9/24/07 Holocaust Notes

January 30, 1933
-German President appoints Adolf Hitler as Chancellor of Germany, making Hitler the most powerful leader in Germany. Hitler's was the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party (Germany had political party similar to how the U.S. has Republicans and Democrats) a.k.a. Nazi Party

September 1939
-Germany invaded Poland (poor country; not able to defend themselves very well) and conquered them in a few weeks; Britain and France then declared war on Germany = WWII

May 1940
-Auschwitz established

June 1940
-Jews confined to ghettoes and sealed off

Three groups of people during Holocaust:
1.) Victims
2.) People who hurt/killed/mistreated the victims
3.) Bystanders

Resistance:
*Some countries, groups, and individuals were brave enough to help the Jews and others being persecuted resist the violence of the Nazis by helping them escape
-Denmark smuggled Jews on a ship to Sweden, who was neutral
-Several groups joined together and attacked a train headed for Auschwitz helping deportees escape
-U.S. did not hlep until the war was well underway because terminating the Nazi power was the number one priority; U.S. later allowed Jewish refugees to enter as immigrants for about a 2-3 year span.