Understanding the Stages of the Holocaust

Apr 10, 2025

Lecture Notes: The Holocaust

Introduction

  • The Holocaust is one of the most difficult topics in history.
  • It is considered one of the worst crimes committed by humanity.
  • The lecture is divided into two parts:
    1. Holocaust from 1939 to 1942
    2. Holocaust from 1942 to 1945

Background

  • Jewish persecution in Nazi Germany from 1933 to 1939:
    • Nazis encouraged boycotts of Jewish shops.
    • Propaganda spread by Nazi newspaper, Der Stürmer.
    • Anti-Semitic legislation was passed.
    • Kristallnacht in 1938 marked a shift to physical violence.
  • The Holocaust involved the murder of 11 million people, including Jews, Slavs, Gypsies, Communists, and homosexuals.
  • Specifically, 6 million Jews were targeted in what is known as the Holocaust.

Stages of the Holocaust (1939-1942)

1. Forced Emigration

  • Began with the Nazi occupation of Austria in 1938 (Anschluss).
  • Jewish population of Austria: 192,000.
  • The Central Office for Jewish Emigration was established to force Jews to emigrate.
  • 110,000 Jews left Austria, often surrendering possessions and paying fees.
  • Case Study: Maria Altman
    • Forced to leave behind possessions, including a famous painting by Gustav Klimt.
    • Successfully sued the Austrian government to recover the painting in 2000.

2. Ghettoization

  • Began with Nazi invasion of Poland in 1939.
  • Poland had a Jewish population of 3.5 million.
  • Jews were concentrated into ghettos as a short-term solution.
  • Ghettos: enclosed districts isolating Jews from the rest of the population.
  • Warsaw Ghetto:
    • Held nearly half a million Jews in cramped conditions.
    • Led to diseases and deaths, with 145,000 dying in three years.
  • Case Study: Emmanuel Ringelblum
    • Historian who documented life in the ghetto.
    • His archives were hidden in milk cans and later discovered.

3. Holocaust by Bullets

  • Began with Nazi invasion of the Soviet Union in 1941.
  • Einsatzgruppen (SS units) carried out mass shootings.
  • Targeted Jews and Communists in towns and villages.
  • By 1941, nearly a million Jews were murdered.
  • Case Study: Dina Pronicheva
    • Survivor of the Babyn Yar massacre.
    • Escaped execution and survived the war.

Conclusion

  • The Holocaust happened in distinct stages:
    1. Forced emigration
    2. Ghettoization
    3. Holocaust by bullets
  • The next stage, "Holocaust by gas," will be covered in the subsequent lecture.