what is a good hook for a holocaust essay

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Essays on Holocaust

Hook examples for holocaust essays, the unimaginable horror hook.

Begin your essay by vividly describing the unimaginable horrors of the Holocaust, such as concentration camps, mass extermination, and the human suffering that occurred during this dark period in history. Use powerful and descriptive language to evoke emotions in your readers.

The Survivor's Testimony Hook

Share a compelling personal testimony of a Holocaust survivor. Use direct quotes or excerpts from survivors' accounts to provide firsthand insights into the experiences and resilience of those who lived through the Holocaust.

The Nuremberg Trials and Justice Hook

Discuss the Nuremberg Trials and the pursuit of justice for the perpetrators of the Holocaust. Highlight the importance of holding individuals accountable for their actions and the establishment of principles for international law.

The Heroes of the Holocaust Hook

Introduce the stories of individuals who risked their lives to save Jews during the Holocaust, such as Oskar Schindler or Raoul Wallenberg. Emphasize acts of bravery and compassion in the face of extreme adversity.

The Lessons of History Hook

Reflect on the broader lessons and moral implications of the Holocaust. Discuss the importance of remembering and learning from this tragic event to prevent future genocides and promote tolerance and understanding.

The Art and Literature of Survival Hook

Showcase how Holocaust survivors used art, literature, and other forms of expression to cope with their trauma and convey their experiences. Explore the therapeutic and documentary aspects of creative works produced during and after the Holocaust.

The Holocaust in Contemporary Context Hook

Connect the Holocaust to current events, discussing instances of hate crimes, discrimination, and genocide in the modern world. Highlight the importance of remembrance and education to prevent the recurrence of such atrocities.

The Resilience and Hope Hook

Share stories of resilience and hope within the Holocaust, such as clandestine education in concentration camps or acts of solidarity among prisoners. Explore the indomitable human spirit that emerged even in the darkest times.

The Forgotten Victims Hook

Draw attention to less-discussed aspects of the Holocaust, such as the experiences of Romani people, disabled individuals, or political dissidents who also suffered persecution. Shed light on the diversity of victims and their stories.

The Role of Witnesses and Documentation Hook

Discuss the significance of witnesses, both survivors and liberators, who documented the Holocaust through photographs, diaries, and testimonies. Emphasize the importance of preserving and sharing these historical records.

Blind Obedience in The Holocaust

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Why People Should Still Be Educated About The Holocaust

The decline of human ethics and the rise of science: nazi-eugenic experiments and dr. josef mengele, arek hersh – a story of a holocaust survivor, josef mengele: "the angel of death" of holocaust, let us write you an essay from scratch.

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Impact of The Holocaust on Jewish Peoples in Europe and Israel

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The Reasons We Should not Forget The Holocaust

Irena sendler - a person who saved hundreds of lifes during holocaust, homosexuality and the holocaust, the physical and mental impact of holocaust on its victims, the influence of jewish music on the holocaust, the holocaust: historical anti-semitism, the possibility of the holocaust to have been avoided, "after i no longer speak"; a message on the impact of the holocaust in "shooting stars", the boy in the striped pajamas - the holocaust drama, understanding the holocaust through "schindler's list", a nazi’s metamorphosis in maxine kumin’s poem "woodchucks", experiences of the survivors in night by elie wiesel and maus by art spiegelman, the use of visual narrative and formal structure in maus: a survivors tale by art spiegelman, analysis of author’s struggles in night by elie wiesel, holocaust through the eyes of a child in the boy in the striped pajamas, the holocaust: chronicle of murders, analysis of artie's impressions of the holocaust in maus, time of savagery: churchill's speech, diary of anne frank and history of shmuel and bruno, the holocaust: pumping the un government, bassani’s the garden of the finzi-continis: how glass captures and protects the beauty of the past.

