American History World War II

World War II ~ Lesson 8 The Concentration Camps

Hitler believed that the Jewish people were responsible for ruining Germany after World War I. He felt Germany should be ruled by a master race called the Aryan race. He set out to get rid of all people he felt were inferior to the master race.

Before World War II, ten million Jews lived in Europe. By the end of the war only four million had survived. As the German army moved through Europe, they beat up the Jewish people and burned their homes, businesses, and places of worship.

Laws were passed. No Jews were allowed to teach in schools. Jews could not do business with non-Jews. Later new laws were passed. Jews could not own property. Jewish people had to wear the Star of David on their clothes.

Next the German soldiers began gathering up all the Jewish people from Germany and the countries they had taken over. They sent the people in cattle cars to concentration camps  in the eastern part of Germany. Once there, the people were branded. Many died from starvation, hard work, and disease.

The Germans gassed thousands in "shower rooms" where they were told they were going to get washed. All valuables including gold teeth were taken from their bodies. Afterwards, the bodies were buried in pits or burned in ovens.

When the Allied troops reached Germany, they released the Jewish prisoners from the camps. This became known as the Holocaust.

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