During
the time of Pearl Harbor, Germans were transporting a large amount of people
from the ghettos of Poland to concentration camps. This was known as the
Holocaust, also known as the Shoah, meaning catastrophe. This was definitely a
catastrophe for the Jews who lived during this era. The people that were being
transported were sick, old, weak, and the young. It was basically a survival of
the fittest. All of the people in this category were either sent to
concentration camps or killed by mass in gas chambers. Most of the others were
either killed by disease or starvation. This was because the living quarters in
the camps were terrible. All kinds of sicknesses were traveling around in the
camps and the victims were rarely fed. These people that were staying alive
were almost literally skin and bone.
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| Gate of Auschwitz |
All
of these camps were located in Poland and the largest and most famous is
Auschwitz. After the Germans invaded Poland, they had to clear an entire town
to make room for this camp. More than 2 million people were killed at this
camp. In the years of 1942-1945, thousands of Jews were sent to these
concentration camps. While the Jews were at these camps, the Germans had
scientists that conducted experiments on the Jews. These experiments would
consist of testing drugs, being put in pressure chambers, and even trying
amputations. As one could imagine, these tests were extremely painful and
usually resulted in death to the subject.
It was estimated that the Nazis were
killing about twelve thousand Jews every day. After Hitler committed
suicide in 1945, Germany surrendered the war about a week after. Many of the
concentration camps were evacuating all of the victims that survived. The
survivors found it very difficult to go back to their homes because they didn’t
have any family left or their non-Jewish neighbors did not accept them anymore.
There were a high number of refugees because of this. The Allies wanted to
punish the Nazis, so they held the Nuremburg trials from 1945 to 1946. These
trials showed the Nazis what they had actually done and also created a place to
go for the Nazis in Israel. In the early fifty’s, the Jews were paid by the
German government to recognize what they had done. The concentration camp
Auschwitz is now a very recognized and visited tourist attraction to remember
these awful times that the Jews went through.
The Holocaust is one of worst things that has ever happened in our history. I had no idea that 12, 000 Jews were killed everyday. What was the total amount that were killed? It also amazes me that Hitler committed suicide. He was such a coward that he had to kill himself. He couldn't even stand up for what he thought was “right.” It's so unfair how the old and disabled were killed. They did nothing wrong. I am glad that the prisoners at Auschwitz were liberated and that the Nazis had a trial and were punished for what they had done.
ReplyDeleteFor me personally I feel as if the holocaust is the worst event to happen in the history of mankind. For a separate race to be so judgmental and to say that this race doesn’t even have the right to belong on the earth. So what they do is kill them off by masses. I just feel for people to be that dumb to pull a stunt like this is just absurd. At the end of the holocaust I am extremely happy that some of the prisoners were liberated and the Nazis were punished for their actions. This should of never happen to any race on this planet.
ReplyDeleteHearing about the Holocaust always breaks my heart. I remember learning about the gas chambers in 8th grade, and it sickened me that someone could be so heartless, and those helping were blind as to what they were doing. I had no idea that more than 2 million people were killed at these camps. I thought it was somewhere in the hundred-thousands. I also never knew that scientists were conducting experiments on the prisoners. That just sounds all the more horrifying. I honestly believe that Hitler had some sort of mental illness. That's the only way I could fathom someone would have the capability to do this. I feel so bad for the survivors that had to go home to no family, and still not accepted by their neighbors. There is no way the Nazi could ever repay the Jews. People as sick as Hitler, should never have control.
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