Night Notes
The Holocaust
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Jewish culture (rabbis, the Talmud, the cabbala) Rabbis—teacher who shows the way, teaches, models to God righteousness, holiness Talmud—record of discussions on the amoraim, religious duties for Jewish men Cabbala—Jewish mysticism dating from the 12th century
Jewish culture (the Kaddish, Maimonides, Zionism) Kaddish—special prayer for mourners; attests to never ending cycle of life and death Maimonides—13 articles defining God, by a Jewish philosopher, codifier, says God has no form Zionism—seeks to restore Jewish people to their ancient homeland because it believes people without a land are doomed to extinction
Jewish culture (Yom Kippur, Rosh Hashanah, synagogue) Yom Kippur—fasting a prayer for 24 hours, most sacred day and somber rite Rosh Hashanah—celebration of the New Year Synagogue—place/house of worship for Jews
Nazis (Nazism)—National Socialist German Worker’s Party’ fought to regain control of Germany, blamed their problems of Jews
Adolph Hitler—attempted to conquer the world through manipulation and other means in WWII. Blamed Jews for Germany’s problems
The SS—protective squad founded in 1925 as Hitler’s personal bodyguards, helped Control Nazi party
The Gestapo—secret police; they silenced Hitler’s opponents
Anti-Semitism—hatred of or prejudice against Jews
Concentration Camps—a prisoner camp at first used to hold people a danger to the State. It later became a place where thousands of people, particularly Jews, Were exterminated
Battle of Stalingrad—battle between Germany and Russia. Hitler tried to take over, but He was defeated and had to turn back
Josef Mengele --chief doctor at Auschwitz camp. Decided who would live or die; also performed horrific, unspeakable medical experiments of prisoners.
Holocaust Ghettoes—isolated towns and villages set up for isolating the Jews, Italian word for foundry
Holocaust liberation—armies of allies set prisoners free from camps
Third Reich—political group lead by Hitler—which asserted its power by force. A regime of Nazis said they were the true successors of the Roman Empire
Communism in Germany—was not allowed to exist under Hitler, were blamed for Burning of Reichstag
Causes of WWII—Germans blamed Jews for the problems, WWI not really resolved, Nazi propaganda, Great Depression Battle of Normandy—summer of 1944. U.S. forces landed to fight against Nazi Germany; to prevent Hitler from conquering the world
Aryan Race—a master race of perfect people, Hitler got rid of those who were not
The Hitler Youth—created to prepare teenage boys for Nazi party membership
Death Camps—Dachau, Bergenbelzen, Buchenwald, Sachsenhauser, Auschwitz Porta Westfalia, Theresienstadt, Neuengamme—where millions of Jews and Other ‘undesirables’ were slaughtered
Dachau—first camp to open in1933
Buchenwald—camp that was originally for political prisoners. Later for extermination
Nazi Party-- National Socialist German Worker’s Party’ fought to regain control of Germany, blamed their problems of Jews
Warsaw Pact—similar to NATO; it included only communist countries
War Crime Tribunals—trials for those who committed crimes against humanity
League of Nations—similar to United Nations; was unsuccessful in its attempts to Incorporate the Treaty of Versailles
Munich Agreement—control gained of Sudetenland
Babi Yar—1941 Germans captured Kiev. Jews were marched to a ravine, told to Strip and were shot to death, bodies fell into ravine. Over 33,000 killed
Gas Chambers—rooms used to asphyxiate prisoners with deadly gases
Rudolph Hess—friend and cell mate of Hitler, later captured by the British
Reinhard Heydrich—head of the SS. Reich security man. Helped arrange for a new of Of mass killing Jews and other undesirables
Paul von Hindenburg—2nd Weimar president who was over thrown by Hitler
Nuremberg Trials—series of trials of Nazis before a tribunal of British, French, Soviet And U.S. judges
Benito Mussolini—fascist dictator of Italy. Ruled with the use of gangsters and drugs
Otto von Bismarck— Bismarck’s greatest achievements, however, were the administrative reforms, developing a common currency, a central bank, and a single code of commercial and civil law for Germany. Bismarck also became the first statesman in Europe to devise a comprehensive scheme of social security to counter the Social Democrats, offering workers insurance against accident, sickness and old age. In foreign affairs, he, as a master of alliances and counter-alliances, presided over the Congress of Berlin (1872) and this seemed to symbolize his paramount position as mediator between the then great powers such as Russia, Austria, France, Great Britain. An alliance with Austria-Hungary (1879) marked a new period of conservatism in Bismarck’s foreign policy. He later resigned.
Fascism—extreme nationalism and totalitarianism emphasizing the importance Of the state not individuals
Mein Kampf—book written by Hitler, few of the ideas are original, based On German philosophy (My Struggle)
Reichstag—German legislature of which Nazis gained control
Yalta Conference—last meeting of the “big three” Stalin, Roosevelt, Churchill in Feb. 1945 to make argument about occupation zones in Poland, Germany, And central Europe
Genocide—effort to deliberately and systematically destroy a race of nation Of people.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer—German theologian who saved the lives of thousands of Jews. He was later killed by the Nazis.
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