Significant Events of WWII :
- Holocaust
- Bombing of Hamburg
- D-Day
- Pearl Harbour
- Holocaust
- Bombing of Hamburg
- D-Day
- Pearl Harbour
The Holocaust
Jews, Gypsies, Blacks and the disabled were considered non-Aryan and were at the bottom of the racist scale and were received the most intense discrimination and treatment.
Aryans included Germans and the Dutch and English were considered Aryan as the carried ‘enough’ German blood. In the early days Poles, Russians, Slavs, Ukrainians were considered to be sub-humans and were subject to selection
which would determine whether they would be executed or raised as a German, however as the war progressed enslavement and extermination became more common.
Initially the nation was in chaos trying to determine who was considered a Jew, It was finally decided that someone was considered a Jew if they had 3-4 Jewish Grandparents. You were also considered ‘Geltungsjude’ which translates to ‘Legally Jewish’ if you were married to a Jew. People with 1 or 2 Jewish grandparents were considered a ‘Mischlinge’ translating to a ‘hybrid’ or ‘mongrel’.
The Holocaust consisted of 4 main steps:
1. To discriminate against them publically.
2. To isolate them from society, round them up and put them in ghettos
3.To send them to Concentration Camps
4. To send them to Death Camps or Gas Chambers for execution.
Nuremburg Laws
In the early stages between 1933 and 1934 the Nazi policy was fairly moderate. It was deliberately introduced in such a way that would prepare
people for the next stages but not scare of voters. Anti-Jew Propaganda began to appear in shops and restaurants and Jews were forbidden to join the armed forces.
However, the Nuremburg laws were implemented in September 1935. This law stated that sexual relations and marriage between Germans and Jews, Negroes, Gypsies or disabled people was illegal and became punishable by law under ‘racial pollution’. This law was created to ensure the purity and protection of German blood and honour. At around the same time another law was passed stripping ALL non-Aryans of citizenship, removing rights to vote.
In 1936, Jews were banned from all professional jobs, isolating them from society. Jews officially had no influence on education, politics and
were unable to own a business.
In 1937 Jews were financially punished for being Jewish
In 1938 Jews were unable to be served by or to serve Aryan people. Also in 1938, Jewish people with non-Jewish names were forced to add
‘Israel’ or ‘Sara’ to their names and had to have a large ‘J’ stamped on their passports to make them easily identifiable. In addition to this Jewish Children were banned from going to non-Jewish schools and seeing as almost all Jewish schools and businesses had collapsed under financial pressure or Government persuasion, education became rare.
Ghettos
Shortly after the Nuremburg Laws had taken effect the construction and use of Ghettos begun. Ghettos were living quarters surrounded by 20ft walls designed to confine Jews and other undesirables and confine them. The first Ghetto was officially established in October 1939 and was quickly followed by up to 1,000. The largest Ghetto being the Warsaw Ghetto held 400,000 Jews in the heart of a city with an area of only 3.4km2.
The living quarters in Ghettos were appalling and size, treatment and conditions varied Ghetto to Ghetto. It wasn’t uncommon for 12-30 people to
be crammed into a single room. The food was rationed and was a starvation diet of 250 calories a Jew, compared to a whopping 2,600 calories for a German. With no sanitation and poor hygiene many Jews died from disease and starvation.
Concentration Camps
Concentration camps were constructed as early as 1933, as soon as Hitler was elected. The camps were used to contain and torture enemy soldiers or Jews and held around 45,000 prisoners. Then between 1939 and 1942 the number of camps increased dramatically with more than 300 being constructed. Prisoners were subject to starvation rations, poor hygiene, torture and abuse from guards and appalling living conditions. Those able-bodied in Concentration camps were often sent out to work in work camps completing undesirable tasks and worked beyond human capability.
Madagascar Plan
Another concept proposed by the Nazi government was to isolate the Jews to Madagascar. The Germans had just defeated France in ‘The battle of France’ and this French surrender terms stated Madagascar would be surrendered to Germany. The project was successful even though the living conditions on the island couldn’t support the number of Jews they wished to relocate. The program was implemented and one million Jews were supposed to be moved each year for 4 years. However, the plan was put aside when Germany failed to defeat Britain in ‘The Battle of Britain’. 2 years later the project was officially and permanently shelved as Nazis had already begun the final phase, that being extermination.
