What was the Holocaust?
The Holocaust was the execution of approximately 6 million Jewish people and millions of others. This included the Soviet prisoners of war, polish and soviet civilians, homosexuals, people with disabilities, people who didn’t follow Hitler or were in opposing political parties and religious groups. This was led by the Nazi German leader; Hitler who had control of Germany at the time. This made the total execution, 11 to 17 million people killed in the time Hitler served as leader. It was referred to the holocaust from the meaning in Greek as “whole burnt” which was how the Jews were killed until 1941 when they were killed by poison gas. This saved Hitler a lot of time, money and allowed him to have a lot more soldiers at war.
What were some of the key anti-Semitic ideas that drove the Holocaust?
The Germans felt that the Jewish and other ethnic groups took all their jobs and took away the money that they deserved. They didn’t fit the normal stature of what they believed to be a human which was typically blond hair blue eyes. They didn’t believe that people who were dark skin or had big noses (they described Jews this way) didn’t fit in to their pure blood society. Hitler and his followers feared these people as there were a lot of them in Germany. They thought the Jewish and other systematic groups would take control of Germany and have it as their own.
What were some of the Anti-Semitic laws that were part of the build up to the Holocaust?
When Hitler was put in power as Reich Chancellor in January 30, 1933 the Reichstag (the German parliament) introduced a series of laws.
April 7, 1933:
Law regarding admission to the Bar
People who were Jewish may be denied access to the bar.
April 25, 1933:
Law against the crowding of German schools and institution of higher learning
Children that were Jewish are not counted to be a part of Germany’s community and have to leave the school and go elsewhere.

September 15, 1935:
Nuremburg Laws:
The Nuremburg laws were the start of the attack on the Jewish. This marked a sharp push forward to an irreversible anti-Semitic policy.
September 15, 1935:
Law for the protection of German blood and German honour:
The marriages between Jews and Germans or people who were related are not allowed. Intercourse is not aloud between Jews and Germans or people who are related. Jewish civilians cannot carry the Reich flag, the national flag or Reich colours. Jews were however allowed to carry the Jewish flag.
September 15, 1935:
Reich Citizenship laws:
A Reich citizen has to be loyal to the country and to serve Germany.
November 14, 1935:
First Degree of the Reich citizenship law:
Jews are not considered to be German citizens. They are not allowed to vote in politics and cannot hold a public office. A Jew is anyone descended from 3 grandparents or 2. You are also consider a Jew if you belong to a Jewish religious group, who was married to a Jew, offspring of a marriage concluded by a Jew and offspring of intercourse with a Jew.
August 17, 1938:
Second decree for the implantation of the law regarding changes of family names:
Jews can only be given names that are listed in the ‘Guidelines of Use’ that was introduced by the Reich minister. These names were Israel for males and Sarah for females as of the beginning of January 1, 1939.

How were Jews economically exploited by the Holocaust?
The Holocaust economically exploited the Jews by stealing all of their money that they earn from the banks. In the early parts they didn’t shop at their businesses and told others that it was a Jewish shop so people wouldn’t go there. Then later on they would either destroy their business or take them as their own. The Holocaust decided to take the homes of the Jewish community and send them to concentration camps and ghettos. There they would be tortured, starve them to death or kill them. If they were not killed they would be working as slaves for the German empire to create