Holocaust Final Exam Study Guide

Ernst knew that he had enjoyed a privileged life before the war. His family had been some of the few wealthy Germans who had survived but the ideas of Hitler and his Nazis still struck a chord with Ernst, and he was eager to serve the cause. Finally landing a great job as a guard at Auschwitz, Ernst was satisfied, as it was much safer than being on the warfront. Still, he sometimes thought back to attending the orchestra with this family and longed to hear beautiful music played once again. As an appreciator of the arts, Ernst would sometimes seek out the more musical prisoners in the camp, standing at a distance while they played. If his superior were to look for Ernst during these occasions, where would he MOST likely find the man?

listening to the musicians in the Gypsy Family Camp

What was the Nazi solution to overcrowding in the concentration camps?

mass extermination of the Jews

Greta hears her father speaking to his secretary. She is disappointed because he is leaving town once again. He tells the secretary to prepare some papers because the directions are coming down about the "Jewish Problem." He has heard that the Fuhrer has outlined a plan, and it is up to people like himself to carry it through. Greta's heart sinks because her father prepares to leave first thing in the morning. Where is Greta's father likely headed when dawn arrives?

to attend the Wannsee Conference

After so much labor and money had been put into constructing Auschwitz's four large gas chambers and crematoriums, why did the Nazis destroy them in 1944?

to destroy evidence of what had happened there

If selected for labor at Auschwitz, a prisoner might be working at the chemical factory. Mischa is summoned by a Nazi official who asks him about his history working with steel. Mischa confirms that before he was imprisoned he worked in a factory that made steel casings. The official tells Mischa that in the morning, he will report to a new work group. Where will Mischa MOST likely be taken instead of his usual post in the chemical factory?

to the munitions plant

Paul manages a shop that his family has owned for generations. With the Nazi occupation of Poland, Paul is informed that his family's business now belongs to Kuba, a Polish businessman he has known for many years. According to the new policy, what can Kuba now decide?

whether Paul can work for him as an employee

Which Nazi official would have qualified to be arrested under Section 175?

Ernst Roehm

It is a new year in Germany for little Isaac, who is eight years old. January 1939 is not filled with promise like most new years, and even Isaac can feel the change in the air. His parents have told him about the damage done to their synagogue that terrible night in November. The government said it was Jews who caused the problem. Isaac does not understand why Jews would damage their own synagogue. What big change will Isaac MOST likely face this month?

Isaac will no longer go to school with his friends.

Why was there little evidence of the 120,000 people who had been killed at Babi Yar?

The Nazis built huge ovens to burn the bodies.

In the plan to settle all of Europe with their new, superior race, the Nazis did make allowances for some types of people who might be able to be absorbed into their culture or Germanized. Why weren't the Polish people found suitable for Germanization?

Their political views were not considered compatible with Nazi philosophy.

A few soldiers saw the starving prisoners of Auschwitz and handed over whatever rations they had to try to alleviate their suffering. Some shouted out "You're freed," while other soldiers would hug the prisoners they encountered. Survivors later recounted how shocked they were to receive such comfort. Considering their feelings about something as simple as a hug, what conclusions can be drawn about the Jewish prisoners at that point?

They had become accustomed to being treated as subhuman.

Around 95 percent of those deported to Treblinka II were dead within a few hours.

True

Jehovah's Witnesses refused to participate in the Nazi party or acts of Nazi loyalty.

True

How could the sequence of events leading to the liberation of Dachau BEST be described?

Unwilling to surrender, the remaining SS guards and guard dogs fought the advancing soldiers.

Outbreaks of typhoid fever in the camps were MOST likely the result of what conditions?

lack of sanitation

As the Allied forces approached a camp, what was the Nazi solution?

liquidate the camp by killing prisoners and burning buildings

Who were used as test subjects for the Nazi's new gas killing vans?

people with mental disabilities

In September of 1939, what did Reich Security Office order their men to do concerning Polish Jews?

round up Jews in the countryside and transport them to the city

In anticipation of their victory over all of Europe, how many Jews did the perpetrators of the Final Solution plan to exterminate?

11 million

How many refugees eventually settled in Israel?

136,000

Coming back from his work site with a message for the main office, Abraham is stopped by one of the guards. The guard sneers at Abraham, calling him terrible names. He says, "Why would you be trusted with a message, Jew?" Then the guard stops another prisoner by yelling, "You there! Take this message forward." He turns back to Abraham and screams, "Get back to work!" How did the guard MOST likely identify Abraham?

Abraham was wearing a badge sewn on his uniform that signified the reason he was there.

