The holocaust

Explain the significance of the Holocaust to the world, assessing how

this event has shaped the modern world.
The holocaust was a genocide of millions of Jews. This happened because Hitler and the Nazi party
had an idea of a superior race. A few of the most significant events that occurred during the
holocaust were how human rights were violated, especially to the Jews, how racial inequality was
completely ignored, and even accepted, and to this day, the way that the state of Israel was (and still
is) greatly impacted.

A significant event that happened during the holocaust was extreme racial inequality, which led to
the persecution and murder of millions of Jews. During world war two, the Nazis had made a
‘superior’ race called the Aryan race. They did this by making a racial hierarchy and anyone who
wasn’t from their race, particularly Jews, were imprisoned or killed. In order to enforce their social
hierarchy, the Nazis made new laws, such as the Nuremberg Laws. The Nuremburg laws were laws
that discriminated against Jews, by separating them from society. These laws majorly targeted Jews.
The Jews were majorly discriminated in areas such as socially, and even economically. (United States
Holocaust Memorial Museum, 2023). This made it easier to segregate them from the German
society, therefore building the Nazis ‘superior’ race. Racial inequality was a significant problem
during the holocaust. It has shaped the modern world in a way that society today is still acting to
stop racism and racial inequality.

The Holocaust showed the importance of human rights, which was another significant event that
was completely ignored during the holocaust. Human rights are rights that all humans have, no
matter peoples gender, race, or religion. (United Nations. (2023).) During the Holocaust, Nazi
authorities created over 44,000 places that held people including Jews and other races. (United
States Holocaust Memorial Museum. (2009).) These camps had very bad conditions and even if
people weren’t killed, they probably died off from disease or starvation. Human rights were majorly
violated by Hitler and the Nazis towards the Jews during the holocaust. This violation of human
rights has left a lasting impact on modern day society and is a reminder that we need to act out for
our human rights.

The Holocaust significantly impacted the creation of the State of Israel through the loss of the
millions of Jews. After the war, people saw that Jews needed to have a home. In 1947, the united
nations recommend the partition of Palestine, which led to the establishment of Israel in 1948.
(Milestones: 1945–1952 - Office of the Historian. (n.d.).) The holocaust helped bring Jews a home at
the end of the war, through the fame of the horrors of the holocaust, the world could see their
troubles. This is a positive event but there is ongoing conflict in the middle east to do with Jews
having a home.

In conclusion, the Holocaust was a horrific crime against the Jews and also against humanity and
should never be forgotten. (Imperial War Museums. (n.d.).) It serves as a huge reminder how bad
people can be. It majorly shows the importance of racial equality, and human rights. The holocaust
continues to shape the modern world and we need to continue to stand up for basic human rights
and racial equality throughout our lives
Heinrich Himmler

(Gentry, C, 2020)

Who was Heinrich Himmler?

Heinrich Himmler was a German Nazi commander during world war two and was the Reich leader of
the ss party from 1929 until 1945. He was a Nazi politician and was in charge of the military.
Himmler was one of Hitlers earliest followers, and for a short period of time, he became the second
most powerful man during ww2. Himmler was a significant person involved in ‘the final solution’
which was a plan to kill the Jews and carry out Hitlers racial hierarchy and idea of a superior race.
Heinrich Himmler was born on the 7th October 1900 and died on 23rd May 1945 by killing himself by
swallowing cyanide. Himmler also oversaw the concentration and extermination camps, which made
him a mass murderer and a significant person involved in the holocaust.
Timeline
Significance to the holocaust and role
Heinrich Himmler was a significant figure during the holocaust. Himmler was significant because he
was the leader of the ss, and also because he was an important person in ‘the final solution.’
Himmler was the leader of the military and controlled all the concentration camps. During world war
two, he led the establishment of over 44, 000 camps (United States Holocaust Memorial Museum.
(2009)), he helped make different racial policies, and he helped expand the ss. There were different
types of camps and they included concentration camps, forced labour camps, transit camps, prisoner
of war camps, and killing centres. These camps housed and killed Jews and other races that were
seen to be less superior in Germany at the time. Himmler was significant to the holocaust because
he led these camps. The way he led the military contributed to the death of 6 million Jews. This was
Himmler’s role during the holocaust.

How did their role impact the holocaust and the Jewish people?
The most significant way that Himmler’s role and actions impacted the Jewish people was through
his role in leading “the final solution”. The final solution was a time where the Nazis deliberately
killed people that weren’t from their Aryan race. They did this because they wanted to make a
superior race and, in their law, or tradition, any other people were bad and unclean and should be
got rid of. Some of the biggest extermination camps included Auschwitz, Belzec, Chelmno,
Majdanek, Sobibor, and Treblinka. These camps had terrible conditions and were meant to hurt
and/or kill the prisoners there. Himmler was the leader of the military, and he led these camps,
which impacted the Jews in a significant way.
Source Analysis and Response
Source 1

Gallery - Liberation - Photos. (n.d.).

-Soviet troops liberate the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp on January 27, 1945-

In this source above, the image shows where soviet troops liberated the Auschwitz concentration
camp. During the war, Auschwitz was a camp where prisoners of war were held. When the camp
was eventually liberated, about 7000 prisoners were liberated. (Soviet Forces Liberate Auschwitz,
n.d.). This is significant because while the Nazis held the people at these concentration camps, they
did horrible things to the people held there. This is how the liberation of Auschwitz concentration
camp is important and significant to modern society. The holocaust was a dark time, and the current
generation needs to study it so we are aware of what happened and so it doesn’t happen again.
Source 2

Taylor, A. (2011, October 16).

