Articles Tweet Learning More About Holocaust History While the basics of the Holocaust are fairly well-known, a surprising and alarming number of people don't fully understand the magnitude of this tragic time period or the history leading up to it and what happened during it. Essentially the systematic and state sponsored murder of more than 6 million Jews in Europe over the course of WWII, the Holocaust is something that everyone should spend some time understanding in order to ensure that history doesn't repeat itself. Learning Holocaust history actually doesn't start with the Holocaust itself. Instead, it needs to begin with the roots of the Nazi party and with the growing unrest in Germany. In fact, most historians agree that to fully gauge the Holocaust's history, you must essentially begin with the end of World War I and the deep sanctions put in place against Germany as a result of the ceasefire. The end of WWI led to a difficult period of time in Germany economically and politically, and the country struggled for years following the end of the war. During this time, scapegoats were needed. A growing sentiment of anti-Semitism was growing throughout Germany, and the Jews were frequently being blamed for the hardships facing the country. Out of this rising hate, Hitler was able to rise to power and take over the Nazi party, eventually placing himself as the dictator of the nation. It's important to learn more about how Hitler was able to rise to power since he essentially changed the government of Germany in the process, taking it into a totalitarian regime with himself as the sole leader. And after his rise to power, his subsequent brainwashing of an entire nation began. It is this aspect of Holocaust history that many choose to focus on, largely due to the fact that within a matter of a few years Hitler managed to convince an entire nation that the systematic destruction of a race of people was needed. The behind the scenes, political history of the Holocaust is important but so is the actual Holocaust itself and the atrocities committed during it. Understanding just what happened during this period of time is important, and getting a better idea of just how terrible it really was is important for understanding the full gravity of the Nazi party's actions. Taking the time to learn more about Holocaust history is important for ensuring that these atrocities never occur again, and for remembering those who lost their lives during this dark period of time. Please Help us continue our Holocaust Research by buying our exclusive, award winning Documentary "Hitler's Children". Thank you! Photo credit: _rockinfree / Foter.com / CC BY End of the Holocaust Why Did The Holocaust Happen?