The Holocaust and Other Genocides

Auschwitz concentration camp 1944.

During World War II, there were rumors of mass killings of Jews and other people considered "undesirables" by Hitler and the Nazi Party.

Since most of the concentration camps were located deep inside Axis territory, it was not until the end of the war that the Allies discovered the true extent of the Nazi attempts to exterminate these groups. This has become known as the Holocaust. Between five and six million Jews, as well as millions of others, were killed as part of the Nazi plan to eliminate these people from their population.

The Holocaust was an act of genocide, the systematic and purposeful destruction of a racial, political, religious, or cultural group. Sadly, it is not the only example of genocide in modern history. In this topic, we'll look at some other attempts to exterminate a whole section of the population by a government or group of people.

Essential Questions

• Why did the Holocaust occur?
• What are other examples of genocide in the twentieth century?