Extermination Camps
Extermination camps were facilities designed and built by the Nazis to be a centre of mass murder, and allow them to kill millions of people
systematically. This radical procedure was also known as the ‘Final Phase’ and was initiated in 1939 and designed to cleanse Europe of people who were ‘unworthy of life’. Although this began to happen, it didn’t take off until 1942, when the operation to execute every Jew in Europe was made clear and implemented completely. To begin with the millions of corpses were buried in mass graves designed to accommodate millions but were later cremated to reduce the work load for the Germans. Make no mistake, these camps were not designed to punish or contain prisoners, they were made purely for mass murder and genocide.
Jews, Gypsies, Blacks and the disabled were considered non-Aryan and were at the bottom of the racist scale and were received the most intense discrimination and treatment.
Aryans included Germans and the Dutch and English were considered Aryan as the carried ‘enough’ German blood. In the early days Poles, Russians, Slavs, Ukrainians were considered to be sub-humans and were subject to selection
which would determine whether they would be executed or raised as a German, however as the war progressed enslavement and extermination became more common.
Initially the nation was in chaos trying to determine who was considered a Jew, It was finally decided that someone was considered a Jew if they had 3-4 Jewish Grandparents. You were also considered ‘Geltungsjude’ which translates to ‘Legally Jewish’ if you were married to a Jew. People with 1 or 2 Jewish grandparents were considered a ‘Mischlinge’ translating to a ‘hybrid’ or ‘mongrel’.
The Holocaust consisted of 4 main steps:
1. To discriminate against them publically.
2. To isolate them from society, round them up and put them in ghettos
3.To send them to Concentration Camps
4. To send them to Death Camps or Gas Chambers for execution.
Nuremburg Laws
In the early stages between 1933 and 1934 the Nazi policy was fairly moderate. It was deliberately introduced in such a way that would prepare
people for the next stages but not scare of voters. Anti-Jew Propaganda began to appear in shops and restaurants and Jews were forbidden to join the armed forces.
However, the Nuremburg laws were implemented in September 1935. This law stated that sexual relations and marriage between Germans and Jews, Negroes, Gypsies or disabled people was illegal and became punishable by law under ‘racial pollution’. This law was created to ensure the purity and protection of German blood and honour. At around the same time another law was passed stripping ALL non-Aryans of citizenship, removing rights to vote.
In 1936, Jews were banned from all professional jobs, isolating them from society. Jews officially had no influence on education, politics and
were unable to own a business.
In 1937 Jews were financially punished for being Jewish
In 1938 Jews were unable to be served by or to serve Aryan people. Also in 1938, Jewish people with non-Jewish names were forced to add
‘Israel’ or ‘Sara’ to their names and had to have a large ‘J’ stamped on their passports to make them easily identifiable. In addition to this Jewish Children were banned from going to non-Jewish schools and seeing as almost all Jewish schools and businesses had collapsed under financial pressure or Government persuasion, education became rare.
Ghettos
Shortly after the Nuremburg Laws had taken effect the construction and use of Ghettos begun. Ghettos were living quarters surrounded by 20ft walls designed to confine Jews and other undesirables and confine them. The first Ghetto was officially established in October 1939 and was quickly followed by up to 1,000. The largest Ghetto being the Warsaw Ghetto held 400,000 Jews in the heart of a city with an area of only 3.4km2.
The living quarters in Ghettos were appalling and size, treatment and conditions varied Ghetto to Ghetto. It wasn’t uncommon for 12-30 people to
be crammed into a single room. The food was rationed and was a starvation diet of 250 calories a Jew, compared to a whopping 2,600 calories for a German. With no sanitation and poor hygiene many Jews died from disease and starvation.
Concentration Camps
Concentration camps were constructed as early as 1933, as soon as Hitler was elected. The camps were used to contain and torture enemy soldiers or Jews and held around 45,000 prisoners. Then between 1939 and 1942 the number of camps increased dramatically with more than 300 being constructed. Prisoners were subject to starvation rations, poor hygiene, torture and abuse from guards and appalling living conditions. Those able-bodied in Concentration camps were often sent out to work in work camps completing undesirable tasks and worked beyond human capability.