1933 - 1945

German Reich and German-occupied Europe

The Holocaust was a genocidal event that took place during World War II, orchestrated by Adolf Hitler's Nazi regime in Germany. It was a systematic and state-sponsored persecution and mass murder of approximately six million Jews, along with millions of other victims, including Romani people, disabled individuals, Poles, Soviet prisoners of war, and others deemed "undesirable" by the Nazis. The Holocaust was marked by horrific atrocities, including the establishment of concentration camps, mass shootings, forced labor, and the implementation of gas chambers in extermination camps. It was an unparalleled act of inhumanity and racial hatred, driven by the Nazis' ideology of racial superiority and the desire to create a homogeneous "Aryan" society.

One such figure is Anne Frank, a young Jewish girl whose diary provided a poignant firsthand account of the atrocities committed during the Holocaust. Her diary, discovered after her death in a concentration camp, has become an iconic symbol of hope and resilience. Oskar Schindler, a German industrialist, is another notable person associated with the Holocaust. Through his efforts, Schindler saved the lives of over 1,000 Jewish people by employing them in his factories and ensuring their protection. Elie Wiesel, a Holocaust survivor and Nobel laureate, dedicated his life to bearing witness to the Holocaust and promoting Holocaust education and remembrance. His powerful memoir, "Night," chronicles his experiences in the Auschwitz and Buchenwald concentration camps. Raoul Wallenberg, a Swedish diplomat, is remembered for his courageous actions in saving tens of thousands of Hungarian Jews by issuing protective passports and providing safe houses.

The historical context of the Holocaust can be traced back to the rise of Nazi ideology and its virulent antisemitism. Hitler's regime implemented a series of discriminatory laws known as the Nuremberg Laws, which stripped Jews of their rights and subjected them to persecution. This was followed by the establishment of concentration camps and the implementation of the "Final Solution" – a plan to exterminate all Jews within Nazi-controlled territories. The Holocaust occurred within the broader context of World War II, as Nazi Germany sought to expand its territories and exert dominance over Europe. The war provided a cover for the implementation of mass murder and allowed the Nazis to carry out their genocidal agenda with relative impunity.

The Holocaust has had a profound impact on international law and the concept of human rights. The Nuremberg Trials, held after World War II, established the precedent for prosecuting individuals for war crimes and crimes against humanity. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, adopted by the United Nations in 1948, was a direct response to the atrocities of the Holocaust, emphasizing the inherent dignity and rights of all individuals. The Holocaust also serves as a reminder of the dangers of prejudice and discrimination. It has prompted ongoing efforts to combat antisemitism, racism, and bigotry in all forms. The Holocaust education and memorialization have become vital tools in raising awareness and fostering tolerance, ensuring that the lessons of the past are not forgotten. Furthermore, the Holocaust has inspired countless works of literature, art, and film, which bear witness to the horrors experienced by its victims. These creative expressions serve as a testament to the resilience of the human spirit and the importance of remembering the past to prevent similar atrocities in the future.

Public opinion on the Holocaust varies, but it is generally characterized by shock, horror, and condemnation. The Holocaust is widely regarded as one of the most egregious crimes against humanity in history, and the vast majority of people view it with deep sorrow and sympathy for the victims. Public opinion acknowledges the gravity of the Holocaust and recognizes its impact on the world. The overwhelming sentiment is one of condemnation towards the Nazi regime and the individuals who perpetrated these heinous acts. People express profound empathy for the millions of innocent lives lost and the immense suffering endured by survivors. Moreover, public opinion acknowledges the importance of remembering the Holocaust as a means of honoring the victims and preventing future atrocities. Holocaust education and commemorative events have garnered significant support, with many recognizing the need to preserve the memory of the Holocaust as a stark reminder of the consequences of hatred and prejudice.

