Lessons From The Holocaust Webquest

Lessons Learned From The Holocaust

The Holocaust in Nazi-occupied Europe during World War II was one of the most extensive and shocking acts of genocide in human history. The Holocaust has forced humans to re-evaluate what it means to be a human being and to possess rights, and has forced us to confront disturbing conclusions about human nature. Use the following resources and questions to prepare for a discussion on the Lessons Learned from the Holocaust.

Activity: Lessons Learned from the Holocaust Google Docs Question Worksheet

'Step #1'

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Nuremberg Trials

1. What were the Nuremberg Trials?

• The Nuremberg Trials

2. Look at the info from the Trial of Adolf Eichmann, a German Nazi SS and organizer of the Holocaust. Look at the charges against him and the defense strategy. What is the main defense that Eichmann uses? Do you think this is a valid defense?

• Trial of Adolf Eichmann

Watch the excerpts below from the film Judgement at Nuremberg (1961) which depicts the trial of Nazi leader Ernst Janning.

• Judgement at Nuremberg - Verdict
• Judgement at Nuremberg - World's Guilt

3. In your opinion, who bears ultimate responsibility for the crimes of Nazi Germany? How far can we extend the blame for the Holocaust? Who is guilty? Is the whole world guilty?

What Did the World Know and When?

Read and look through the following short articles:

• When Did the World Find Out About the Holocaust
• West Knew of Holocaust in March 1942
• How the Red Cross Failed Europe's Jews & American POW's

German Resistance in Nazi Germany

Look at the presentation on German Resistance to the Nazi Regime. Enter the password under Guest Password.

• Resistance Movements in Nazi Germany Guest Password: Resources4Teachers! (Case Sensitive)

What Could Have Been Done?

4. Why did the allied forces (Great Britain, France, and U.S.) decide NOT to take action to liberate concentration camps before the end of the war? Do the allied powers bear some responsibility for the Holocaust?

5. Why didn't the European non-Jewish population take more action to defend the rights of the Jews? Are those who did not take action guilty?

The Milgram Experiment

Watch this video of a psychology experiment and be able to answer the question below.

• The Milgram Experiment - Jeroen Busscher

6. One of the many disturbing conclusions that some people have made form the Holocaust is the idea that under the right circumstances, ordinary men can be transformed into murderers. Do you agree with this conclusion? Were those people who participated in the Holocaust "psychopaths" or were they ordinary people? Why do you think ordinary people can be driven to murder?

7. As citizens, when should we follow the law, and when, if ever, is it justifiable to break the law? How would some of the other authors we have discussed answer this question (Locke, Hobbes, Machiavelli, Rousseau)?

8. Josef Stalin is responsible for the deaths of 10-20 million noncombatants and Hitler is responsible for the deaths of 12 million. Why do you think Nazi Germany and the Holocaust gets more attention?

9. The Nuremberg Trials were controversial because it was the first time an international tribunal was trying a defeated nation for war crimes and crimes against humanity. Was it hypocritical for the United States to claim moral superiority over the Germans when the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki could also be seen as crimes against humanity?

What Have We Learned From the Lessons of the the Holocaust?

10. Have we learned anything from the lessons of the Holocaust? Explain your answer and include specific examples.