Investigating the Holocaust Nuremberg: Its Lesson for Today - Section II - The Lead Up

Oct 1, 2026

Uploaded by Patrick

Curriculum guide section II, “The Lead Up,” examines how Nazi ideology and political actions escalated toward the Holocaust, using four film segments and supporting documents as learning materials. It traces themes such as the origins of Nazi power, the Reichstag Fire as a pretext for repression, the expansionist concept of Lebensraum, and aggression toward Austria and Czechoslovakia. A vocabulary bank contextualizes key terms like Anschluss, anti-Semitism, Kristallnacht, crimes against humanity, and misinformation.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryExam

FormatPDF

Pages9

Reading Time23 min

AccessFree to download

Using the Material in this Guide

Section I Nuremberg: The Trial and the Film

Section II The Lead Up

Section III Blueprint for World Domination

Section IV Crimes Against Humanity

FDRLIBRARY.ORG CURRICULUM GUIDE Investigating the Holocaust Nuremberg: Its Lesson for Today INSIDE THIS GUIDE Using the Material in this Guide Section I Nuremberg: The Trial and the Film Section II The Lead Up Section III Blueprint for World Domination Section IV Crimes Against Humanity Section V Roosevelt Administration: Action and Inaction Section VI Essential Questions Surrounding Holocaust Themes and Concepts | | | --- | | | SCHULBERG PRODUCTIONS The Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum is a part of the National Archives and Records Administration. This guide was made possible by support from the New York Community Trust. SECTION II FDRLIBRARY.ORG The Lead Up This section consists of four film segments and five documents related to the Nazis rise to power. Film Segment 1 Mein Kampf (Running Time 4:19) Adolf Hitler’s 1925 manifesto, Mein Kampf, or My Struggle, evidences the origins of Nazi Party ideology and ultimately the Holocaust. In his writings, Hitler spouted anti-Semitic and militaristic rhetoric forming the basis for his vision of Germany. The idea of German superiority, the master race, justified the enslavement and extermination of those deemed inferior. Hitler himself embodied these ideas, and the Führerprinzip, or Führer principle, recognized his absolute power. | Film Segment 2
The Reichstag Fire – Hitler Consolidates Power (Running Time 4:18)
On February 27th, 1933, the Reichstag, or German parliament building, burned. The Nazi Party blamed the fire on a Communist plot, though Nazi Party members may have played a role in the arson. Hitler used it as a pretext for imprisoning political opponents and abolishing citizen rights, such as freedom of the press and speech. Further emboldened by the blaze, the Nazis accelerated rearmament plans and expansion of the armed forces, part of Hitler’s broader effort to rebuild German military might. | | --- | | Film Segment 3
Lebensraum – Nazi Germany Annexes Austria (Running Time 4:56)
The Nazis used the nationalist concept of Lebensraum, or living space, to justify German expansion in Europe. Hitler’s goals included uniting ethnic Germans in Central Europe and providing new territories for colonization and exploitation, especially in Eastern Europe. Hitler first set his sights on neighboring Austria. Through coercion and force, he bullied the Austrian government into submission. In March 1938, Germany invaded Austria to complete the Anschluss, or joining, of the two nations. Austria ceased to exist as an independent country. | Film Segment 4 Czechoslovakia – German Aggression Continues (Running Time 3:53) Hitler next turned to Czechoslovakia. Having approved a campaign to subjugate the nation through disinformation and violence, Hitler prepared for war. England and France, however, had no appetite fora European conflict. They agreed to Germany’s territorial demands in September 1938. Further emboldened, Hitler set his sights on Poland. FDR Presidential Library and Museum | Investigating the Holocaust Curriculum Guide | II-2 SECTION II The Lead Up Vocabulary Anschluss – means union, is used especially in reference to the forcible uniting of Germany and Austria in 1938. Anti-Semitic – feeling or showing hostility toward or discrimination against Jews as a cultural, racial, or ethnic group. Appeasement –to give into demands or requests, the state of being satisfied. Compulsory Military Service – sometimes referred to as a draft, mandatory enrollment for service in a country’s armed forces. Conspiracy – an agreement to do an unlawful or wrongful act or an act that becomes unlawful as a result of the secret agreement. Coup – officially referred to as a Coup d’etat, a sudden illegal, often violent taking of power, especially by part of an army or military organization. Crimes Against Humanity – a category of crimes against international law which includes the most egregious violatio

FAQs

What learning materials are used in Section II “The Lead Up”?

Section II uses four film segments and five documents connected to the Nazis’ rise to power.

How does the guide describe the Reichstag Fire’s political impact?

It explains that the Nazi Party blamed the fire on a Communist plot, and Hitler used it to imprison opponents and abolish citizen rights such as freedom of the press and speech.

What themes are emphasized through the film segments in this section?

The section focuses on the development of Nazi ideology, repression and consolidation of power, expansion concepts like Lebensraum, and military aggression toward neighboring nations.

Oct 1, 2026

Uploaded by Patrick