Film: Steven Spielberg's "Schindler's List" (1993) is a critically acclaimed movie based on the true story of Oskar Schindler, a German businessman who saved the lives of over a thousand Jewish refugees during the Holocaust. The film vividly portrays the atrocities and human suffering while highlighting acts of bravery and compassion. Literature: Elie Wiesel's memoir "Night" (1956) provides a firsthand account of his experiences as a Holocaust survivor. It is a powerful and haunting narrative that has become a significant literary work, capturing the physical and emotional hardships endured by those subjected to Nazi persecution. Art: The artwork of Holocaust survivor and painter Samuel Bak often explores the themes of loss, resilience, and memory. His paintings depict scenes from his own experiences as a child during the Holocaust, offering a deeply personal and introspective perspective on the tragedy.

1. The Holocaust witnessed the systematic annihilation of six million Jewish individuals at the hands of the Nazis. This accounts for approximately two-thirds of the Jewish population in Europe at that time. 2. The Holocaust took place between 1941 and 1945 during World War II, primarily in German-occupied territories. It involved the mass extermination of Jews, as well as other groups such as Romani people, Poles, disabled individuals, and political dissidents. 3. Auschwitz-Birkenau, the largest concentration and extermination camp, was responsible for the deaths of over one million people. Other notorious camps include Treblinka, Sobibor, and Dachau. 4. The Nuremberg Laws, implemented in 1935, stripped Jews of their citizenship, rights, and protections. These laws laid the foundation for the persecution and eventual mass murder of Jews during the Holocaust. 5. Rescuers, such as Oskar Schindler and Raoul Wallenberg, risked their lives to save Jews from persecution. Their heroic actions demonstrated courage and compassion in the face of immense danger.

The topic of the Holocaust is of utmost importance to write an essay about due to its profound historical significance and the lessons it teaches us about humanity. By exploring the Holocaust, we delve into one of the darkest periods in human history, where millions of innocent lives were brutally extinguished. Writing an essay about the Holocaust allows us to honor and remember the victims, ensuring that their stories are never forgotten. It serves as a powerful reminder of the consequences of unchecked hatred, discrimination, and prejudice. Through examining the causes, events, and aftermath of the Holocaust, we gain a deeper understanding of the depths of human cruelty and the dangers of ideological extremism. Moreover, studying the Holocaust prompts critical reflection on the importance of promoting tolerance, empathy, and respect for human rights. It compels us to confront the potential for evil within society and to actively work towards creating a world that rejects bigotry and embraces diversity. By writing an essay on the Holocaust, we contribute to the preservation of historical memory, promote empathy and understanding, and strive to ensure that such atrocities are never repeated. It is a testament to our commitment to learning from the past and building a more compassionate and just future.

1. Browning, C. R. (1992). Ordinary men: Reserve Police Battalion 101 and the final solution in Poland. Harper Perennial. 2. Dawidowicz, L. S. (1981). The war against the Jews, 1933-1945. Holt, Rinehart, and Winston. 3. Evans, R. J. (2008). The Third Reich at war: How the Nazis led Germany from conquest to disaster. Penguin. 4. Gilbert, M. (1985). The Holocaust: A history of the Jews of Europe during the Second World War. Henry Holt and Company. 5. Kershaw, I. (2000). Hitler: 1936-1945: Nemesis. W. W. Norton & Company. 6. LaCapra, D. (2004). History, memory, and representation: An essay in cognitive historiography. Cornell University Press. 7. Levi, P. (1986). Survival in Auschwitz. Touchstone. 8. Snyder, T. (2010). Bloodlands: Europe between Hitler and Stalin. Basic Books. 9. Wiesel, E. (2006). Night. Hill and Wang. 10. Yahil, L. (1991). The Holocaust: The fate of European Jewry, 1932-1945. Oxford University Press.

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Effective Hook Sentences for Holocaust Essay

Explanation, introduction.

