Treatment of the Jews in the Early Years of War

Test yourself

The Einsatzgruppen

The Einsatzgruppen were a paramilitary unit repsonsible for killings in World War Two.

Mass murder of Polish Jews

In September 1939, Germany invaded Poland. The Einsatzgruppen killed thousands of Polish Jews.
By the end of World War Two, 90% of the Jewish population in Poland were killed.

The Einsatzgruppen

The Einsatzgruppen were Nazi paramilitary death squads.
They were under the control of Himmler.
The Einsatzgruppen were in charge of murdering the Jewish populations in countries Germany invaded.
Their techniques included mass shootings, beatings and burnings.

Ghettoes in World War Two

Ghettoes were parts of cities which housed Jews. They were segregated from the non-Jewish community. Conditions in ghettoes were appalling.

Establishing ghettos

The creation of ghettos was very random and was not uniform across Poland and other countries in Europe.
This tells us that they were built in response to local circumstances.
For example, the first ghetto in Poland was created in October 1939 in Piotrkow Trybunalski. Whereas the last ghetto was created in March 1941 in Lublin.

Conditions in ghettos

Ghettos were overcrowded, short of water, food, electricity. Disease, starvation and even dying of thirst were rife.
For example in Warsaw, the ghetto was 15% of the city's housing stock but housed a third of the city's population.
Jews leaving the ghetto without permission could be executed.

Control of ghettoes

Ghettos were run by Nazi-appointed Jewish Councils and Jewish police force.

Historical assessment

Ulrich Herbert (1999) studied the Galicia region of Poland in 1941/2 and he shows how ghettoes were often built in reaction to local circumstances.
- In 1941 after the invasion of the Soviet Union the Germans realised they could not deal with the 'Jewish Problem' by deportation to the USSR.
- Jews were put into a ghetto in Lvov which was overcrowded and full of hunger and disease. Local authorities hoped that this would encourage the Nazis to take more extreme measures against the Jews.

1The Weimar Republic 1918-1933

1.1Establishment Of The Weimar Republic 1918-1924

1.1.1Post WW1

1.1.2Weimar Constitution

1.1.3Peace Settlement

1.1.4End of Topic Test - Germany Post WW1

1.1.5Economic Issues

1.1.6Economic Issues 2

1.1.7Social Issues

1.1.8End of Topic Test - Economic & Social Issues

1.1.9Extremist Threats

1.1.10Extremist Threats 2

1.1.11End of Topic Test - Extremist Threats

1.1.12Political Instability & The Invasion of the Ruhr

1.1.13Weimar Government by 1924

1.1.14End of Topic Test - Weimar Government by 1924

1.1.15A-A* (AO3/4) - Germany Post WW1

1.2The 'Golden Age' Of The Weimar Republic 1924-1928

1.2.1Economic Developments

1.2.2Industry & Agriculture

1.2.3End of Topic Test - Economic Developments

1.2.4Social Developments

1.2.5Social Developments 2

1.2.6End of Topic Test - Social Developments

1.2.7Political Parties

1.2.8Political Stability

1.2.9End of Topic Test - Weimar Politics

1.2.10Germany's International Position

1.2.11Germany's International Position 2

1.2.12End of Topic Test - International Position

1.2.13A-A* (AO3/4) - The Weimar 'Golden Age'

1.3The Collapse of Democracy 1928-1933

1.3.1The Impact Of The Depression

1.3.2Politics After The Depression

1.3.3The Appeal Of Extremism

1.3.4End of Topic Test - The Depression & Politics

1.3.5'Backstairs Intrigue'

1.3.6'Backstairs Intrigue' 2

1.3.7End of Topic Test - Backstairs Intrigue

1.3.8Political Developments

1.3.9The State by March 1933

1.3.10End of Topic Test - Political Developments

1.3.11A-A* (AO3/4) - The Collapse of Democracy

2Nazi Germany 1933-1945

2.1The Nazi Dictatorship 1933-1939

2.1.1Hitler's Consolidation Of Power

2.1.2The Terror State

2.1.3End of Topic Test - Consolidation of Power

2.1.4Opposition

2.1.5Propaganda

2.1.6A-A* (AO3/4) - Terror State & Propaganda

2.1.7End of Topic Test - Propaganda

2.1.8Economic Policies

2.1.9Economic Policies 2

2.1.10Impact Of Economic Policies

2.1.11Impact Of Economic Policies 2

2.1.12End of Topic Test - Economic Policies

2.1.13Social Policies

2.1.14Social Policies 2

2.1.15Volksgemeinschaft

2.1.16End of Topic Test - Social Policies

2.1.17A-A* (AO3/4) - Economic & Social Policies

2.2The Racial State 1933-1941

2.2.1The Radicalisation Of The State

2.2.2Anti-Semitism

2.2.3Development Of Anti-Semitic Policies

2.2.4Development Of Anti-Semitic Policies 2

2.2.5End of Topic Test - Anti-Semitism

2.2.6Treatment of the Jews in the Early Years of War

2.2.7Deportation & Anti-Semitism Evaluation

2.2.8End of Topic Test - Early Treatment of the Jews

2.2.9A-A* (AO3/4) - The Racial State

2.3The Impact Of War 1939-1945

2.3.1Home Front

2.3.2Impact On Society

2.3.3Impact On Society 2

2.3.4End of Topic Test - Impact of the War

2.3.5War Economy

2.3.6War Economy 2

2.3.7Policies Towards The Jews & Untermenschen

2.3.8A-A* (AO3/4) - Impact of the War

2.3.9End of Topic Test - War Economy

2.3.10Opposition

2.3.11Opposition 2

2.3.12Nazi State by 1945

2.3.13End of Topic Test - Opposition

2.3.14A-A* (AO3/4) - Opposition & The State in 1945

Jump to other topics