The Holocaust
The Nazis systematically murdered six million Jews and millions of others.
About this topic
The Holocaust was the systematic, state-sponsored persecution and murder of about six million Jews by Nazi Germany and its collaborators between 1933 and 1945. Millions of others were also killed, including Roma, disabled people, Polish and Soviet civilians and prisoners of war, political opponents, Jehovah's Witnesses and gay men. It grew from centuries of antisemitism, which Nazis turned into racial ideology.
Persecution escalated in steps: the Nuremberg Laws of 1935 stripped Jews of citizenship, Kristallnacht in November 1938 saw synagogues burned, and Jews were forced into ghettos such as Warsaw. After 1941 mobile killing squads (Einsatzgruppen) shot people, and in 1942 the Nazis adopted the Final Solution, murdering people in extermination camps like Auschwitz-Birkenau, Treblinka and Sobibor using gas chambers.
There was also resistance, such as the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising in 1943, and rescuers who risked their lives, like Oskar Schindler and Raoul Wallenberg. Camps were liberated by Allied troops in 1944 to 1945, and the Nuremberg Trials prosecuted leaders, helping define crimes against humanity. The term genocide was coined by Raphael Lemkin. Remember that ordinary people, silence and propaganda enabled it. Studying it teaches the danger of hatred and indifference, and the phrase never again. Misconception: denial and distortion are contradicted by overwhelming evidence, including Nazi records, survivors and photographs.
Key ideas
- Concentration and extermination camps
- Nuremberg trials
- "Never again"
Quick check
Use cases: where The Holocaust helps
- Homework: review the key idea behind The Holocaust before you start a problem set.
- Exam revision: use the quick check to test whether you can recall The Holocaust without notes.
- Visual learning: play with the interactive lab to see how The Holocaust changes when you adjust its inputs.
- Teaching a friend: explain The Holocaust in your own words, then compare your version with the key ideas.
Studying the past helps explain today’s politics, borders, cultures and institutions.
Frequently asked questions
What is The Holocaust?
The Nazis systematically murdered six million Jews and millions of others.
What will I learn in The Holocaust?
Concentration and extermination camps. Nuremberg trials. "Never again".
Is The Holocaust part of World History?
Yes. It is one of 80 World History topics on LearnViz HighSchoolEdu, with 3 key ideas, a live animation and a quick check.
Does the The Holocaust lab work on a phone or tablet?
Yes. The animation resizes to fit your screen and supports touch, so you can drag, tap and slide with your finger.
How should I study The Holocaust?
Read the summary and key ideas first, play with the interactive lab to see the idea in motion, then answer the quick check. If you get a question wrong, go back to the key idea it tests.
Do I need an account, and is my progress saved?
No account is needed. Marking a topic as learned is saved in your own browser, so it stays on that device and is not sent to a server.