WWII Holocaust Questions

What different types of camps were established by the Nazis?

Different types of camps included prisoner-of-war camps, forced labor camps,concentration camps, and mass-extermination camps.

What were Displaced Persons camps? What was their function?

Displaced Persons camps provided food, clothing, and medical attention. This was place where Jewish survivors fled to, when attacks against them became known.

Describe what happened during Kristallnacht.

During the Kristallnacht, Nazi soldiers broke into Jewish stores and arrested and even killed them.

Where did the Nazis established ghettos?

Ghettos were established in occupied eastern Europe.

What did Hitler blame the Jews for?

Hitler blamed the Jews for Germany's loss of World War I.

Why did Hitler establish camps? When were they first established?

Hitler established camps so that he could control and terrorize the population of Europe. They were first established around 1938

What did Hitler do with the Jews as his armies were defeated?

Hitler was still determined to continue his extermination of the Jews. His concentration camps still operated. Trains that could carry Nazi soldiers and supplies, instead carried Jews to their death.

Between 1933 and 1935, what were some of the anti-Jewish actions Nazis and their supporters took?

Hundreds of laws were passed by the Nazis that restricted the freedom of Jews living in Germany. They would have anti-semitic signs that had "Juden Verboten" or "jew not wanted here".

What happened to Jews who resisted Kristallnacht?

If one resisted they were taken to a concentration camp where they were tortured and humiliated. Also many were beaten to death in the streets.

What fraction of Jews left Germany by 1938?

In 1938, nearly half of the Jews had left Germany.

What did the governments of Sweden and Denmark do to help Jews?

In order to help the Jews, the governments of Sweden rescued a great some of Jews that had been deported from other areas.

Describe what happened during the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising.

In the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising guns and ammunition were smuggled in the ghetto, bottles filled with gas and sealed rags became homemade bombs the Nazis rounded up the Jews in the Warsaw and sent them to concentration camps where they're killed

By 1939, why was it difficult for Jews to leave Germany?

It was difficult for Jews to leave Germany because many Jews had become impoverished. The second reason is because many countries feared a massive wave of impoverished Jewish refugees and closed their borders to Jews.

How did Italy resist Nazi plans for the Jews?

Italy resisted Nazi plans for the Jews by refusing to comply with German demands that Jews be deported.

Describe life in the ghettos.

Life in the ghettos are inhabitants that are prohibited from leaving the compound and no one could enter from the outside

How did Mala Zimetbaum become a symbol of courage and resistance?

Mala Zimetbaum became a symbol of courage and resistance because she escaped from auschwitz,a camp in poland, by stealing a nazi soldier's uniform and german documents.

By 1942, why had many Jews who had left Germany earlier found themselves facing the same fate as those who had stayed behind?

Many of the Jews that had left Germany found themselves facing the same fate as those who stayed behind because the Nazis got all the Jews from the central, western, and southeastern part of Europe.

Why did the Nazis become increasingly popular in Germany in the 1920s and early 1930s?

Nazis became increasingly popular in Germany because of Hitler's fierce attack on the Treaty of Versailles.

What were some forms of passive resistance?

Passive resistance occurred in camps, including continued faith in god in the midst of hellish conditions, sharing food with other prisoners, forming secret poetry societies, working slowly in labor camp, and creating discussions groups to maintain morale.

What did Rabbi Stephen S. Wise do in response to the boycott? How successful were his efforts?

Rabbi Stephen S. called for a rally against the boycott. His efforts were very successful by being able to shut down the boycott after being held for one day.

What made resistance in the camps difficult?

Resistance was difficult in the camps, where prisoners were almost completely cut off from the free world.

How did some non-Jewish Germans help Jews?

Some German factory owners forged work permits for Jews and lied about how many employees they needed.

What were some results of the boycott?

Some for the results of the boycott were that it created a great uproar in other nations and it damaged the economy which eventually caused the boycott to end.

What did some individuals do to resist the Holocaust?

Some individuals gave their children to non-Jewish families, worked in German factories, others fled to the ghettos to resist the Holocaust.

What obstacles did Jews face who decided to leave Germany?

Some obstacles the Jews faced is they were forced to pay high taxes upon leaving Germany and unwelcomed hostility from other Europeans who opposed to massive Jewish immigration into their countries.

To what terrors were prisoners subjected?

Some of the terror that the prisoners were subjected to were rigorous manual labor, the separation of family members, the immediate death of children because they couldn't do the hard labor, chronic hunger, disease, unsanitary living, the loss of all rights which meant that they couldn't fight back. The only other alternative for these people was a torturous death, which could be anything from the chemical showers to being forced to dig your own grave before you hop in it. These people's fates were completely in the hands of their prison guards.

What were ongoing forms of nonviolent resistance in the ghettos?

Some ongoing forms of non-violent forms of resistance were: Conducting educational classes, held musical and dramatic performance, they also planted gardens on rooftops and helped raise morale for each other.

What were some of the restrictions the Nuremberg laws placed on Jews in Germany?

Some restrictions the Nuremberg laws placed on Jews in germany were that it was forbidden for Jews to marry a german citizen, the couldnt fly the Third Reich Flag, they had to register with the government and wear a yellow star of david so they could be easily recognized as a jew.

Describe the different ways in which Jews in Germany responded to the boycott.

Some ways the Jews responded were they did not feel that Hitler was a great threat and wanted to help Germany come out of its economic depression. Other Jews thought emigration was the only way to be anti-semitic, and fled Germany.