Madagascar Plan
Another concept proposed by the Nazi government was to isolate the Jews to Madagascar. The Germans had just defeated France in ‘The battle of France’ and this French surrender terms stated Madagascar would be surrendered to Germany. The project was successful even though the living conditions on the island couldn’t support the number of Jews they wished to relocate. The program was implemented and one million Jews were supposed to be moved each year for 4 years. However, the plan was put aside when Germany failed to defeat Britain in ‘The Battle of Britain’. 2 years later the project was officially and permanently shelved as Nazis had already begun the final phase, that being extermination.
Extermination Camps
Extermination camps were facilities designed and built by the Nazis to be a centre of mass murder, and allow them to kill millions of people
systematically. This radical procedure was also known as the ‘Final Phase’ and was initiated in 1939 and designed to cleanse Europe of people who were ‘unworthy of life’. Although this began to happen, it didn’t take off until 1942, when the operation to execute every Jew in Europe was made clear and implemented completely. To begin with the millions of corpses were buried in mass graves designed to accommodate millions but were later cremated to reduce the work load for the Germans. Make no mistake, these camps were not designed to punish or contain prisoners, they were made purely for mass murder and genocide.
The Bombing of Hamburg
The bombing of Hamburg was known as Operation Gomorrah and occurred in July 24th, 1943. Hamburg was of great importance to Germany, as History as well as moral and supplies so it was heavily guarded and the citizens had over 1,000 shelters to evacuate to in the event of a bombing.
The attack was scheduled to last for 3 days and 3 nights, Britain by day and America by night. This was devised so that Germany would be unable to regain control and be caught in a state of chaos.
On Sunday the 24th over 350,000 bombs were dropped in 1 hour weighing a total of 2,300 tons. The blaze and destruction was so bright that the glow became the target for bombers and navigation was no longer required. Germans were helpless, and while they recovered on the Monday, countering the Americans attack and were able to prepare on Tuesday when Britain's bombers cancelled the raid due to bad weather they were slaughtered again on the Wednesday.
On the Wednesday bombers dropped 2,300 tons of bombs again, this time the blaze caught and let to a full on firestorm raging through Hamburg and smoke was reported to have reached 20,000 feet. The city was alight, and escape routes were cut off my melted tar on the roads.
While the raids didn't achieve much strategically they dampened and scarred the Nazi war effort, even Hitler refused to visit the ruined city and the raid definitely boosted moral in Britain significantly.
The bombing of Hamburg was known as Operation Gomorrah and occurred in July 24th, 1943. Hamburg was of great importance to Germany, as History as well as moral and supplies so it was heavily guarded and the citizens had over 1,000 shelters to evacuate to in the event of a bombing.
The attack was scheduled to last for 3 days and 3 nights, Britain by day and America by night. This was devised so that Germany would be unable to regain control and be caught in a state of chaos.
On Sunday the 24th over 350,000 bombs were dropped in 1 hour weighing a total of 2,300 tons. The blaze and destruction was so bright that the glow became the target for bombers and navigation was no longer required. Germans were helpless, and while they recovered on the Monday, countering the Americans attack and were able to prepare on Tuesday when Britain's bombers cancelled the raid due to bad weather they were slaughtered again on the Wednesday.
On the Wednesday bombers dropped 2,300 tons of bombs again, this time the blaze caught and let to a full on firestorm raging through Hamburg and smoke was reported to have reached 20,000 feet. The city was alight, and escape routes were cut off my melted tar on the roads.
While the raids didn't achieve much strategically they dampened and scarred the Nazi war effort, even Hitler refused to visit the ruined city and the raid definitely boosted moral in Britain significantly.
Attack on Pearl Harbour
Pearl harbour was a surprise attack by Japan on the United States Naval Base. The attack was meant to be a deterrent for the Americans, a clear message: Don't interfere, stay out of it. However, really this became the U.S entrance to the war. The Japanese bombed Pearl harbour with 353 fighters and bombers. America sustained much damage, with all 8 of her battle ships affects and four of those sunk. However, America recovered and raised 3 of the 4 that were sunk and 6 of the original 8 continued to fight in the war. The power station, fuel storage areas and intelligence/headquarters base were flattened. But the Americans air force was also targeted with over 188 aircraft totally obliterated. 2,400 Americans were killed during this unwarranted attack with another 1,200+ being injured. Japan sustained minor losses, losing only 29 aircraft, 5 small submarines and 65 soldiers killed, captured or injured.