Even though many camps were created for different purposes throughout the Nazi rule, which camp was the largest camp dedicated to exterminating people?

Auschwitz

As a French citizen, Ava never thought she would be targeted by the Nazis. She had married Beyle knowing he was Jewish, but Ava believed that it did not matter. Beyle had converted to Catholicism when they married. Since they lived in what the Nazis classified as the western part of their holdings, how would the Nuremburg Laws MOST likely be applied to Ava?

Ava would be forced to divorce Beyle to stay alive.

After the war, Remy writes a memoir about his experiences in the Soviet Union when the Nazis invaded. Remy talks about his family and how they had heard that Nazis were killing Jews. Remy's family thought that they had nothing to fear, since they were not Jews. Having migrated west from Asia, Remy and his family lived in a small village with many people like themselves. Still, Remy remembers how he hid in an outbuilding while the Nazi soldiers killed every person in his community. Which statement BEST explains the reason behind the soldier's animosity towards Remy's village?

Because they were Asian and not Aryan, Germans viewed these people as subhuman and their lives worthless.

Which statement BEST describes the differences in America's and Britain's responses to Kristallnacht?

Both countries spoke out against it, but only Britain took action.

Which government official would have been LEAST concerned about the spread of the Nazi Lebensraum?

Cheng, official in the Gansu province of China.

Since he began as a teenager in Hitler's Youth, Franz has been interested in serving the Nazi effort. Because of his previous experience, an SS officer encourages Franz to look into accepting a position as a camp guard. After successfully going through the application process, Franz is accepted. He is told that most of his training will take place during his first post. Where will Franz expect to be sent during this first assignment?

Dachau

As Daniel and the other Jews depart from the cramped train they have been standing in for hours at Sobibor extermination camp, most are immediately sent to the gas chambers. Daniel is pulled aside, and the guard tells him that there is an assignment for him here in the camp. For what purpose is Daniel MOST likely spared from immediate execution?

Daniel will likely be used to sort belongings of those killed or to bury bodies.

Who were responsible for making sure that Polish Jews in the countryside made it to the city ghettos?

Einsatzgruppen

Besides any Jewish citizens listening to Hitler giving his Reichstag speech, who else should have been alarmed at his announcements?

European rulers

Individuals volunteered to serve on the Judenrat.

False

The original design of Auschwitz-Birkenau included four large extermination chambers.

False

The Judenrat were told to pick out residents of the ghetto who would be 'resettled' at Chelmno. Which resident of the ghetto would MOST likely be chosen to be sent to Chelmno?

Feliks, a 66 year old who broke his leg and was bedridden

Adam is a British photographer who is brought in to document the horrors found at Bergen-Belsen after its liberation. He takes images of the poor, sick, starved prisoners who can barely raise their heads to look at them. In the distance, Adam watches several men digging a trench to bury bodies while others stood guard over them. He snaps a photo, intending to send this back to his newspaper right away. When the article comes out in the British news, which caption would readers MOST likely find underneath?

German and Hungarian soldiers and guards bury the bodies of Bergen-Belsen prisoners.

When testifying at the Nuremberg Trials, Rudolf Hoess explained the true purpose of the Wannsee Conference. He defended the organization and logical thinking of the Reich. What can we conclude about Hoess due to his willing testimony?

He believed that killing Jews was necessary to achieve Nazi goals.

Joseph is 14 years old. He has lived in Warsaw, Poland, his whole life. Now that it is 1939 and the Nazis have taken over, Joseph is told that he must always identify himself as a Jew to protect other citizens. How is Joseph to do this?

He must wear a white armband with a blue Star of David.

In the late 1930s, the Allied powers seemed hesitant to engage in any type of fight against Hitler. What fact would support the idea that Hitler was still worried about resistance from France?

He was concerned about a French-Polish alliance, so he signed a non-aggression pact with Poland.

It is the summer of 1944 and Hovel has been working in Auschwitz for almost 18 months. Even though he is frail and suffering from constant dysentery, Hovel continues to show up for roll call every morning. This morning, Hovel's block is told they will be leaving Auschwitz and heading to Germany. How will Hovel MOST likely make this journey?

He will be sent to German camps by rail.

While conducting research on the methods of Josef Mengele, Yvonne reads an eyewitness account that is part of the archives of the Yad Vashem Holocaust Museum. In order to understand the testimony, Yvonne has to have her browser translate it into English. From what language was this transcript MOST likely translated?

