The Holocaust of millions of Jews was the worst assault against humanity in the 20th century

The Holocaust of millions of Jews was the worst assault against humanity in the 20th century. The people responsible for carrying such massacres often gathered Jewish people and others into ghettos. The Warsaw Ghetto is one the most studied of the Ghettos established by Germany. The discussion will also focus on the Warsaw uprising.
The Warsaw Ghetto was located in Warsaw, Poland. Prior to the war an estimated 30% of the population in Warsaw was Jewish (“Warsaw”, 2008). It had the highest Jewish population outside of New York City (“Warsaw”, 2008). It was vibrant and the center of commerce prior to the war. According to the United States Holocaust Museum, Germany invaded Poland on the 1st of September, 1939 and the German army came into Warsaw on September 29, 1939.
Under German occupation a Jewish Council was created with the expressed intent of developing a Ghetto in Warsaw. As a way to control the Jews living in Warsaw, Jewish Children could no longer go to school, men were made into slaves, the personal property of the Jewish people of Warsaw was stolen (“Warsaw”, 2008). In addition; the Jewish people of Warsaw had to identify themselves at all time by wearing a Star of David armband (“Warsaw”, 2008).
All of these events occurred prior to the establishment of the Warsaw Ghetto. The Jews of Warsaw were stripped of everything they had and all they worked hard for to achieve in Warsaw (“Warsaw”, 2008). The Germans occupation had done this in a very short time, yet the worse was yet to come.
In October of 1940, nearly a year after Germany invaded Poland and began occupying the land; the Warsaw Ghetto was created and all of the Jewish people in Poland were required to take up residence within the Ghetto (“Warsaw”, 2008). A month after these orders were given the area was sealed off and the Jewish people were confined to the area of the Ghetto (“Warsaw”, 2008). The German occupiers were able to keep people in the ghetto by creating various barriers including a high wall covered with barbed wire so that it could not be scaled (“Warsaw”, 2008). In addition, the Warsaw ghetto was patrolled by armed guards to ensure that no one could escape the ghetto (“Warsaw”, 2008).
The conditions inside of the Warsaw ghetto were unlivable. The ghetto was heavily populated with nearly half a million people living in an area of less than 2 square miles. About 8 people lived in each room (“Warsaw”, 2008). The supply of food was lacking and many died as a result. In addition, disease was contagious and medicine was not available. It was a devastating existence for the Jewish people of Warsaw (“Warsaw”, 2008). In addition, the Germans began to deport many Jews from the Warsaw Ghetto to the Treblinka death camp to be killed. The first round of deportations lasted from July 22, 1942 until September 14, 1942.
Although the Jews of Warsaw were kept in unlivable conditions and most were staved, they were still organized in their endeavor to rebel against German soldiers. This uprising included both the Jewish community and Polish resistance movement (Krakowski, 1984). According to a book entitled The War of the Doomed: Jewish Armed Resistance in Poland, 1942-1944, those living in the Warsaw Ghetto understood that Treblinka was not a work camp but a death camp; nearly 300,00 people had been taken to Treblinka and killed according to reports that leaked back to the ghetto (Krakowski, 1984). In addition, they understood that even though the deportations stopped in September, they could start again at any time. As a result, they believed that an uprising was necessary even though they knew the odds were against them.
“Even the most superficial estimate of the forces the Germans could employ in the following few months against the ghetto, and on the other hand, the estimate of the forces which could be prepared by the Jews of Warsaw, even in the best of situations, would necessarily lead to a conclusion no one could refute–there was no chance whatsoever for a long-term struggle (Krakowski,164)”
Those involved in the uprising knew that they were going to die regardless of what they did. They wanted to die fighting Nazi Germany, they believed that this would be an honorable death (Bell, 2002). To this end the Jewish Fighting organization Z.O.B. first opened fire on German troops in January of 1943, when the German troop attempted to deport more people to death camps. The German troops were taken by surprise and they retreated (Bell, 2002). Three months later in April of 1943 the German troop tried again to deport people to death camps, the Z.OB. resisted again and were able to continue the uprising until May 19, 1943 when German troops overwhelmed the Jewish fighters and about 7,000 were killed and the remaining were deported to concentration camps and death camps (Bell, 2002). Although the uprising did not prevent deportation, the attempt was honorable and serves as a testament to the strength of human character.
The Warsaw ghetto uprising is sad history about the brutality of Germans as they tried to take over smaller areas of Europe. The deportation was used then later discovered to be taking people to death camps. The Jews despite of being very few, battled strong and equipped men from Germany and Ukraine were very brave and would fight until they won their freedom for their movement. The Tlomacki synagogue of the Jews was blown up to mark the end of the uprising which lasted about 27 days.