Primary Sources
These primary sources are pictures and documents that have a direct link to the Nazi party and the start of the Holocaust. Click on the blue text to go to the source:
The Treaty of Versailles
"The Versailles Treaty June 28, 1919." Yale Law School. Yale Law School, n.d. Web. 8 May 2013.
This source provides the actual text of the Treaty of Versailles that Germany was forced to sign at the end of WWI. The text specifically states that Germany was responsible for the war. In article 231, Germany admitted full responsibility to the war which led to article 232, which states that Germany must pay reparations. These reparations were for all the damage Germany had caused to the Allies. In articles 233-247, the Treaty annexes land from Germany. These lands include East Prussia, Poland, and Estonia. These lands were now controlled by the Allied powers. The last major component this Treaty had against Germany was in articles 159-213. This stated that Germany was not allowed to have submarines, tanks, or an Air Force. It also limited the number of men allowed in their Navy. This treaty left Germany poor, defenseless, and humiliated.
The Treaty of Versailles was not a direct factor of the Holocaust but it did help the rise of nationalists parties in Germany. The people of Germany wanted power back and resented the Treaty. This resentment was used to fuel the support of nationalists parties and Adolf Hitler. Hitler and these nationalists parties supported the re-building of German Military (which violated the Treaty) and hard work ethic to get Germany out of its poor state.
Excerpts from Mein Kampf
A. Hitler, Mein Kampf ("My Struggle"), Houghton Mifflin, New York: Hutchinson Publ. Ltd., London, 1969.
These excerpts from Hitler's biography show the specific hatred he had against Jews. Hitler states that he was sent by God to defend his country against the Jews. Hitler thought Jews were evil and calls for a genocide of their race many times. This wasn't an uncommon view in Western Europe at this time. Jews were thought to contaminate every part of life including art, theater and beauty. Hitler also thought their ethics and morals were not the same as those who weren't Jewish. Mein Kampf basically makes Jews look like the scum of the Earth.
After WWI and the Treaty of Versailles Mein Kampf book sales soared. This was because Hitler was becoming more prominent in politics and in nationalist views. His book was being used in classrooms all over Germany and was even given out by the government as a present when couples got married. Hitler's views on Jews were influencing people all over Germany and became a similar view of the entire nation.
Hitler Becomes Chancellor of Germany
Hitler Becomes Chancellor of Germany II
"Hitler Made Chancellor." New York Times 31 01 1933, VOL. LXXXI n. pag. Print.
Many thought that when Hitler became Chancellor of Germany his power and very radical nationalist views would subside. From the newspaper headline, you can see that it says the coalition cabinet has limited his power in that position. A smaller headline after that says that "Hitler Pledges a Fight in Cabinet". Even though Hitler was given this position to stop him from trying to become a dictator, his supporters saw this a a win for their party. This was only the beginning of Hitler's power. The position of Chancellor allowed Hitler to persuade other cabinet members to think the way he did and from this position he was able to appoint members of the Nazi party into the cabinet and eventually take over as dictator when President Hindenburg died.
The Nuremberg Laws
Nuremberg Race Laws Chart. N.d. Photograph. United States Holocaust Memory Museum, Washington, DC. Web. 8 May 2013.
The Nuremberg Laws were one of the first laws that directly affected Jews. These laws also showed Germany how much power the Nazi Party had. This specific picture is a chart each Jew or German had to look at to determine what race they were and who they were allowed to marry and reproduce with. It basically was a legal separation of Jews and Germans. Any person that had three Jewish grandparents were considered fully Jewish. Any person with two Jewish grandparents were half Jew. If a person had one Jewish grandparent, they were quarter Jew. If a person were considered any part of Jewish, they lost their German citizenship, could not have any German flags, and could not marry/reproduce with Aryans. These laws exiled Jews from the rest of Germany and paved the way to the Holocaust.
"The Versailles Treaty June 28, 1919." Yale Law School. Yale Law School, n.d. Web. 8 May 2013.
This source provides the actual text of the Treaty of Versailles that Germany was forced to sign at the end of WWI. The text specifically states that Germany was responsible for the war. In article 231, Germany admitted full responsibility to the war which led to article 232, which states that Germany must pay reparations. These reparations were for all the damage Germany had caused to the Allies. In articles 233-247, the Treaty annexes land from Germany. These lands include East Prussia, Poland, and Estonia. These lands were now controlled by the Allied powers. The last major component this Treaty had against Germany was in articles 159-213. This stated that Germany was not allowed to have submarines, tanks, or an Air Force. It also limited the number of men allowed in their Navy. This treaty left Germany poor, defenseless, and humiliated.
The Treaty of Versailles was not a direct factor of the Holocaust but it did help the rise of nationalists parties in Germany. The people of Germany wanted power back and resented the Treaty. This resentment was used to fuel the support of nationalists parties and Adolf Hitler. Hitler and these nationalists parties supported the re-building of German Military (which violated the Treaty) and hard work ethic to get Germany out of its poor state.
Excerpts from Mein Kampf
A. Hitler, Mein Kampf ("My Struggle"), Houghton Mifflin, New York: Hutchinson Publ. Ltd., London, 1969.
These excerpts from Hitler's biography show the specific hatred he had against Jews. Hitler states that he was sent by God to defend his country against the Jews. Hitler thought Jews were evil and calls for a genocide of their race many times. This wasn't an uncommon view in Western Europe at this time. Jews were thought to contaminate every part of life including art, theater and beauty. Hitler also thought their ethics and morals were not the same as those who weren't Jewish. Mein Kampf basically makes Jews look like the scum of the Earth.
After WWI and the Treaty of Versailles Mein Kampf book sales soared. This was because Hitler was becoming more prominent in politics and in nationalist views. His book was being used in classrooms all over Germany and was even given out by the government as a present when couples got married. Hitler's views on Jews were influencing people all over Germany and became a similar view of the entire nation.
Hitler Becomes Chancellor of Germany
Hitler Becomes Chancellor of Germany II
"Hitler Made Chancellor." New York Times 31 01 1933, VOL. LXXXI n. pag. Print.
Many thought that when Hitler became Chancellor of Germany his power and very radical nationalist views would subside. From the newspaper headline, you can see that it says the coalition cabinet has limited his power in that position. A smaller headline after that says that "Hitler Pledges a Fight in Cabinet". Even though Hitler was given this position to stop him from trying to become a dictator, his supporters saw this a a win for their party. This was only the beginning of Hitler's power. The position of Chancellor allowed Hitler to persuade other cabinet members to think the way he did and from this position he was able to appoint members of the Nazi party into the cabinet and eventually take over as dictator when President Hindenburg died.
The Nuremberg Laws
Nuremberg Race Laws Chart. N.d. Photograph. United States Holocaust Memory Museum, Washington, DC. Web. 8 May 2013.
The Nuremberg Laws were one of the first laws that directly affected Jews. These laws also showed Germany how much power the Nazi Party had. This specific picture is a chart each Jew or German had to look at to determine what race they were and who they were allowed to marry and reproduce with. It basically was a legal separation of Jews and Germans. Any person that had three Jewish grandparents were considered fully Jewish. Any person with two Jewish grandparents were half Jew. If a person had one Jewish grandparent, they were quarter Jew. If a person were considered any part of Jewish, they lost their German citizenship, could not have any German flags, and could not marry/reproduce with Aryans. These laws exiled Jews from the rest of Germany and paved the way to the Holocaust.