The Holocaust: Understanding History's Darkest Chapter
The Holocaust was the systematic murder of over 6 million Jewish people by Nazi Germany during World War II. This wasn't just random violence - it was a carefully planned genocide that shocked the world.
Auschwitz in Poland was the largest and most notorious concentration camp, but there were many others across Nazi-occupied Europe. Jewish people were forced from their homes, packed into these camps, and subjected to horrific conditions including starvation, forced labour, and eventually murder in gas chambers.
The Nazis didn't stop with Jewish people - they also targeted Roma and Sinti people, people with disabilities, gay men, Jehovah's Witnesses, and prisoners of war. Their twisted belief in a so-called "master Aryan race" led them to view anyone different as inferior and expendable.
Key Point: Anti-semitism - hostility, prejudice, or discrimination against Jewish people - was at the heart of Nazi ideology and made the Holocaust possible. Recognising and challenging prejudice in any form is crucial to preventing such tragedies from happening again.