Hebrew

The problem of finding a place for Jews to settle after the war was a complex one. Many no longer felt safe or wanted in their former homes. Most of their belongings had been plundered by German citizens. Already struggling to recover from the war themselves, many of the Allied countries were hesitant to get involved in figuring out what to do with these refugees. Harry Hopkins, advisor to the US president, was preparing a memo to be considered by congressional representatives. As he compiled his memo about refugees, which fact would he MOST likely want to include?

In Europe right now, there are 250,000 Jewish displaced persons.

Manfred is a young SS guard in training at the Dachau concentration camp. He is learning how to guard the different prisoners. Manfred and his friends make a game out of seeing who can be the first to make a prisoner fall to the ground. Manfred has learned from the existing guards that it is permissible to bully prisoners, especially those in Company 6. Who are MOST likely the victims of Manfred and his colleagues' cruel games?

Jews

What group was generally the focus of Operation Reinhard?

Jews in Poland

The year is 1249 and Aryeh is headed into a large market in search of some silk for a gown he would like to have made for his wife. The traders in the stalls sneer at Aryeh, but he ignores them. He finds a seller who has beautiful silk fabric for sale. As he approaches the stall, the seller calls out, "I don't sell to Jews." How did the seller MOST likely know that Aryeh was Jewish?

Jews of his day were required to wear distinctive clothing.

When Wilhelm Marr tried to replace the phrase Judenhass with anti-Semitism, what change of ideas was he promoting?

Jews were a race instead of a religion.

If you had a special skill, you might be spared the immediate selection for the gas chamber. Which prisoner would LEAST likely be set aside to help at the camp?

Klaus, a 78-year-old milkman from a small village

What incident sparked the detainment of 30,000 Jewish men in concentration camps?

Kristallnacht, when violence broke out against Jews

Gorge visits Berlin on business in 1927. While he is there, he reads the local newspaper that discusses the dreams of the Nazi party. The article discusses the great need for lebensraum and how the party intends to create an Aryan nation. Although he is a citizen of Poland, Gorge is fluent in German. For what reason would Gorge likely find this article disturbing?

Lebensraum means 'living space' and Poland is the space right next to Germany.

It is 1937 and Anna has been arrested for her part in publishing an anti-Nazi underground newspaper. Anna is arrested by the Gestapo and, without a trial, sent for detainment in a concentration camp. To which camp will Anna MOST likely be sent?

Lichtenburg

Of the 300 prisoners who escaped from Sobibor, 150 managed to survive until the end of the war. Since they had been Sonderkommando, it is likely that these prisoners were weak from extreme labor. What MOST likely led to the survival of some after their escape?

Local citizens must have hidden or fed them during their escape.

What conclusions can be drawn from the famous poem written by Martin Niemoller?

Many failed to speak against the Nazis until it impacted their own lives.

Early in the camps, Maxim remembers being showered with Zyklon B. So later, when he is told to help construct larger chambers for the showers, Maxim does not feel guilty. He believes that it is a necessary step to life in the camps. How does the purpose of these new chambers compare with what Maxim likely believes their purpose to be?

Maxim was sprayed with Zyklon B to kill lice, but these larger chambers are for killing.

What conclusion might be drawn from the fact that the SS was put in charge of guarding the concentration camps?

Members of the SS were staunch believers in the Nazi ideology and loyally followed Hitler.

Moishe had been a prisoner in Treblinka 2 but was able to escape. After he is liberated by the Soviets, Moishe tells them about the death camp, describing the fires that burned bodies night and day. The Soviets need evidence to prosecute Nazi officials for these crimes, so they ask Moishe to show them around Treblinka 2. Moishe does not know exactly where the camp was located but feels that once he gets in the vicinity, he can find his way. Moishe has the soldiers circling the area that he believes is familiar, but he cannot find the camp. All the Soviet soldiers see are little houses in the forest. What conclusion would the soldiers MOST likely reach after following Moishe through the forest for hours without results?

Moishe must have been mistaken about the location.

It is 1941 and Moshe has been on a train bound for Dachau. When he gets there, he must be very careful to step off the platform because he has a club foot. Moshe is ushered through the gates with the crowd. They are led to a hut because it is pouring rain. The new arrivals are assured that they will be able to get to work as soon as the doctor looks them over. When the doctor comes in, he pays special attention to those with disabilities or those who are sick. If he identifies someone, he nods to the guard and they are taken out of the hut. When he reaches Moshe, he immediately focuses on Moshe's club foot. After nodding to the guard, Moshe is taken by the arm outside. How would you describe this sequence of events?

Moshe is being selected for death by gunshot.

Since many of Jehovah's Witnesses were selected to work in the household of Nazi administrators, what conclusion can be drawn about the German's feelings toward this group?

Most were non-Jewish so they were seen as more acceptable to be in Nazi homes.

