1. how did conditions in germany and europe at the end of world war i contribute to the rise and triumph of nazism in germany? 2. how did the german government under nazi rule build support among the german people? 3. how did nazi germany gradually isolate, segregate, impoverish, and incarcerate jews and persecute other perceived enemies of the state between 1933 and 1939? 4. how did the nazis lead germany to war in europe and, with their collaborators, kill millions—including systematically murdering six million jewish people? 5. why is learning about the holocaust important? so we don’t repeat history.

1. After WWI, Germans struggled to understand their country uncertain future. Citizens faced poor economic  conditions, skyrocketing unemployment, political instability and profound social change. Hitler and the Nazi party offered simple solutions to Germany's  problems, exploiting people's fears , frustrations  and hopes to win broad support. A new and unfamiliar democratic form of government, the Weimar Republic, replaced the authoritarian empire and immediately faced daunting challenges. Thousands of Germans waited in lines for work  and food in the early 1920s. Middle class savings were wiped out as severe inflation left the currency worthless. Some burned it for fuel.

2. The Nazi Party recruited , organized,  and produced a newspaper to spread  its message. Hitler proved to be a charismatic leader, and used the latest technology to reach people. The Nazi Party gained broad support , including many in the middle class- intellectuals, civil servants, students, professionals, shopkeepers and clerks ruined by the Depression.

3. After the Nazis assumed power, Jews enjoyed all rights of citizenship in Germany. After 1933, the German government gradually excluded Jews from public life and public education. By 1938, German authorities had isolated and segregated Germany's  Jews, expelling them from the professions and eliminating most opportunities to earn a living. The goal of Nazi propaganda was to demonize Jews and encourage Germans to see Jews as dangerous outsiders in their midst.

4. On September 1, 1939, a massive German force invaded and conquered Poland within a month.  It was the start of the Second World War. In April, 1940, Germany occupied Denmark and Norway. Under conditions of war and military occupation, the Nazi regime could pursue its political and racial goals with more radical measures. The German Army, military SS  and German police units took an active part in authorized mass murders. The German killing squads and their auxiliaries murdered at least two million Jewish men , women and children in mass shooting operations.