The Nazis: a history
This site explains how the Nazi Party came to power in Germany, how its regime persecuted and murdered millions of people, and how Britain and the world remember and respond. It is written for students, teachers and anyone who wants accurate history.
Why this history matters
The Nazi regime ruled Germany from 1933 to 1945. In that time it destroyed a democracy, started a world war and carried out the Holocaust, the systematic, state-sponsored persecution and murder of six million Jews, together with the persecution and killing of millions of others. Understanding how this happened is not an academic exercise. It shows how ordinary institutions can fail, how hatred can be turned into policy, and why the freedoms we take for granted need defending.
This site tells the story in plain language and cites reputable sources such as the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust, the Holocaust Educational Trust, the Imperial War Museum, the Wiener Holocaust Library and Yad Vashem. It does not show Nazi symbols or reproduce slogans, except where a historical point requires it to be named, and it does not glorify the people or movement it describes.
The story in outline
- Before 1933. Germany lost the First World War, and the new democratic republic was weak, unpopular with many and hit by economic crisis. Read how the Nazis rose to power.
- 1933 to 1939. Within months of Adolf Hitler becoming chancellor on 30 January 1933, democracy was dismantled. Learn about the Nazi state and propaganda.
- Persecution. From the first boycott of Jewish shops in April 1933, through the Nuremberg Race Laws of 1935, persecution grew and led to mass murder. See persecution and the Holocaust.
- War. The Second World War began in 1939 and ended in Europe in May 1945. Our outline of the war shows how the war and the genocide were linked.
- Resistance. A small number of people inside Germany and across Europe resisted, at enormous risk. Read about resistance.
- Justice. After the war the leaders were tried at Nuremberg. See the Nuremberg trials.
Facing denial and extremism today
The Holocaust is among the best documented events in history, yet people still deny or distort it. We explain the evidence in why Holocaust denial is false. We also explain how to recognise modern extremism and report it in the UK.
Remembering and learning
Holocaust Memorial Day takes place every year on 27 January, the anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau. Museums, libraries and charities across the UK help people to learn from survivors' testimony and the historical record. Find them on remembrance and learning, which also lists resources for teachers.
A note on language and accuracy
We use "Nazi" for the party and regime, and "the Holocaust" for the genocide of the Jews. Other groups were also persecuted and many were murdered, and we say so where the evidence is clear. Numbers are given only where reputable sources agree, and we say when estimates differ.
This is an educational summary, not a substitute for the sources, museums and specialist books listed at the end of each page. If you are studying for an exam, use your course materials as well.
How to use this site
If you are new to the subject, read the pages in order from the rise to power to remembrance and learning. If you are researching a particular question, each page ends with sources you can follow up, and each stands on its own. Students should note which claims come from which source, and compare more than one account whenever they can, because that is how historians work.
Content warning
The history on this site is disturbing. Pages describe persecution and mass murder in factual terms and do not show images of victims. If you are reading with children, read the pages first and use age-appropriate resources from the organisations we link to.
Frequently asked questions
How many Jews were murdered in the Holocaust?
The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum gives six million Jews as the number murdered in the Holocaust, alongside millions of other victims of Nazi persecution.
When was Holocaust Memorial Day?
Holocaust Memorial Day is held every year on 27 January, the anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau.
Where can I learn about the Holocaust in the UK?
The Imperial War Museum London has Holocaust Galleries, and the Wiener Holocaust Library in London is free to visit. The Holocaust Educational Trust and the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust provide resources.