Holocaust

What is the first thing that comes to mind when the phrase Ð''World War II' is mentioned?" The typical response to this question will almost always be "Hitler and his cruelty toward Jews." What is strange about this answer, is the fact that the majority of people do not realize what actually occurred in Europe during this time. To most people, the Holocaust was an "event" where many Jews were killed by Nazis. In fact, the Holocaust was a tragic point in history which many believe never occurred, or do not realize the suffering behind the widespread destruction. The pain and conditions exper- ienced by the victims is unimaginable by any standards. In the early 1930's, the United States was reveling in turmoil. Eastern Europe was on the verge of power, and in a small western European country called Germany, trouble was brewing. In 1933, Europeans had no worries beyond their daily struggle to earn money, put food on their family's table, and clothes on their children's backs. This would all change in a matter of months. Whatever type of life a person had built or molded for themselves, it was all to come to a crashing halt if they did not conform to Hitler's specifications. On January 30, 1933 Adolf Hitler was appointed chancellor of Germany. In March 1933, with the building of the Dachau concentration camp, "Adolf Hitler's rising became one of the swiftest, most destructive leaderships in recorded human existence" (Bauer 12). After his inception as ruler of Germany, Adolf Hitler had one thing on his mind, a pure Aryan race with complete world domination. Jews were subjected to humiliation through the Anti-Jewish Laws. The seven most established laws in Germany were: Jews were forced from jobs in civil service and history, Jews were barred from most other professions, Jews were excluded from schools and universities, Jews were forced to carry cards identifying themselves as Jews, Jews were forced to have a J stamped on their passports, Jews were excluded from dining and sleeping cars on German trains, and Jews were barred from public areas such as parks, sporting arenas, and baths. Hitler's goal was to eliminate all of the "undesirables" in Europe. This category included: Jews, mentally and physically ill, nonsupporters of Nazism, gypsies, homo-sexuals, and anyone else who did not fit the mandatory code. He wanted to create a "superior race" called the Aryan Nation. To accomplish his mission he had concentra-tion camps constructed. The most significant sign of the troubles looming ahead was the "Kristallnacht-night of the broken glass." "On November 9, 1938, Nazis attacked Jewish communities; looting, destroying, and burning over 1000 synagogues. Over 700 businesses were wrecked, as were hospitals, schools, cemeteries, and homes" (Bauer 24). From Poland, Czechoslovakia, eastern European provinces, and of course Germany, a great migration was to begin. Nazis transported victims to concentration camps by means of railroad, which was the cheapest and easiest method. The trip was horrible. People were packed in as tightly as possible. In the summer, the cars became sweaty, putrid smelling, and unbear-ably hot. Many died of heat stroke. On the other hand, winter was even worse. When the temperatures plummeted, these cars were sent place to place without heat. Death from hypothermia and starvation was common. Camps were set up for various purposes. These included labor, medical experiments, and death. Transition camps were set up as holding places for death camps. At the beginning of camp, prisoners usually had marks on their clothes or numbers on their arms to identify them. Things such as: jewelry, clothes, shoes, gold fillings, eyeglasses, shawls, baby bottles, and anything with value was taken and sold. They were then put into the inhumane conditions of the camps. Many times families would be split up. Women and men were separated, and grouped according to age. There was only one bathroom for hundreds of people. At some camps these were long wooden boards with round holes and underneath them concrete troughs. While on the bathroom, they would be watched by the soldiers to make sure they would not stay on too long. "There was no toilet paper, so the prisoners used the linings of jackets. If they did not have one they often stole one from someone else" (Rossel 76). Sleeping conditions were equally bad. The beds of the prisoners were usually wooden boards. The diet of the prisoners was poor, and many suffered from malnourishment. A standard daily meal would consist of watery soup and a piece of bread. Occasionally, an extra allowance was permitted and prisoners received a piece of cheese, some margarine, or some watered jam. The prisoners had to stand for hours in snow, rain, heat, or cold for role-call, which occurred twice a day. Within the first few days of being at a camp many people would die of hunger, disease, or a beating. The main disease was typhus, which was carried by flies. When infected by disease, prisoners were still required to work. They did not see that sickness necessarily meant death. "If the prisoners did not obey the guards every order then they would be beaten, put in solitary confinement or shot" (Chartock 44). It was extremely hard for prisoners to escape these camps. If caught, a prisoner was either shot or beaten severely. Many times, when someone escaped from a camp, all of the prisoners