass killing of large groups based on culture.

• Exterminate: To kill in a cruel manner.

• Slave Labour: Forced labor in harsh conditions with no compensation.

Treatment Within Camps

• Conditions were brutal:

  • Forced to do back-breaking labor like quarrying.

  • Any disobedience was met with extreme punishment, including death.

  • Living conditions were dire, with overcrowded cells and inadequate sanitation.

• Medical Experiments:

  • Some prisoners became subjects for cruel experiments, like those conducted by Dr. Sigmund Rascher to test human endurance against cold temperatures.

The Holocaust

• Systematic Extermination: The Nazis aimed to eradicate all Jews across Europe through genocide.

  • Einsatzgruppen were special killing squads that carried out mass executions.

  • The term 'Holocaust' refers specifically to the genocide of Jews as a result of the 'Final Solution.'

The 'Final Solution'

• Decision-making: By 1941, after invading parts of the USSR, the Nazis expanded extermination efforts, developing a systematic plan for killing Jews known as the 'Final Solution.'

  • The Wannsee Conference in January 1942 solidified plans for industrialized mass extermination, leading to the construction of extermination camps in Poland.

Resistance to Nazism in Germany

• Weak Resistance: Despite some opposition, the Gestapo suppressed dissent effectively. Examples include:

Sophie Scholl & the White Rose Movement

• Origins: Formed by university students, including Hans and Sophie Scholl, who opposed Nazi atrocities.

  • They distributed pamphlets calling for resistance against the Nazi regime.

• Consequences: Arrested and sentenced to death for their efforts, emphasizing the risks of opposing the Nazis.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer & the Confessing Church

• Leadership: Dietrich Bonhoeffer became a key figure in the resistance, advocating for Christian loyalty over government obedience.

  • Involved in plots to assassinate Hitler and aid Jewish families.

• Arrest and Execution: Caught in 1943 and executed in 1945 for anti-Nazi work.

Warsaw Ghetto Uprising

• Conditions in Ghettos: Faced abysmal living standards; mass killings were initiated.

  • The Jewish Fighting Organisation formed to resist ghetto conditions, resulting in the April 1943 uprising against Nazi forces.

  • Although ultimately crushed, the uprising showcased a determined spirit in the face of oppression.

The End of World War II

• Liberation of Camps: Significant progress occurred when the US and Soviet forces advanced against the Axis Powers, leading to the liberation of camps like Auschwitz and Bergen Belsen in 1945.

• Declaring Victory: Hitler’s suicide on April 30, 1945, led to Germany's surrender on May 8, 1945, marking VE Day.

Potsdam Conference - Division of Germany

• Allied Powers Meeting: Leaders of the USA, UK, and USSR met to decide Germany's future.

• Key Decisions:

  • Nazism to be eradicated and Germany disarmed.

  • Germany to be divided into four zones, managed by the USA, UK, France, and the USSR.

  • Prosecution of Nazi war criminals (Nuremberg Trials) and control of economic activities by Allied Powers.