The Holocaust, Part One: The Rise of Adolf Hitler and World War II By History.com, adapted by Newsela staff on 02.23.17 Word Count 675 Level 870L
National Socialist German Workers' Party members, known as Nazis, salute their leader Adolf Hitler (center) in 1930. Four years later, he became the sole leader of Germany. Photo from: Wikimedia Commons
The first in a two-part series World War II was the most destructive war in human history. Lasting from 1939 to 1945, it engulfed the globe and resulted in the deaths of millions of people. During this time, another horror was taking place in Europe. It was called the Holocaust. The Holocaust was the mass murder of 6 million Jews by German Nazis. Jews are followers of the religion of Judaism. Millions of people from other groups also were caught and killed by the Nazis. They included Roma (sometimes negatively called Gypsies) and people with disabilities. Jews, though, were the Nazis' main targets and victims.
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