Name: _____________________________ Date: ________ Period: ___
The Holocaust
Adolf Hitler’s Plan to Conquer the World
At the end of World War I, Germany was forced to sign the Treaty of Versailles. This treaty
said that Germany was guilty of starting the war and therefore must be punished. The treaty took
away one-tenth of German land. It did not allow Germany to have a strong military or manufacture
large weapons. The treaty also forced them to pay large sums of money to the Allies for expenses
they incurred during the war. It left Germany a poor country and many people were angry with the
government for signing the treaty. Adolf Hitler, who was the head of the Nazi Party (National
Socialist German Worker’s Party), easily took control over the weak government.
Hitler told the German people that Germany’s problems were caused by the Treaty of Versailles
and by the Jewish people. The Jews became an easy scapegoat. Hitler decided the solution to
Germany’s problems was to get more land and to get rid of the Jews. Because many Germans were
so unhappy, Hitler soon had a large following.
As Hitler’s power and support grew, he began building an army and preparing for war. Eventually,
Hitler joined forces with the Italian dictator, Benito Mussolini. Japan later joined Germany and
Italy to form the Axis powers. Together they began attacking other countries.
As the Nazis forcibly took control of many European countries, Hitler began to pursue the second
phase of his plan – the extermination of the Jews – or the Final Solution. Not only did Hitler plan
to completely wipe out the entire Jewish population, but he also targeted other ethnic groups such
as Gypsies, Poles, and Slavs. He also went after physically or mentally disabled persons and anyone
who opposed him.
The Nazis built special prisons called concentration camps throughout Europe. Many Jewish
businesses were vandalized and Jews were forced to leave their homes and go live in
neighborhoods called ghettos. Millions of people were sent to concentration or death camps. The
biggest and most notorious camp was Auschwitz. These camps included gas chambers where
thousands of people were killed with poison gas and their bodies were burned in huge furnaces.
Some camps included factories where prisoners were literally worked to death. Many died from
disease, starvation, or torture.
By the time WWII ended, about 6 million out of an estimated 8.3 million Jews living in German
occupied Europe were killed. Denmark is the only country where Resistance forces where able to
smuggle most of their Jewish population into neutral Sweden to escape the Nazi soldiers.
Many people around the world were unaware of the extent to which Hitler’s plan was carried out.
When the war ended, the Allied troops (United States, France, Great Britain, and Russia) saw
first-hand the gruesome sights at these camps. It was then the rest of the world was forced to
face the reality of what happened during the Holocaust.
“Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” – George Santanyana, Life of
Reason
“For the dead and the living, we must bear witness.” Ellie Wiesel (Auschwitz survivor)
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Using what you know about the Holocaust, interpret and explain what these quotes mean.
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