Lecture Notes: The Holocaust and Nazi Racial Policies

Overview of the Holocaust

• The Holocaust refers to the mass extermination of the Jews by the Nazis during World War II.
• Initiated under Adolf Hitler's regime, driven by a racial ideology.

Adolf Hitler's Ideology

• Believed Germans descended from ancient Germanic-speaking Aryans, considered the 'master race'.
• Jews viewed as the primary threat to the Aryan race.
• Policies aimed at establishing a new racial order.

Early Anti-Jewish Policies

• 1935 Nuremberg Laws:
  • Stripped Jews of citizenship.
  • Prohibited intermarriage between Jews and pureblood Germans.

Shift to Jewish Extermination

• 1939: Initial focus on Jewish emigration (e.g., Madagascar plan).
• 1942 Wannsee Conference:
  • Led by Nazi leaders including Reinhard Heydrich and Heinrich Himmler.
  • Articulated the "Final Solution" — complete extermination of Jews.

Death Camps

• Death camps were already under construction before the Wannsee Conference.
• Most notorious camps: Auschwitz and Dachau.
• Systematic extermination process:
  • Jews from occupied territories were transported to death camps.
  • Upon arrival, brief medical examination determined fate.
  • 20-30% used for labor, 70-80% sent to gas chambers.
  • Killing method: hydrogen cyanide gas.
• Approximately 6 million Jews murdered.

Other Targeted Groups

• An additional 4-5 million non-Jews were exterminated, including:
  • Roma people (up to 1.5 million).
  • Homosexuals.
  • Slavic people.
  • Individuals with disabilities.

Conclusion

• The transportation of Jews prioritized over military needs evidencing the commitment to the Holocaust.