-German soldier shooting a Ukrainian Jew during a mass execution in Vinnitsa, Ukraine, sometime
between 1941 and 1943. This image is titled "The last Jew in Vinnitsa", the text that was written on
the back of the photograph, which was found in a photo album belonging to a German soldier-

T – In this source, the image shows a German soldier holding a gun to the head of “The last Jew in
Vinnitsa” (Taylor, A. (2011, October 16).) It also shows a pit of bodies along with other German
soldiers watching. During world war 2, Hitler killed Jews because he considered them inferior. Hitler
had made a hierarchy, where the Aryan race (which was people with light eyes and blonde hair)
were superior to all the other races. A specific example of what Hitler did to the Jews was the final
solution which killed about 6 million people. (United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. (2020,
December 8).) The final solution was horrific and was a genocide by Hitler and the Nazis. This image
is confronting and makes it vey real when we can see an image of what actually happened, which is
how this source is significant to us. This should be studied by the current generation because we
need awareness so this horrible event doesn’t happen again.
Source 3

Reichskolonialbund Propaganda. (n.d.).

- A postcard advertising the Reichskolonialbund, a body set up to reclaim the colonies previously held
by Germany. –

In the source above, this image is an image of the propaganda that the Nazis made to reclaim the
land. The “Reichskolonialbund” was organised to reclaim the land that was originally Germany’s in
world war one. At the end of world war one, Germany surrendered to the allies and had to give up
its territory. The result of this, was that in world war 2, Hitler and the Nazis tried to recapture the
land that they had to surrender, in order to keep their idea of world domination possible. The
significance of this is that if the Nazis had successfully taken over the world then we wouldn’t be the
same. This should be studied by the current generation because the allies winning was a pivotal
point in the history of the world.
Source 4

World War II Holocaust Images | Eisenhower Presidential Library. (n.d.).

- Former inmates of German concentration camps who later became citizens of Israel -

In the source, the image shows a child who was a person who was imprisoned in a German
concentration camp. The significance of this image shows the journey of the child from when they
were held in the German concentration camps. Kristallnacht was an example of how Jews were put
into concentration camps. During the night if the 9th of November, over 30, 000 Jews were put into
camps. Concentration camps were made and run to hold people such as enemies to the state. Jews
were included as enemies of the state because in Hitlers social hierarchy, the Jews were at the
bottom, which led to them being captured and put into concentration camps. The significance of this
is that even children were put into concentration camps. This should be studied by the current
generation because its important to learn the history of world war two and what happened there, so
we can learn from it, so it doesn’t happen again.

Sources and Referencing

Imperial War Museums. (n.d.). What was the Holocaust? Retrieved from
https://www.iwm.org.uk/history/what-was-the-holocaust

Human Rights Centre (HCN). (2022, January 27). Human rights: The legacy of the Holocaust. Human
Rights Centre (HCN) Blog. Retrieved from https://hcn.org.uk/blog/human-rights-the-legacy-of-the-
holocaust/
United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. (2023, August 6). Why We Remember the Holocaust.
Retrieved from https://www.ushmm.org/remember/days-of-remembrance/resources/why-we-
remember

United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. (2023, August 8). The Nuremberg Race Laws. Retrieved
from https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/the-nuremberg-race-laws

United Nations. (2023, August 9). Human Rights. Retrieved from https://www.un.org/en/global-
issues/human-rights

Milestones: 1945–1952 - Office of the Historian. (n.d.). History.state.gov. Retrieved from

https://history.state.gov/milestones/1945-1952/creation-israel#:~:text=On%20November
%2029%2C%201947%20the

Gentry, C. (2020, May 23). An Architect of Terror: Heinrich Himmler and the Holocaust. The National
WWII Museum | New Orleans. Retrieved from
https://www.nationalww2museum.org/war/articles/heinrich-himmler-holocaust

Soviet Forces Liberate Auschwitz. (n.d.). Encyclopedia.ushmm.org. Retrieved from

https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/timeline-event/holocaust/1942-1945/soviet-forces-
liberate-auschwitz

The Editors of Encyclopedia Britannica. (2018). Heinrich Himmler | Biography & Facts. In
Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved from https://www.britannica.com/biography/Heinrich-Himmler

Gallery - Liberation - Photos. (n.d.). Fcit.usf.edu. Retrieved from

https://fcit.usf.edu/holocaust/resource/gallery/L1945.htm

Taylor, A. (2011, October 16). World War II: The Holocaust. The Atlantic. Retrieved from
https://www.theatlantic.com/photo/2011/10/world-war-ii-the-holocaust/100170/

United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. (2019). Heinrich Himmler. Ushmm.org; United States
Holocaust Memorial Museum. Retrieved from
https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/heinrich-himmler

United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. (2009). Nazi Camps. Ushmm.org; United States
Holocaust Memorial Museum. Retrieved from
https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/nazi-camps

United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. (2020, December 8). “Final Solution”: Overview.
Ushmm.org; United States Holocaust Memorial Museum.
https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/final-solution-overview

United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. (2020, December 8). “Final Solution”: Overview.
Ushmm.org; United States Holocaust Memorial Museum.
https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/final-solution-overview

Reichskolonialbund Propaganda. (n.d.). The Wiener Holocaust Library. Retrieved from

https://wienerholocaustlibrary.org/object/temp93/
World War II Holocaust Images | Eisenhower Presidential Library. (n.d.). retrieved from
https://www.eisenhowerlibrary.gov/research/photographs/world-war-ii-holocaust-images