The Final Solution:

SS General Reinhard Heydrich

The Nazi's had from the start reserved a hatred for the Jews, blaming them for Germany's problems. This stemmed from their anger over Germany's defeat in WW1 and the economic downfall that followed. Before the war had even been declared, thousands of both German and Austrian Jews fled abroad fearing fierce oppression and persecution.
One of the Nazi's main intentions at the start was to drive the Jews from Germany 'to make them Judenfrei'- free from Jews. Initially, they wanted to force all Jews into the ghettos or force them to emigrate to an island far away from Germany (such as Madagascar). However as the war continued, this idea was neglected as it was deemed too impractical.

During September 1941, a mass killing at Babi Yar saw 33,000 Jews shot and killed over three days. By the end of 1941 over one million Jews had been killed in a similar manner.


Map of contration/death camps

20th January 1942; during a conference between major Nazi leaders a decision came about that public killings were too messy and time consuming for the soldiers and therefore Death camps should be created so that the Jews could be efficiently mass gassed. This was to become known as 'The Final Solution'.
The final solution was concocted by SS General Reinhard Heydrich. Many Death camps were built in Poland since it had one of the densest Jewish populations in the world.

It is estimated that between  five and a half to six million Jews died in what came to be known as the Holocaust.



Sources: The Usborne introduction to the second World War.