HIS 274 - The Holocaust

1. Describe the history of hatred against the Jews and other ethnic, religious, and political groups of Europe, the origins of racism and anti-Semitism from antiquity to the 19^th century, and social, political, economic and cultural developments in the 20^th century that helped create a climate in which the Holocaust could occur.
2. Explain the rise of the Nazi Party, Hitler’s ascension to power, and the creation of the racial state – the Third Reich, during the prewar period (1933-1939).
3. Describe the processes which culminated in genocide during World War II, from the isolation of the victims to the “Final Solution,” and include reactions to the Holocaust by perpetrators, victims, rescuers, bystanders, and those who resisted (1939-1945).
4. Describe the aftermath of the Holocaust, including for example the death marches, the Nuremberg War Crimes Trials, the United Nations Genocide Convention, and the return or resettlement of the Jews (1945-).
5. Explain connections between the Holocaust and relevant events of the 1980’s, 1990’s, and the beginning of the 21^st century, including Holocaust denial and deniers, racism, the value of diversity, and the legacy of the Holocaust for the future.