After World I, the German economy was in shambles and the nation was dejected. Hitler manipulated this state of affairs to legally rise to power and systematically strip German Jews of their rights. This slow increase in oppression culminated on Kristallnacht, the Night of Broken Glass, the night that the Nazi Party realized it could get away with genocide.
Big Ideas
- The path leading up to the Holocaust was long and calculated.
- Humans can come to accept moral atrocities when they are introduced slowly and incrementally.
- Commemorating Kristallnacht is a step towards preventing genocide in the future
Essential Questions
- What was the starting point of the Holocaust?
- How did the Nazis get away with genocide?
- What is the value in commemorating past tragedies?
