World War 2: The Holocaust for Kids

Study Notes

The Holocaust

The Holocaust was a terrible event in human history that occurred during World War II when Hitler was leader of Germany.
Six million Jewish people were murdered by the Nazis, including as many as 1 million Jewish children.
Millions of other people that Hitler didn't like were killed as well, including Polish people, Catholics, Serbs, and disabled people.
It is estimated that the Nazis murdered as many as 17 million innocent people.

Why did Hitler and the Nazis do it?

Hitler hated Jewish people and blamed them for Germany losing World War I.
He considered Jewish people to be less than human and believed in the superiority of the Aryan race.
Hitler wanted to use Darwinism and breeding to create a race of perfect people.
He wrote in his book Mein Kampf that he would rid Germany of all Jews when he became ruler.

Ghettos

During World War II, when the Nazis took over a city in Europe, they would force all Jewish people into one area of town, called a ghetto.
The ghetto was fenced in with barbed wire and guarded, with little food, water, or medicine available.
It was also very crowded, with multiple families sharing a single room to live in.

Concentration Camps

All Jewish people were eventually brought to concentration camps, where they were forced to do hard labor.
The weak were quickly killed or died of starvation, and some camps even had gas chambers.
People would be led into the chambers in large groups, only to be killed with poison gas.

Hiding

Many Jewish people hid from the Nazis during World War II, often with non-Jewish families.
They would sometimes pretend to be part of the family, and sometimes hide in hidden rooms or in a basement or attic.
Some were able to eventually escape across the border into a free country, but many hid for years.

Stories and Heroes of the Holocaust

Anne Frank's Diary tells the real-life story of a young girl who hid from the Nazis for two years before being captured and killed in a concentration camp.
Schindler's List tells the story of Oskar Schindler, a German businessman who saved the lives of over one thousand Jewish people.
The Hiding Place tells the true story of Corrie ten Boom, a Dutch lady who helped to hide Jewish people from the Nazis.

Description

Learn about the tragic events of the Holocaust, one of the most devastating times in human history, during World War II. Discover how Hitler and the Nazis affected millions of people, including Jewish children, Polish people, and others.