Until this attack America hadn't wanted to get involved and was leaving Europe to sought out its own issues, however after this attack which deeply shocked and rocked the nation America declared war on Japan without hesitation. Japans actions had the opposite effect to what they wanted, in trying to keep America at arms length, they made themselves a powerful enemy.
Pearl harbour was a surprise attack by Japan on the United States Naval Base. The attack was meant to be a deterrent for the Americans, a clear message: Don't interfere, stay out of it. However, really this became the U.S entrance to the war. The Japanese bombed Pearl harbour with 353 fighters and bombers. America sustained much damage, with all 8 of her battle ships affects and four of those sunk. However, America recovered and raised 3 of the 4 that were sunk and 6 of the original 8 continued to fight in the war. The power station, fuel storage areas and intelligence/headquarters base were flattened. But the Americans air force was also targeted with over 188 aircraft totally obliterated. 2,400 Americans were killed during this unwarranted attack with another 1,200+ being injured. Japan sustained minor losses, losing only 29 aircraft, 5 small submarines and 65 soldiers killed, captured or injured.
Until this attack America hadn't wanted to get involved and was leaving Europe to sought out its own issues, however after this attack which deeply shocked and rocked the nation America declared war on Japan without hesitation. Japans actions had the opposite effect to what they wanted, in trying to keep America at arms length, they made themselves a powerful enemy.
D-Day
D-day was the turning point of the War, France, Britain and America truly united to bring about the end of the War, Hitler, the Nazi's and all they stood for.
Although Germany had managed to get a hold of the intelligence the Allies pursued their attack plans, and in the early stages, 3 months before D-Day they took out all the railways in France and Belgium and blew up bridges to cut Germany off and limit her supplies. They also took on a deceptive tactic to lead the Germans into thinking their attack would be launched further North. In may 1943 they also bombed with force, Britain by night and America by day. Their 24 hour attack left the Germans panicking amongst rubble and debris, they were unable to recover and launch a counter attack. Before D-Day the largest average strike was conducted by 200 planes, the average strike rose to 1,000 during D-Day.
By June 1944 all dilemmas regarding supplies, manpower and machinery were put to rest. The United States and Great Britain launched the largest and heavily supplied attack via water in history. Over 160,000 men landed on French Coastline that day, they successfully fought Germany off the coast of France and gained a strong base in Normandy, 9,000 soldiers were lost that day but over 100,000 continued to march across the border and defeat Hitler.
Over 5,000 ships, 13,000 aircraft and 160,000 men supported the D-Day invasion -- Hitler never stood a chance. Germany didn't officially surrender until May 1945, but D-Day was a permanently damaging blow that crippled Germany beyond repair and eventually put an end the a time of bloodshed, murder and hatred. Hitler committed suicide on April 30 1945 with his evil empire crumbling around him.
D-day was the turning point of the War, France, Britain and America truly united to bring about the end of the War, Hitler, the Nazi's and all they stood for.
Although Germany had managed to get a hold of the intelligence the Allies pursued their attack plans, and in the early stages, 3 months before D-Day they took out all the railways in France and Belgium and blew up bridges to cut Germany off and limit her supplies. They also took on a deceptive tactic to lead the Germans into thinking their attack would be launched further North. In may 1943 they also bombed with force, Britain by night and America by day. Their 24 hour attack left the Germans panicking amongst rubble and debris, they were unable to recover and launch a counter attack. Before D-Day the largest average strike was conducted by 200 planes, the average strike rose to 1,000 during D-Day.
By June 1944 all dilemmas regarding supplies, manpower and machinery were put to rest. The United States and Great Britain launched the largest and heavily supplied attack via water in history. Over 160,000 men landed on French Coastline that day, they successfully fought Germany off the coast of France and gained a strong base in Normandy, 9,000 soldiers were lost that day but over 100,000 continued to march across the border and defeat Hitler.
Over 5,000 ships, 13,000 aircraft and 160,000 men supported the D-Day invasion -- Hitler never stood a chance. Germany didn't officially surrender until May 1945, but D-Day was a permanently damaging blow that crippled Germany beyond repair and eventually put an end the a time of bloodshed, murder and hatred. Hitler committed suicide on April 30 1945 with his evil empire crumbling around him.