The Treaty of Versailles signed on June 28, 1919

1. The Treaty of Versaillessigned on June 28, 1919 Germany must: 1. Recognize the independence of Austria, Czechoslovakia, and Poland (and leave them alone) 2. Reduce the military to no more than 100,000 men, limit the number of weapons, and dismantle the air force. 3. Accept responsibility for war and all damages. 4. Pay for all damages to civilians of winning countries. 5. Form a democracy.

2. To understand the impact of the treaty, you need to realize a few things about Germany… • First of all, Germany was a very proud nation—its citizens felt very strongly about their place in the world order. They saw themselves (very simply) as “superior.” (To every other country.) • Secondly, Germany was a very militaristic nation. Its armed forces were a source of pride for them. They believed that a strong military was the mark of a noble and “superior” nation. Germany was not allowed any participation in the treaty negotiations—and the other countries were under pressure to really punish Germany. The Treaty of Versailles was “humiliating” to the Germans… and that humiliation would not be forgotten.

3. After World War I, Hitler needed to blame someone for what had happened to Germany. • Jews had been very successful in Austria and Germany in many different businesses. • Jews were also successful in holding government positions. • Hitler blamed Jews for the depression in Germany and for Germany’s surrender in WWI.

4. Hitler’s “Perfect Final Solution” to put Germany back on top of the world: • He would convince everyone in Germany that he could bring better times to them. • He would convince everyone that Jews were rats that were ruining Germany. • He would convince everyone that by removing Jews from Germany that the perfect Aryan race (blonde, blue-eyed, healthy) could be protected. • He would secretly begin killing Jews in death camps or use them as slave laborers in concentration camps. • The Aryan race would rule the world with him as the Führer, the Leader.

5. Hitler’s Promises: A. After WWI, Germany was in poor condition: • High unemployment. • High poverty. • The nation had lost a sense of pride. • Hitler promised jobs, better living conditions, and a new pride for Germany. • Hitler gave angry Germans a scapegoat—someone to blame for all their problems. This scapegoat was the Jewish race. • Hitler used propaganda to spread hate of the Jews. This propaganda was everywhere, and it encouraged all Germans to hate Jews.

6. Hitler’s Plan – Steps to the “Final Solution:” • The Jews were regular people who earned a living. First, there was the random tormenting of the Jews. • Signs told Germans NOT to shop in the Jews’ shops. • Nazis/Germans yell insults at Jews in public. • Other signs made fun of Jews, often compared them to rats.

7. B. Next Hitler began passing laws that took away the legal rights from Jews. This happened in three steps: • 1933: Jews were excluded from the practice of law, of medicine, of teaching, and of any other professional job. There were no newspapers! • 1935: Nuremburg Laws decree that Jews are declared 2nd-class citizens with NO RIGHTS. All social contact with Jews was illegal. • 1939: Jews were now totally excluded from any economic activity; special I.D. cards were issued to Jews; Jews cannot go to universities or beaches, cannot use public transportation, cannot drive private cars; can be evicted, can be divorced, and can shop only during certain hours.

8. C. Hitler ordered the Nazis to round up all of the Jews and send them to live in ghettos, in order to contain their growing number. These ghettos were overcrowded and heavily guarded. D. Hitler’s next step was to systematically kill every single Jew in his control. He sent men, women, and children to death camps to be killed. He nearly succeeded in killing the entire European Jewish race.

9. Chronology of Events 1933 January 30 Hitler comes to power March 20 Establishment of Dachau (first concentration camp) April 1 Boycott of Jewish businesses Spring/ Summer Jewish professors are expelled from universities, Jewish writers and artists may no longer work. 1935 May 21 “Aryan Heritage” mandatory for military service. “Jews Not Wanted” begin to appear on restaurants, businesses, etc. May 31 Jews barred from military service Sept. 14 Nuremberg Laws passed, revoking the citizenship of all German Jews Nov. 14 All Jews lose right to vote. All Jewish children are restricted from using the same playgrounds and locker rooms as other children. 1937 January Aryanization of the economy begins as Jewish business people are forced to sell, usually as a severe loss. July 16 Concentration at Buchenwald is opened. 1938 March Persecution of Austrian Jews following the annexation of Austria June 15 All “previously convicted” Jews are arrested and sent to concentration camps July 28 Jewish physicians’ medical certification revoked Sept. 27 Jewish attorneys have their licenses cancelled Nov. 9-10 Kristallnacht (Night of the Broken Glass) Nov. 12 Jews must give shops to Aryans Nov. 15 Jewish children expelled from school Nov. 28 Police limit movement of Jews in public

10. 1939 January 30 Hitler threatens extermination of all European Jews if war breaks out Sept. 1 Germany attacks Poland. WWII begins 1940 Feb. 12 German Jews are deported to concentration camps in Poland. April 27 Himmler orders the construction of a concentration camp at Auschwitz 1941 April 4 The murder of the “handicapped” in concentration camps begins June-Dec. Einsatzgruppen (mobile killing units) massacre Jews in German-occupied Soviet territories July 31 Göring assigns Heydrich to implement the “Final Solution” Sept. 1 All Jews must wear Yellow Star Sept. 28 34,000 Jews are murdered at Babi Yar near Kiev. Dec. 8 Nazi soldiers at Chelmno, the first death camp, begin gassing prisoners. 1942 March 1 Jews exterminated by gas at Sobibor March 17 Jews are gassed at Belzec July 4 Mass gassing begins at Auschwitz in the “new and improved” gas chambers July 19 Himmler orders extermination of Polish Jews completed by December

11. 1943 May 26 In order to hide the number of deaths occurring in the camps, a secret numbering code is established 1944 Nov. 26 Himmler orders the destruction of the crematoriums at Auschwitz to hide the evidence of the death camps

12. Death Toll Chart