Holocaust, Part1: The Rise of Hitler World War2 (1040L)

Read the section "Historical anti-Semitism and Hitler's rise to power." Select the paragraph that suggests Hitler's anti-Jewish sentiment was not unheard of in Europe before his rise to power.

• Anti-Semitism, or anti-Jewish bigotry, had roots in Europe long before Hitler's rise. Followers of the Jewish faith were often viewed as strange outsiders by their Christian neighbors. However, an intellectual movement in the 17th and 18th centuries, called the Enlightenment, emphasized religious tolerance. In the 19th century, Napoleon and other European rulers passed laws ending official discrimination against Jews. But anti-Jewish feelings did not end. In many places, hateful attitudes became less about religious differences and more about racial hostility. (Paragraph 4)

• The roots of Hitler's vicious brand of anti-Semitism are unclear. Born in Austria in 1889, he served in the German army during World War I, which began in 1914. After its defeat in 1918, Germany was left with a shattered government and ruined economy. Like many anti-Semites in Germany, Hitler blamed the Jews for the country's downfall. This ignored the fact that some 100,000 German Jews fought for their country during the war. (Paragraph 5)

• Soon after the World War I ended, Hitler joined a political group that became the National Socialist German Workers' Party. It was better known to English speakers as the Nazis. In 1923, Hilter was found guilty of treason for his leadership role in an attempt to overthrow the government of Bavaria, a German state. (Paragraph 6)

• While imprisoned, Hitler wrote the book "Mein Kampf"—"My Struggle" — in which he predicted a European war that would result in "the extermination of the Jewish race in Germany." Hitler was obsessed with the idea of the superiority of the "pure" German race, which he called "Aryan." He also argued for the need for "Lebensraum," or living space, for that race to expand.

  (Paragraph 7)

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Which section of the article BEST highlights the idea that Hitler's political party took many steps to remove Jews from German life?

• (A) Introduction [paragraphs 1-3]

• (B) "Historical anti-Semitism and Hitler's rise to power"

• (C) "Nazis start the Aryanization of Germany"

• (D) "World War II begins"

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Read the section "Historical anti-Semitism and Hitler's rise to power." Which of the following MOST influenced Hitler's political philosophy?

• (A) his misunderstanding of the Jewish religion

• (B) his service in the German army

• (C) his study of historical movements that expressed hateful religious ideas

• (D) his country's downfall after World War I

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Finish the sentence below. In the introduction [paragraphs 1-3], the author MAINLY explains the significance of the Holocaust by ........

• (A) highlighting the depths of the horrible things that occurred.

• (B) summarizing its dominant political philosophy.

• (C) explaining its long-term impacts.

• (D) contrasting it with other anti-religious movements.

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