When writing an essay, the introduction is a crucial part that sets the tone for the entire piece. A well-crafted introduction can grab the reader's attention and make them eager to continue reading. One effective technique to accomplish this is by using a hook sentence. A hook sentence is the opening line or lines of an essay that are designed to captivate the reader and engage them from the very beginning. In the context of a Holocaust essay, a hook sentence should not only be attention-grabbing but also respectful and sensitive to the subject matter. In this guide, we will explore various effective hook sentence strategies to make your Holocaust essay introduction compelling and impactful.

What is a Hook Sentence?

A hook sentence is the opening statement or question in an essay that aims to draw the reader in and pique their interest. It is often the first one or two sentences of the introduction paragraph. The purpose of a hook sentence is to immediately capture the reader's attention and make them want to continue reading the essay.

Language Usage and Literary Devices in Hook Sentences

To create an effective hook sentence for your Holocaust essay, it is crucial to consider your language usage and employ appropriate literary devices. Here are some language features and literary devices you can utilize:

1. Vivid Imagery

Using descriptive and evocative language can help paint a powerful mental image in the reader's mind. By appealing to the reader's senses, you can create an emotional impact that resonates with them. For example:

• The stench of burning flesh lingered in the air as the Holocaust engulfed Europe, leaving behind a trail of sorrow and unimaginable loss.

This sentence evokes a vivid picture and uses the sense of smell to create a harrowing image of the Holocaust.

2. Figurative Language

Figurative language such as metaphors, similes, and personification can add depth and symbolism to your hook sentence. They can make abstract concepts more tangible and relatable. For example:

• The Holocaust was a dark cloud that cast its shadow over humanity, blotting out hope and filling hearts with despair.

This metaphorical statement depicts the Holocaust as an oppressive force that extinguished hope.

3. Anecdotes or Historical Excerpts

Sharing a poignant anecdote or excerpt from a survivor's account, historical document, or literature related to the Holocaust can be an effective way to hook the reader. It provides a personal or historical perspective, immediately drawing the reader into the topic. For example:

• In Anne Frank's diary, she described the attic where her family hid from the Nazis as a sanctuary tainted by fear. "I still believe, in spite of everything, that people are truly good at heart," she wrote, encapsulating both the tragedy and resilience of the Holocaust survivors.

This excerpt from Anne Frank's diary serves as a powerful hook by introducing a personal narrative and showcasing the strength of the human spirit in the face of adversity.

4. Rhetorical Questions

Posing thought-provoking rhetorical questions can stimulate the reader's curiosity and engage them in critical thinking. However, when using rhetorical questions, ensure that they are sensitive to the subject matter and avoid trivializing the Holocaust. For example:

• How can we comprehend the depths of human cruelty and the resilience of the human spirit in the midst of the Holocaust?

This rhetorical question immediately challenges the reader to consider the complexities of the Holocaust and encourages them to delve deeper into the topic.

Examples of Effective Hook Sentences for a Holocaust Essay

Now that we've discussed some important language features and literary devices, let's look at a few examples of effective hook sentences for a Holocaust essay:

• As the gates of Auschwitz opened, one could hear the haunting echoes of screams carried by the wind, forever etching the horrors of the Holocaust into history.
• In Elie Wiesel's memoir, Night, he recounts his firsthand experience of the Holocaust, exposing the dark underbelly of humanity and forcing us to question our own capacity for evil.
• Imagine living in constant fear, hiding in cramped attics, and praying for survival. This was the reality for millions during the Holocaust, a chapter of history that must never be forgotten.
• The Holocaust stands as a stark reminder of the devastating consequences of hatred and prejudice, urging us to strive for a world rooted in tolerance and acceptance.
• What if your identity meant a matter of life or death? This was the chilling reality faced by countless Jews during the Holocaust, their lives hanging by a thread.

These examples utilize vivid imagery, historical excerpts, and thought-provoking questions to engage the reader and create a sense of urgency and significance surrounding the Holocaust.

