Jennifer Aileen Leticia
THE HOLOCAUST
The Holocaust was the systematic, state-sponsored persecution and murder of six million European Jews by
the Nazi German regime and its allies and collaborators. The Holocaust was an evolving process that took
place throughout Europe between 1933 and 1945.
What Does the Word 'Holocaust'
Mean?
Holocaust is a word of Greek origin meaning
“sacrifice by fire.” By the late 19th century,
holocaust most commonly meant “a complete or
wholesale destruction.” The word was used for a
variety of disastrous events, including pogroms
against Jews in Russia, the murder of Armenians by
Ottomans during World War I, Japanese attacks on
Chinese cities, and even fires.
As early as 1941, writers occasionally used the word
“holocaust” when describing Nazi crimes against the
Jews, but it was not the only term they used. After
World War II, Holocaust (with either a lowercase or
capital H) became a more specific term. By the late
1970s, it became the standard English word used to
refer to the systematic annihilation of European Jews
by Germany’s Nazi regime. In Israel, it is more
common to use the word sho’ah, which is the
Hebrew equivalent of “Holocaust.”
Some Factors That Caused The
Holocaust
1) Racial Antisemitism
Antisemitism is the fear or hatred of Jews that
already existed in Europe centuries before the
Holocaust.
The Nazis promoted racial antisemitism. They
believed Jews belonged to a separate race and had
distinct "Jewish blood." Which was false, since there
are no biological difference between Jews and non-
Jews. Nazis saw Jews as the source of all evil:
disease, social injustice, cultural decline, capitalism,
and communism.
2) Political Instability
Germany suffered a humiliating defeat in World War
I (1914-1918). So, many Germans were willing to
tolerate Nazi's antisemitism, since they believe that
the Nazi Party was restoring Germany's status as
world power. Besides that, the Nazis also promised
to restore Germany's economy since they vowed to
end political instability and violence.
3) War
In defiance of the Treaty of Versailles, Germany
remilitarized and prepared for war. While the US and
other countries are still suffering from the World
War I did not meaningfully intervene to protest until
Germany invaded Poland in 1939. Even then, the US
remained neutral until December 1941. But the US
prioritized the defeat of Nazi Germany over the
rescue of Jews.
During World War II, the Germany has invaded and
conquered territories and millions of European Jews
came under Nazi control. Their policy was changed
from forced emigration to mass murder. By 1945,
when the Germany got defeated by the Allies
nations, the Nazis and their collaborators had
murdered 6 million European Jews.
4) Collaborations
The Holocaust could not have happened without the
active or passive participation of millions of people.
Some people recognized that they could get benefits
from the persecution and murder of Jews. Since they
can acquired the Jews’ property, homes, and business
of Jews who were deported and murdered.
Other people found jobs in the Nazi regime. These
jobs gave them money, political power, and
influence. In countries that Germany invaded, many
collaborators saw the benefit of assisting their new
leaders. They chose to denounce their Jewish
neighbors.
5) Propaganda and Societal Pressure
There was a great deal of pressure to conform. Even
if people were not antisemitic to begin with, the Nazi
leaders and propaganda will force them to hate Jews.
Peoples who are brave enough publicly speak out or
to help Jews could get arrested in jails or
concentration camps and get killed for doing that.
Who Were the Nazis?
The National Socialist German Workers’ Party—also
known as the Nazi Party—was a far-right racist and
antisemitic political party. The Nazi Party was
founded in 1920. The leader of this party is Adolf
Hitler. The Nazi Party grew steadily under Hitler’s
leadership. It attracted support from influential
people in the military, big business, and society. It
absorbed other radical right-wing groups.
Political instability in German after World War I
meant that Germany was a new weak democracy.
Other politicians thought they could control the
Nazis, but Hitler and his followers abolished all
other political parties and ruled the country as a one-
party, totalitarian dictatorship from 1933 to 1945.
But the Nazis’ power ended when Germany lost the
World War II.
When Did the Holocaust Happen?
The Holocaust was the systematic, state-sponsored,
persecution and murder of six million Jews by the
Nazi regime and its collaborators between 1933 and
1945.
In January 1933, the Nazi turned Germany into a
one-party dictatorship. In 1935, Jews were stripped
of their German citizenship. In 1938, Jewish men
began to be arrested and sent to concentration camps
just for being Jewish. In September 1939, the
German invasion of Poland led Great Britain and
France to declare war, and World War II began. By
the summer of 1941, Nazi Germany and its
collaborators began to systematically murder
European Jews.
The Allies defeated Nazi Germany in World War II
in May 1945. By that time, the Nazis and their
collaborators had murdered approximately six
million Jews.
How Did the Holocaust End?
The Holocaust ended in May 1945 because Hitler
died by suicide. It also ended with the military defeat
of Nazi Germany and its European collaborators in
World War II.
 Article Sources
https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/intr
oduction-to-the-holocaust

Frequently Asked Questions about the Holocaust for

Educators — United States Holocaust Memorial
Museum

https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/the-
holocaust