Background of the Holocaust: Ideology and Events

In order to understand the impact of the Holocaust you will need to learn about the background of the event. For this web-quest, you will be gaining knowledge on Nazi ideology, the gradual implementation of restrictions on Jews and the events that preceded the systematic elimination of Jewish people in Nazi concentration camps. To demonstrate you have learned and understood the themes of segregation, oppression and genocide in World War II, you will be required to submit your answers to me at the commencement of tomorrow’s lesson.In order to understand the impact of the Holocaust you will need to learn about the background of the event. For this web-quest, you will be gaining knowledge on Nazi ideology, the gradual implementation of restrictions on Jews and the events that preceded the systematic elimination of Jewish people in Nazi concentration camps. To demonstrate you have learned and understood the themes of segregation, oppression and genocide in World War II, you will be required to submit your answers to me at the commencement of tomorrow’s lesson.

Your task is to answer the questions provided on the ‘Process’ tab. You will do this by incorporating your reading from the links provided and using appropriate grammar to do so (full sentences, academic diction, punctuation). I will require answers that show detailed consideration of the question – therefore, I will not accept short answers or single-sentence responses. Please use the ‘Evaluation’ tab to assist you in crafting your responses if you are unsure of my requirements. When you finish, please submit your responses in a Word document to the school server, using the information on the board to guide you. Your documents will be due at the start of the following session.

Please use the following links to answer the questions provided. All questions are to be answered in your own words. For some questions, you may find the answer spread among a few links rather than a single site.

https://www.ushmm.org/wlc/en/article.php?ModuleId=10007457

http://alphahistory.com/nazigermany/nazi-ideology/

https://www.ushmm.org/learn/timeline-of-events/before-1933

http://www.bl.uk/learning/histcitizen/voices/testimonies/life/backgd/before.html

https://fcit.usf.edu/holocaust/timeline/nazifica.htm

(Feel free to use the links provided on this site to gain a deeper understanding of concepts!)

http://www.pbs.org/auschwitz/40-45/background/ideology.html

https://www.ushmm.org/wlc/en/article.php?ModuleId=10005059

QUESTIONS:

Who were the primary groups targeted by Nazi ideology?

What was social Darwinism? What were the beliefs and ideas that formed this ideology?

How did social Darwinism influence Nazi ideology?

How were Jewish people perceived through the lens of social Darwinism in Nazi ideology?

Why did Hitler desire Lebensraum, or more living space – what benefit would this have to the ‘Aryan’ race?

Why did Hitler desire the elimination of non-Aryans?

What were the core tenets of Nazi ideology? Please name each and summarise briefly.

How did Hitler consolidate POLITICAL power in his early tenure as Chancellor of Germany?

When was the first concentration camp opened? What was it called, and what was it used for?

What was “The Burning of the Books”? What happened, and why?

What was “The Night of the Long Knives”? What happened, and why?

What were the Nuremberg Laws, and how did they affect Germany?

How did Hitler enact his desire for Lebensraum, or more living space? (Who was invaded, when and what happened?)

What was “The Night of Broken Glass”? What happened, and why?

Aside from Jews, who else was targeted by the Nazis? Why?

How were the handicapped treated under the Nazi regime?

What were ghettos, and how were they used under Nazi rule?

Why was war declared in 1939?

In order to successfully complete this task, you must:

• Craft detailed and extended answers for each question. Each answer should be at least ONE PARAGRAPH long.
• Include all relevant ideas, dates, people and events in your responses.
• Demonstrate appropriate use of grammar, including punctuation, academic diction and use of full sentences.
• Answer each question in your own words – plagiarism will not be tolerated. There is no need to provide quotes or sources for this quest.

This web-quest outlines the ideas central to Nazi ideology and how they affected target groups in Germany and beyond, as well as outlining the events that led up to World War II and the Nazis’ consolidation of power to oppress the Jews. Now that you have completed this web-quest, you are equipped with the understanding to fully comprehend the scale and horror of the Holocaust, as well as its effects on the Jewish population. You will be required to use this understanding in order to assess the importance of the Holocaust, though you will not need to remember significant dates or people unless you feel these are important to your responses for the next assessment. 

Please see the Process section of this webquest for a complete list of website, book, and media resources.

Title: Background of the Holocaust: Ideology and Events

Year Level: 10-12

Key concepts: Nazi ideology, events leading up to World War II

This WebQuest was created as part of a university task that aims to equip pre-service teachers with the required skills to become a successful Social Sciences teacher for secondary school. The WebQuest is most appropriately used before commencement of study on the Holocaust - it is useful both as an introductory tool and a review of previous key events in the World War II timeline, though students will benefit most with prior knowledge of Hitler, the Nazi party and pre-World War II Germany.