Crafting an effective hook sentence is essential for engaging your readers and setting the stage for your Holocaust essay. By utilizing vivid imagery, figurative language, historical excerpts, and thought-provoking questions, you can captivate your readers and compel them to delve deeper into the tragic and significant subject matter. Remember to approach the topic with respect and sensitivity, ensuring that your hook sentence pays homage to the victims and survivors of the Holocaust.

Questions related to Effective Hook Sentences for Holocaust Essay

The correct answer is C.

The Nazis established killing centers for efficient mass murder.

Concentration Camps served mainly as a place for forced prison labor, nevertheless, many prisoners were also executed on their arrival there. The majority of the forced prisoners died during their stay there due to malnutrition, illnesses and the extremely heavy manual labor in harsh weather conditions.

Extermination Camps or death camps were almost exclusively death factories where all the prisoners were murdered. The Nazis murdered almost 2,700,000 Jews in the killing centers by shooting or asphyxiation with poison gas.

Ghettos, it was also in the book Night

You haven't included a passage.

Explanation:

But based on how this is worded I think B is a likely choice.

Answer: be identified and arrested more easily

Final answer:

To start an essay on the Holocaust, consider hooks that use irony, personal stories, or quotes from survivors to convey the gravity of the genocide and engage the reader. Reflecting on the work of historians and the remembrance of victims and heroes can contribute depth to the introduction.

Writing an essay on the Holocaust prompts reflection on one of the darkest chapters in human history. It is a challenge to capture the enormity of such a subject in the introduction of an essay. However, an effective hook could begin by presenting irony or contrast—for instance, highlighting the stark difference between the everyday life of pre-war European Jews and the horror that would unfold. Another approach might be an anecdote about a single individual or family, drawing the reader into the personal aspects of the tragedy before broadening to discuss the millions affected. Alternatively, you could start with a powerful image or quote from a survivor, directly engaging with the emotional weight of the topic. The goal is to immediately convey the gravity of the Holocaust and engage the reader to want to learn more about this complex and painful subject.

Indeed, while the genocide is a subject that has come to be well documented and researched since pioneering historians like Raul Hilberg laid the groundwork, there is always more to understand and more lives to commemorate. Essays on this subject serve not only as academic explorations but also as remembrance for those who suffered and perished, and as recognition of the righteous among nations who exemplified courage and humanity.

Answer and Explanation:

You can make the hook a question or just a statement that will make the reader want to keep reading, so the hook can be: How is Elie a dynamic character? or Elie Wiesel is a dynamic character because he is a Holocaust survivor and he wrote 57 books! Then you can wrote in detail about your hook.

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126 Holocaust Essay Topics & Research Paper Titles

The Holocaust is one of the most tragic events in world history, and writing an essay about it can help you understand it better. Among these Holocaust essay topics, you can find ideas for different types of middle school or college essays. Use them as the Holocaust essay titles or as a starting point for your dissertation research.

🕎 TOP 7 Holocaust Essay Topics

🏆 good titles for holocaust essays, 🎓 most interesting holocaust research paper topics, 💡 simple holocaust essay ideas, ❓ holocaust questions for essays, 📝 holocaust argumentative essay topics, 🔎 holocaust topics for research paper, ✍️ more holocaust essay titles.

