Phases of the Holocaust Timeline by Boden Phifer

Phase 1: Defining Jews as the Common Enemy

bphifer29_ — 2025-02-26 00:04:53 UTC

In the first phase of the Holocaust, the Nazis started to objectify the Jews, and would classify them as the enemy. The Nazis made it so that the Jews were seen almost like the bad guys. This belief was mostly based on old stories, and myths that Hitler escalated throughout his rule of Germany. One example of this classification of Jews was when the Jewish badge was introduced in Germany. This badge was a yellow patch in the shape of the Star of David. This was introduced in Germany on September 1, 1941. The Nazis wanted to make it so that the Jews were a distinct race, and not just a culture or religion.

Phase 2: Isolating/Segregating Jews from Society

bphifer29_ — 2025-02-26 00:26:18 UTC

After the first step of classifying the Jews as the enemy in Germany the Nazis started to isolate the Jews from society. An example of the Nazis excluding Jews from society was the Boycott of Jewish businesses starting the April of 1933. The Nazis launched a one day boycott of all Jewish owned businesses. The Germans claimed that the Jews were spreading propaganda, and were hurting Germany’s reputation. This was one of the first events that drove the Jews from the German economy. This shows the Nazis trying to exclude the Jews from German society.

Phase 3: Jewish Emigration throughout Germany

bphifer29_ — 2025-02-26 00:51:44 UTC

Along with the Nazis strict rules against the Jews, they also attempted to push Jews out of Germany and to occupied German territories. The conditions in Germany were so horrible for the Jews that some were pressured to leave. However, because of the heavy restrictions on Jews the majority didn’t escape. The Evian Conference was an event where representatives and diplomats from 32 different countries discussed the refugee crisis of Jews moving out of Germany. Most countries said that they wouldn’t be open to accepting more Jews. This conference was in 1938, so WW2 had started, and Jews were trying to flee Germany.

Phase 4: Ghettoization

bphifer29_ — 2025-02-26 15:22:16 UTC

While the Nazis stretched their power and influence in European society, they also forced the Jews to live in closed (or sometimes open) off sections of a city called Ghettos. The conditions in these ghettos were downright horrible with barely enough food and resources for the Jews. The Nazis just wanted to take away human dignity for the Jews, and to make it so the Jews felt helpless. In the photo above it includes a map of Eastern Europe through 1941 and 1942, and how many Ghettos there really were during the time.

Phase 5: Deportation of the Jews

bphifer29_ — 2025-02-26 22:07:15 UTC

This phase is when the Nazis moved Jews out of ghettos or where they lived, and brought them to concentration camps throughout Germany and the territories they occupied. In the book Night by Elie Wiesel, Elie was transported to the Auschwitz concentration camp by train. This was how many Jews got deported †o the Nazis concentration camps. Elie Wiesel describes the train to Auschwitz inhumane with many people packed inside of one car. This picture above shows Elie Wiesel.

Phase 6: Mass Murder - “The Final Solution”

bphifer29_ — 2025-02-26 22:25:00 UTC

The Final Solution was the plan to kill all Jews. This was the most horrific phase of the Holocaust, and was when the most killing took place. Millions of Jews died. This killing mostly took place in the concentration camps with Jews being worked to death, shot, or being put inside of gas chambers. These gas chambers were buildings with a large amount of Jews were put inside just to die all at once. One event regarding this mass murder was the Euthanasia Decree. This was a secret Nazi policy Hitler signed in 1939 to kill people with disabilities. This was considered as Germany’s first program of mass murder. Historians think about 250,000 innocent people died because of this program. The picture above shows the letter that Hitler signed in the bottom right granting permission to kill ill and disabled people.