This timeline outlines the key events and milestones of the Holocaust, the systematic persecution and extermination of Jews and other groups by the Nazi regime.
Nazi Rise to Power
1933
Adolf Hitler becomes Chancellor of Germany, marking the beginning of Nazi rule and the escalation of anti-Semitic policies.
Kristallnacht
November 9, 1938
A wave of violent anti-Jewish attacks takes place across Germany and Austria, known as Kristallnacht or the Night of Broken Glass.
Invasion of Poland
September 1939
Germany invades Poland, leading to the occupation of Polish territory and the beginning of systematic persecution of Jews.
Mass Shootings in the East
1941
German forces and their collaborators begin mass shootings of Jews in Eastern Europe, marking the start of the 'Holocaust by Bullets'.
Wannsee Conference
January 20, 1942
Nazi officials meet at the Wannsee Conference to formalize plans for the 'Final Solution', the systematic extermination of Jews.
Concentration and Extermination Camps
1942-1945
The Nazis establish and operate concentration and extermination camps, such as Auschwitz, where millions of Jews and other persecuted groups are killed.
Liberation of Auschwitz
January 27, 1945
Soviet forces liberate the Auschwitz concentration camp, revealing the atrocities committed there to the world.