Why do you think surviving the Holocaust is considered an act of resistance?

Surviving the Holocaust is considered a act of resistance because they did not give up to hitler when he wanted them to be removed from germany and the world.

What was the "final solution" to the "Jewish problem"?

The "final solution" to the "Jewish problem" was the creation of death camps(ghettos) in poland where gas would be the primary means of execution. At the end the "final solution" to the "Jewish Problem" resulted in the death of over 6 million Jews.

What evidence of the Holocaust did the Allies find when they liberated concentration camps?

The Allies found half-starved skeletons and piles of dead bodies. They estimate 300,000 prisoners were liberated.

What happened to Dutch Jews in the Netherlands?

The Dutch Jews in the Netherlands were sent to a killing center in Poland named "Auschwitz" in massive groups.

What were the Einsatzgruppen? What did they do?

The Einsatzgruppen were a group of people who followed the nazis and killed anyone who was Jewish, soviet officials, handicapped, and gypsies. Also known as the SS Security Service.

How could working "for" the Germans be a form of resistance?

The Germans needed the Jews to work in factories. This caused the Jews to work harder for the Germans so they wouldn't be killed.

How did the Jewish Brigade help survivors?

The Jewish Brigade helped survivors by placing the displaced Jews into camps where they were fed and were provided clothing.They were also given medical attention .

When were Jewish Cultural Associations established? What purpose did they serve?

The Jewish cultural associations were established in 1935. The purpose they served was providing Jews with a start for independent cultural activity to create jobs for the jobs in the arts.

How did the Jewish press contribute to resistance to the Nuremberg Laws?

The Jewish press contributed by building a sense of pride and cultural awareness among Jews.

What did Jews do who fled ghettos do to survive? What difficulties did they face?

The Jews who fled the Ghettos lead revolts against the german soldiers. They had a difficulty planning the revolt and getting more ammunition when they were running low.

What happened to Jews who tried to leave Germany on the ship Saint Louis?

The Jews who tried to leave germany on the ship were forced into dangerous emigration schemes.

What was Kristallnacht?

The Kristallnacht was the night when Nazi soldiers stormed Jewish stores and looted or smashed the glass of Jewish stores. Many Jews were also arrested or even killed by these soldiers.

Why did Nazi leaders plan Kristallnacht?

The Nazi leaders planned Kristallnacht to increase the ongoing Nazi effort to dehumanize and bring misery to the Jews.

Why did the Nazis put Jews into ghettos?

The Nazis said that the reason the Jews were placed into ghettos was due to fear of the typhus epidemic spreading throughout the city. In reality, these ghettos were just pre-concentration camps until the Nazi party's goal of eliminating all of the Jews.

From what other European countries did the Nazis try to take Jews?

The Nazis tried to take Jews from Finland, Norway, Denmark, and Greece.

What were ghettos?

The ghettos were small areas within a city that were sealed off with barbed-wire or high walls.

How was the Holocaust different from other human tragedies?

The holocaust is different from other human tragedies because it was the first time that the technology and administration of the industrial world was organized for the purpose to kill defenseless people.

What were the main goals of the Reichsvertretung?

The main goals is to provide education to the Jewish children, guide Jewish youth toward vocational training, strengthen the religious base of Judaism, protect Jews' economic status, and prepare the youth for building a new life in Palestine.

What was the primary goal of the Nuremberg Laws?

The nuremberg laws primary goal was to separate Aryans from non-Aryans

What was the result of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising?

The result of the Warsaw is many died through suffocation and many died on the spot the Nazis destroyed the entire ghetto which some Jews once lived in it

How did a riot in Berlin successfully resist Nazi plans to deport Jews?

The riot in Berlin successfully resisted Nazi plans to deport Jews because Aryan wives of the Jewish men staged the major riot and as a result the police released the Jews.

What were two of the main goals of the boycott?

The two main goals of this boycott were to isolate Jews, both socially and economically, from German society.

What was the White Rose in Munich? What happened to them?

The white rose Munich was a anti nazi group that would encourage students to stand up and revolt against the Nazi regime.

Where were many Jews received when they returned to their homes?

Their home countries did not want the Jews and in some cases were pelted with stones, clubbed, and shot at by their home country's citizens.

What services did the Committee for Relief and Reconstruction provide?

This Committee for Relief and Reconstruction provided legal protection, economic assistance, employment placement, etc.

According to the Nuremberg Laws, who were German "subjects" and German "citizens" different?

A subject according to the Third Reich is a person who enjoys the protection of the German Reich and who in consequence has specific obligations to it. A citizen is a subject of the state who is of German blood and proves by his conduct conduct that he is willing and fit faithfully to serve the German people and the Reich.

How did Anna Heilman resist the horrors of the Auschwitz death camp?

Anna Heilman showed her resistance to what was happening at Auschwitz by smuggling gun powder out of the factory and giving it to a girl who traveled back and forth from Auschwitz and Auschwitz-Birkenau. The gunpowder that Anna Heilman and her sisters snuck out was eventually used to blow up Crematorium IV in Auschwitz-Birkenau on October 7, 1944.

In addition to Jews, what other "criminals" did the Nazis put into camps?

Anyone considered an enemy of the Nazi regime were detained: socialists, clergy of various faiths, Jews, and the physically and mentally handicapped. After 1938, criminals, homosexuals, Gypsies, prostitutes, and beggars were also imprisoned in the camps.

What did 78,000 Jews do in response to Kristallnacht?

As a result these 78,000 Jews left Germany, marking the largest number in a single year since 1933.