Groups Other Than Jewish People
Thesis: Many groups of people other than Jews were affected by the Holocaust.
I. Holocaust background
A. What is the Holocaust?
1. The word Holocaust literally means sacrifice by fire. Today, it refers to the systematic, state-sponsored persecution and murder of six million Jews by the Nazi regime, led by Adolf Hitler (Introduction to the Holocaust). What isn’t as widely known is the fact that in addition to these six million Jewish people, another five million people, consisting of gypsies, homosexuals, African-German, children, and others, were also killed (The Holocaust: Non-Jewish Victims). The Holocaust lasted from lasted from around 1933-1945 (Introduction to the Holocaust).
B. What was the goal of the …show more content…
Priests and Pastors died for their beliefs
1. Hitler wanted to create a new religion worshipping his Nazi ideology in place of Jesus Christ. Because Catholic priests and Christian pastors were usually influential figures in their communities, they were sought out by the Nazis very early on as to decrease as much resistance as possible. Thousands of these priests and pastors were forced into concentration camps. Some were executed, but most were allowed to die slowly by means of starvation or disease (The Holocaust: Non-Jewish Victims).
B. Jehovah’s Witnesses
1. Throughout the Holocaust there was perhaps no other group that stood as firmly in their beliefs as the Jehovah’s Witnesses. They refused to acknowledge any other God but their own and rejected Hitler’s Nazi ideology, and were punished because of it (The Holocaust: Non-Jewish Victims). It is approximated that 3,000 Jehovah’s Witnesses were incarcerated in concentration camps. Nearly a third of them died there. Another 250 were shot after being convicted by a military tribunal (Mosaic of Victims: In Depth).
V. Even more were targeted for being homosexual or disabled
A. Homosexuals were captured, humiliated, and …show more content…
Euthanization is the act of putting to death painlessly someone or something suffering from an incurable disease or condition; it is supposed to be a mercy killing and a last resort. This usually a practice reserved for animals, pets mostly, when there are no other options. The Nazis, under Hitler’s direction, decided that it was a waste of time and money to support the disabled. Shortly after his rise to power in 1933, Hitler established his infamous Euthanasia Program. It allowed for the killing of at least 200,000 mentally and physically disabled patients, mainly Germans, living in institutionalized settings (Introduction to the Holocaust). Some of these patients were small children with disabilities who were murdered in institutions throughout Germany and Austria. Others were disabled adults who were unable to work. They were killed by starvation, deliberately untreated disease, poisoning and lethal injection (Mosaic of Victims: In
Thesis: Many groups of people other than Jews were affected by the Holocaust.
I. Holocaust background
A. What is the Holocaust?
1. The word Holocaust literally means sacrifice by fire. Today, it refers to the systematic, state-sponsored persecution and murder of six million Jews by the Nazi regime, led by Adolf Hitler (Introduction to the Holocaust). What isn’t as widely known is the fact that in addition to these six million Jewish people, another five million people, consisting of gypsies, homosexuals, African-German, children, and others, were also killed (The Holocaust: Non-Jewish Victims). The Holocaust lasted from lasted from around 1933-1945 (Introduction to the Holocaust).
B. What was the goal of the …show more content…
Priests and Pastors died for their beliefs
1. Hitler wanted to create a new religion worshipping his Nazi ideology in place of Jesus Christ. Because Catholic priests and Christian pastors were usually influential figures in their communities, they were sought out by the Nazis very early on as to decrease as much resistance as possible. Thousands of these priests and pastors were forced into concentration camps. Some were executed, but most were allowed to die slowly by means of starvation or disease (The Holocaust: Non-Jewish Victims).
B. Jehovah’s Witnesses
1. Throughout the Holocaust there was perhaps no other group that stood as firmly in their beliefs as the Jehovah’s Witnesses. They refused to acknowledge any other God but their own and rejected Hitler’s Nazi ideology, and were punished because of it (The Holocaust: Non-Jewish Victims). It is approximated that 3,000 Jehovah’s Witnesses were incarcerated in concentration camps. Nearly a third of them died there. Another 250 were shot after being convicted by a military tribunal (Mosaic of Victims: In Depth).
V. Even more were targeted for being homosexual or disabled
A. Homosexuals were captured, humiliated, and …show more content…
Euthanization is the act of putting to death painlessly someone or something suffering from an incurable disease or condition; it is supposed to be a mercy killing and a last resort. This usually a practice reserved for animals, pets mostly, when there are no other options. The Nazis, under Hitler’s direction, decided that it was a waste of time and money to support the disabled. Shortly after his rise to power in 1933, Hitler established his infamous Euthanasia Program. It allowed for the killing of at least 200,000 mentally and physically disabled patients, mainly Germans, living in institutionalized settings (Introduction to the Holocaust). Some of these patients were small children with disabilities who were murdered in institutions throughout Germany and Austria. Others were disabled adults who were unable to work. They were killed by starvation, deliberately untreated disease, poisoning and lethal injection (Mosaic of Victims: In