Daniel has been chosen to serve on the Judenrat for the Pinsk ghetto. His wife is upset because she says this will make Daniel hated among the members of the community. Still, Daniel feels compelled to enforce the Nazi rules and regulations among the Jewish community living there. What might the outcome have been if men like Daniel refused to serve as Judenrat?

Nazi soldiers would likely have been sent in to enforce the laws, harshly.

Even though the idea was that asocials were being imprisoned to help reeducate them so that they could return as contributing members of society, why was that plan ultimately abandoned?

Nazis decided they were of no benefit to the state.

Barbarossa was an emperor of Germany during the Middle Ages who was said to have united a vast region under his rule. How does this relate to the German code name Operation Barbarossa?

Operation Barbarossa was the invasion of the Soviet Union to acquire more land for Germany.

Anna is recounting her time during the Nazi's rule. She discusses how the laws began to separate Jews from non-Jews. Anna discusses the first time her mother had to sew a yellow star of David on her shirt. She says that her area was the first to require this marking on Jews to identify themselves. Later, this marking would be clearly visible on the uniforms of thousands of concentration camp prisoners. From which country did Anna MOST likely hail?

Poland

What was life like for Polish citizens who were not Jewish during Nazi occupation?

Polish citizens became slave labor for Germany's war effort.

The job of the Einsatzgruppen was to round up and kill large numbers of Jews in the countryside. Why does it make sense that most of their members were SS?

SS believed in Nazi rhetoric about Aryan superiority.

During his first roll call at Dachau, Stefan is pushed forward as a guard sneers and calls out "7 Company," as he cracks his baton against Stefan's leg. The guard has identified Stefan because of the pink triangle he wears on his prison uniform. What does this information indicate as to the reason Stefan is imprisoned?

Stefan is a homosexual

The Nazi regime went specifically after Polish priests. Why was it so important to them to contain these religious figures?

Taking away the priests would dishearten the people.

While studying medieval history, the professor asks students to trace their ancestry as far back as possible. She tells them that they might find that they are descended from a medieval king or noble. Daniel's family is Ashkenazi Jews who emigrated from Germany before WW2. Daniel doubts that he will find nobles among his ancestors. Which fact would support Daniel's suspicions?

The Jews in medieval times could not be landowners, which kept them from being nobles.

Hannah is doing a report on her Jewish heritage in school. One of the focuses of her report is how the Roman destruction of Jerusalem affected the Jews as a nation. Which fact would BEST explain this part of Hannah's ancestry?

The Jews were scattered and settled all over parts of Eurasia after this event.

Which statement BEST describes the motive behind cartoons drawn by the Nazi tabloid Der Sturmer?

The cartoons' purpose was to get Germans accustomed to derogatory messages about Jews.

International organizations supplied soup kitchens to feed the ghetto populations. What conclusion can be drawn from that effort?

The conditions that Jews were being exposed to in the ghettos were not secret.

When Sarah was brought to Auschwitz, she did not realize that she was newly pregnant. Because she was young and healthy, she survived the selection and was given a work assignment. Now Sarah is getting bigger, and it is getting more difficult to hide her pregnancy. What will MOST likely happen if the SS find out that Sarah is going to give birth?

The doctors will want to experiment on her and the baby.

Because the corpses of most murdered in the gas chamber were cremated, which fact might help investigators calculate the true number of executed?

The gas chambers could kill 1200 people per hour in Auschwitz.

How did the plan for disposal of bodies change as the realization of advancing enemy troops hit the Nazi leadership?

The mass graves were exhumed, and the bodies were cremated to hide the evidence.

As the Nazis spread into surrounding lands, they found a few societies that were willing to help them with their planned execution of the Jews. Just like the Lithuanian police and officials, Ukraine saw members of their own serve as prison guards or on killing squads. What conclusion can BEST be drawn from this fact?

There was already prejudice toward Jews among Ukrainian citizens.

What benefit did the extermination camps have over other methods that Nazis used to get rid of large numbers of Jews, such as mass executions performed by Einsatzgruppen?

There was more privacy to kill in the camps.

What did Hitler learn from the exploits of the Einsatzgruppen as they pushed into the Soviet Union?

There was not much international notice of these mass executions and killings.

After liberation, it was rumored that many German guards had been killed by American soldiers, but this was later found to be untrue. Over 1,000 Germans were captured and held at Dachau, but few lost their lives. Which conclusion could MOST likely be drawn from the rumors?

There was still great suspicion and animosity towards the Allied soldiers.

How would you best characterize the words Judenhass and Juden-frei?

They both express anti-Semitic sentiments.

