Definitions Flashcards
(51 cards)
What is a Semite?
A member of any of the people who speak or spoke a semitic language, including in particular the Jews and Arabs
Semitic languages include Hebrew and Arabic.
Define anti-Semitism.
Hostility to or prejudice against Jewish people
Anti-Semitism has historical roots and manifests in various forms, including social, economic, and political discrimination.
What is racial science?
A pseudoscientific belief that the human species can be subdivided into biologically distinct groups called ‘races’ to support or justify racism, racial inferiority, or racial superiority
Racial science has been widely discredited and is considered a form of pseudoscience.
What does monotheism mean?
The belief that there is only one God
Major monotheistic religions include Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.
What does the term Aryan refer to in the context of Nazi ideology?
A mythical race claimed to be superior to other races, promoted by Nazis as glorifying the German people while denigrating Jews, black people, and Roma and Sinti
The concept of Aryanism was used to justify discriminatory policies and actions during the Holocaust.
Define propaganda.
Information, especially of a biased or misleading nature, used to promote a political cause or point of view
Propaganda can take various forms, including media, literature, and art.
What is indoctrination?
The process of teaching a person or group to accept a set of beliefs uncritically
Indoctrination is often associated with political or religious teachings.
Define ideology.
The set of beliefs characteristic of a social group or individual
Ideologies can encompass political, economic, or cultural beliefs.
What is censorship?
The prohibition of any parts of books, films, news, etc. that are considered obscene, politically unacceptable, or a threat to security
Censorship can affect various forms of media and expression.
What event is referred to as Kristallnacht?
The night of November 9-10, 1938, when German Nazis attacked Jewish persons and property, named for the litter of broken glass left in the streets after these pogroms
Kristallnacht is often seen as a significant escalation in the Nazi regime’s anti-Jewish violence.
Define pogroms.
A violent riot aimed at the massacre or expulsion of ethnic or religious groups, particularly aimed at Jews
Pogroms were often state-sanctioned or overlooked by authorities.
What are concentration camps?
A place in which large numbers of people are deliberately imprisoned in a relatively small area with inadequate facilities to await mass execution
Concentration camps were used extensively by the Nazi regime during the Holocaust.
What were labour camps?
Enforced labour camps where the Nazi regime brutally exploited the labour of prisoners for economic gain and to meet labour shortages
Prisoners in labour camps often lacked proper equipment, clothing, nourishment, or rest.
What are extermination camps?
Nazi concentration camps that specialize in the mass annihilation of unwanted persons
These camps were a key component of the Holocaust.
What is a ghetto?
A confined area of a city where the Germans forced the Jewish population to live in often substandard conditions
Ghettos were typically overcrowded and lacked basic necessities.
Define deportation.
To expel someone, usually a foreigner, from a country typically on the grounds of illegal status or for having committed a crime
Deportation was common during the Nazi regime, especially against Jews.
What does the term ‘Jewish problem’ refer to?
The belief that the existence of Jews in Germany posed a problem for the state
This belief was used to justify anti-Semitic policies and actions.
What were the Nuremberg Laws?
Anti-Semitic and racist laws that were enacted in Nazi Germany on September 15, 1935
These laws institutionalized many of the racial theories prevalent in Nazi ideology.
Define persecution.
The unjust or prejudicial treatment of different categories of people, especially on the grounds of race, age, gender, or disability
Persecution was widespread during the Nazi regime, particularly against Jews and other minorities.
What is discrimination?
Hostility and ill treatment, especially because of race or political or religious beliefs
Discrimination can manifest in various forms, including social, economic, and legal.
What is vilification?
Abusively disparaging speech or writing
Vilification can contribute to the marginalization of targeted groups.
What does separation mean in this context?
The division of something into constituent or distinct elements
Separation was often used as a method of social and political control.
What does extermination mean?
Killing, especially of a whole group of people or animals; complete destruction
Extermination was a central goal of the Nazi regime during the Holocaust.
