World War Two and the Holocaust Flashcards
What event marked the start of World War II?
The German invasion and conquest of Poland on September 1, 1939.
How did the early victories of the Nazi regime affect their territorial ambitions?
They began realizing their longstanding goal of territorial expansion and could pursue racial goals with more radical measures.
What was the significance of the German occupation of Prague?
It left no doubt as to Germany’s intent on military conquest in Eastern Europe.
Which countries did Germany invade and occupy in April and May 1940?
Denmark and Norway in April 1940; France, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, and Belgium in May 1940.
How did the fall of France in June 1940 affect Hitler’s popularity?
The swift and unexpected victory avenged Germany’s defeat in WWI and increased Hitler’s popularity and trust among the German people.
What was the German Army’s objective in invading the Soviet Union in June 1941?
To wage a war of annihilation targeting tens of millions of civilians.
How did the conditions of war and military occupation facilitate the Nazi regime’s goals?
It allowed the Nazi regime to pursue political and racial goals with more radical measures.
How were Jews treated in the ghettos established by German occupation authorities?
They were forced into tightly packed areas, separated from the non-Jewish population, and imprisoned behind walls and barbed wire.
What role did existing anti-Jewish attitudes play in the occupied lands of Eastern Europe?
German authorities exploited these attitudes to facilitate the persecution and murder of Jews.
How were Soviet prisoners of war treated by the German forces?
They were treated as sub-humans, shot, or left to die by exposure and starvation.
What was the purpose of the mobile killing squads?
To follow advancing German troops and carry out mass murders of Jews and other perceived enemies.
How many Jewish men, women, and children were murdered in mass shooting operations?
At least two million.
What were the living conditions like in the Warsaw ghetto?
Terrible overcrowding, lack of sanitation, disease, and starvation leading to mass suffering and death.
How were Jews transported to killing centers, and what conditions did they endure?
Under false promises of better conditions, Jews endured long journeys without food, water, or toilet facilities.
Which camp received transports from all across Europe, including Hungary, Poland, and Czechoslovakia?
Auschwitz-Birkenau.