After the camp was cleared, how did the British deal with Bergen-Belsen?

They burned the camp to the ground to prevent the spread of typhus.

During 1933, how did Nazis keep Jews from refuting the propaganda that German citizens were constantly being fed?

They did not allow Jews to be newspaper editors or owners

In every block of prisoners in Dachau concentration camp, there was a senior block prisoner. What incentive did the Nazis use to coerce cooperation and informing on the part of the senior block prisoner?

They offered larger food rations and privileges.

What role did female prisoners play in the uprising of Auschwitz in October, 1944?

They smuggled gunpowder from the munitions plant.

As part of the Final Solution's protocol, Nazi officials decided Jewish individuals who were decorated World War I veterans would be spared until after the war was over. What was MOST likely the reason behind this decision?

They thought that executing veterans might look dishonorable in the eyes of German citizens.

Tzeitel and her sister Chava were among those liberated at Auschwitz when the Soviet troops arrived. The two girls had been transported from their home on the Russian/Polish border to the camp almost two years before. When the Nazis came to the village of Parkoszewo, they first took Tzeitel's father. Then they came for the rest of the family. Tzeitel does not know if her father has survived the Holocaust, and the only way she can think to find him is to return to their village. As many of the liberated prisoners did, how will Tzeitel and Chava MOST likely find their way home?

They walked back to their village on foot.

How did the US Army manage to liberate the concentration camp at Ohrdruf?

They were advancing through the countryside and happened on the camp.

What reason did Ella Lingens give for the inaction of most local Polish citizens around Auschwitz?

They were afraid to speak up for the Jews.

In 1947, the JDC had to adjust their care packages for refugees to include infant formula and clothing. What does this indicate about the lives of refugees in the camps?

They were beginning to have babies again and form new families.

How did the death march end for those in the Stutthof camp?

They were driven towards the Baltic Sea and shot.

How was the description offered by Nazi negotiators different from the situation that British soldiers discovered upon entering Bergen-Belsen?

They were told that there were 9,000 prisoners without food or water, but there were actually 50,000.

As Kuba sees the residents of his little town rounded up and forced into trains to be sent for labor in the camps, he wonders what the Nazis plan to do with the farms and homes that are left behind. The Nazi officer who orders Kuba to line up tells him not to worry. He says that the residents' property will be waiting for them after they serve their time. What is the truth about the homes of Kuba and his Polish companions?

They will be given to German families to settle Poland.

How did some Polish citizens attempt to help those in Auschwitz?

They would smuggle food and other items to prisoners they worked with.

Since Hitler had his sights set on ruling Germany, why did he concentrate on the Youth Party and other organizations during the late 1920s?

Things were getting better in Germany and the people weren't as open to his rhetoric.

None of the Nazi war criminals tried for their crimes were found to be insane.

True

Parents were unaware of the euthanasia of their children.

True

The term ghetto was originally Venetian.

True

When US army prosecutor William Denson later began what were called the Dachau trials, he named 40 camp officials as defendants. The officials did not deny their involvement with Dachau camp, but many denied that prisoners were treated harshly or killed while under their care. Denson was not worried about proving them wrong. Which fact would Denson MOST likely use to his advantage when looking for evidence of how prisoners at Dachau were treated?

When Dachau was liberated, 30,000 prisoners had been abandoned there and were still alive.

When the Nuremberg Laws went into effect, which person would be safe from losing their German citizenship?

a man whose maternal grandmother was Jewish but is married to a German woman

Hitler meets with his top officials to discuss what to do with enemies of the Reich. He is especially concerned with Operation Reinhard, demanding to know the progress that is being made on that front. Hitler stresses that if Operation Reinhard is successful, one of the most important goals of the Nazi dream will have been accomplished. Which enemy of the Nazi party is Hitler hoping to destroy with this maneuver?

all the Jews who live in German lands

Seeing the plight of the Jews who were refugees caught between the borders of Germany and Poland, what did one Jewish citizen in Paris decide to do?

assassinate a Nazi official in protest

During the Middle Ages, rumors went around saying that Jews would kidnap and sacrifice Christian children. What is this type of rumor called?

blood libel

What BEST describes the policy of Aryanization?

boycotts and policies encouraging Jews to sell businesses to Aryan owners

As Eichmann began orchestrating the Final Solution, what was the FIRST step he took?

deporting prisoners from the West to the Eastern concentration camps

Once it was decided to erase all evidence of the mass extermination that had occurred at Belzec, orders were given to exhume and incinerate the bodies of those who had been killed. How long did it take to burn the bodies of those murdered at Belzec?

five months of burning bodies around the clock