The Holocaust was one of the greatest atrocities known to man. This paper will clearly show the cruelty, death destruction that was caused during the Holocaust. In addition, this paper will overview the background and goals of the one man responsible for this great tragedy.

"Holocaust" is the name given to the mass murder of six million Jewish people in Europe during World War II, from the period of 1933- 1945. The word "Holocaust" originally meant widespread destruction by fire. By the end of the war, the word Holocaust became known as the destruction of Jews in Europe by Nazis.

The Jews were treated horribly. The cruelty inflicted on the Jews began on "The Night of Broken Glass", on November 9th-10th, 1938. On that night, Storm Troopers went through Jewish cities and burned two hundred and sixty seven synagogues. The Nazis also arrested 20,000 Jews.

Nazis tried to find the longest and most painful way for Jews to die. For Example, thirty three thousand seven hundred and seventy one Jews were machine- gunned on September 29th- 30th, 1941. Millions of Jews were forced to leave their homes and were imprisoned in concentration camps. Jews were also required to pay a four hundred million dollar fine to pay damage done to there own property.

By the end of the war, over two-thirds of the Jews in Europe were killed. Six million Jews were slaughtered. Also, about two thousand Jewish women raped and killed.

After a decision was made to remove all Jews from Germany, mass arrests began in 1938, which is when slave labor camps were established. The first German concentration camp named Dachua, was established in 1938. Between five and six million Jews died. Two million Jews died in a concentration camp named Auschwitz. Auschwitz was the main extermination camp. Auschwitz was also known as "The Death Camp".

More than half of the Jews killed, were exterminated at the camps. The types of methods used to kill the Jews at the camps were: carbon monoxide, electrocution, phenol injections, flame-throwers, hand grenades and machine guns. If Jews weren't killed immediately, they were placed in concentration camps and killed by punishment.

The one man responsible for the killing of six million Jews was Adolf Hitler. Adolf Hitler was born April 20, 1889 in Austria. When Hitler got older, he was convinced that both Germany and himself were "stabbed in the back" by the Jewish people in Europe. Hitler's goal was to exterminate all Jews in Europe.

By the time Hitler's life ended he succeeded in killing two-thirds of the Jews in Europe. Adolf Hitler ended his own life by committing suicide in his bombproof bunker on April 30, 1945 in Berlin, Germany.

The most unbelievable aspect of the Holocaust is the fact that it was planned and executed because of one insane man. The twelve years, in which the Holocaust took place, were the most horrific and destructive years known to man.

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