The Holocaust is one of the most tragic events in world history. But how did it start?
The Holocaust began in 1933 when Adolf Hitler came to power in Germany. Hitler’s rise to power was swift and complete, and he soon began to implement his vision of a Nazi state.
The first step in Hitler’s plan was to isolate and persecute the Jewish people. The Nazis passed a series of laws that made it increasingly difficult for Jews to live in Germany: they were forbidden from marrying non-Jews; they could not attend public schools or universities; they could not serve as soldiers; they could not own businesses or property; they could not vote; they were forced to wear badges identifying them as Jews; and many were sent to labor camps.
In 1938, the Nazis began a campaign of violence and terror against the Jews, which culminated in the Kristallnacht pogrom (also known as “Night of Broken Glass”). The following year, the Nazis invaded Poland, which marked the beginning of World War II.
The Nazis systematically began to deport Jews from all over Europe to concentration and extermination camps.