• Escape from Sobibor: World War 2 Holocaust
• The Holocaust Impact on Jewish Theology
• Night by Elie Wiesel: A Memoir About the Holocaust Experiences
• The Memories of the Holocaust in Hungary
• World War II: Holocaust and Discrimination of the Jews
• Holocaust: Jewish Women’s Experiences
• World History: Researching of Holocaust
• “Children in the Holocaust and World War II” by Holliday The book “Children in the Holocaust and World War II” describes what difficulties a brother and a sister experienced in the Lodz Ghetto in Poland during World War II.
• Perpetrators, Bystanders, and Rescuers During the Holocaust The Holocaust was prevalent, with cruelties, tragedies, and atrocities directed at various groups defined by diverse characteristics.
• Holocaust and Its Physical and Mental Consequences This paper is a detailed and thorough study of the physical and mental consequences of the Holocaust on people who survived this terrible period of history.
• Holocaust and War in “Hiroshima” by John Hersey This paper provides a review of John Hersey’s accounts of the holocaust on “Hiroshima” and provides an understanding of how to handle incidences of war.
• Wiesel’s Holocaust Experiences Eliezer Wiesel’s view of human nature and understanding of God radically changed due to his experience of the Holocaust.
• Behavior of Witnesses in “Holocaust by Bullets” by Desbois Desbois’ book “Holocaust by Bullets” documents in detail the experience of witnesses to the persecution of the Jews by the Nazis.
• Turning Points of the Holocaust The year 1939 started with the Law Excluding Jews from Commercial Enterprises closing all Jewish-owned businesses on January 1.
• Holocaust and Moral Objectivism: “Surviving Auschwitz” “Surviving Auschwitz: Children of the Shoah” by WSGVU is a documentary that follows two Holocaust survivors as they visit their hometown and concentration camps.
• The Extent of the Holocaust as a Christian Problem The events of the Holocaust are considered a regrettable lapse in judgment on the part of the German Christian population and should be remembered to prevent such events.
• Holocaust and the United States To the most basic facts, the holocaust saw the death of approximately eleven million people, six million of these being Jews.
• The Armenian Genocide and the Holocaust Comparing the Holocaust and the Armenian Genocide the latter is much simpler in terms of cause, method, and outcome. The Holocaust is the direct result of anti-Semitism.
• Third Reich and Holocaust Commemoration The commemoration of the Third Reich and the holocaust through negative publicity like in Goldhaggen and crimes of the Wehrmacht gives the world a chance to ridicule the country.
• Facts of the Holocaust Holocaust was one of the most terrible events in history if the world marked by extreme violence and hostility.
• Holocaust and Genocide Analysis The ideology provided by Nazi underlined the descent of the German people from the Aryan race and rejected all other nations.
• Holocaust in “The Boy in the Striped Pajamas” Film Among hundreds of historical films on the matter, to my mind, “The boy in the striped pajamas” depicts the horror of the Holocaust most effectively.
• “I, Rigoberta Menchú: An Indian Woman in Guatemala” and “American Holocaust: The Conquest of the New World”: Comparison The book titled “I, Rigoberta Menchú: An Indian Woman in Guatemala” is an autobiography of Rigoberta Menchú that is written in the form of the testimonio.
• Herero Holocaust Among European Colonial Genocides The source identifies a pattern of events that preceded the holocaust in Germany. As Ter-Matevosyan notes, the holocaust is one of the worst historic moments in modern history.
• US Holocaust Memorial and American Indian Museums In this paper, I will evaluate the National Museum of the American Indian and the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum.
• Holocaust in “Night” Novel by Elie Wiesel While exterminating Jews, the Nazis were also trying to humiliate the ‘chosen people’ in every way possible. Wiesel’s book Night illustrates the validity of this suggestion.
• Holocaust Denial and Antisemitism Ideas Antisemitism has existed for centuries and taken different forms. This is a very dangerous phenomenon as it often resulted in cruel pogroms and even legal persecutions.
• “Night” a Book by Elie Wiesel about Holocaust Literature Analysis Night is a book written by Elie Wiesel that focuses on his experiences while imprisoned in one of the Auschwitz concentration camp during the Holocaust.
• The Rwandan Genocide as One of the Devastating Genocides Since the Holocaust The historic Rwandan Genocide, organized by Hutu hardliners, resulted in the merciless murder of approximately one million individuals after a three months rampage in 1994.
• Environmental Studies: The Global Warming Holocaust Global climate change is a social issue that has captured the imagination of the world’s population. This issue is discussed in mass media and social media platforms.
• Concentration Camps During the Holocaust
• Saving Jews From the Holocaust Examined in Terms of Cognitive Dissonance Theories
• Nazi Beliefs and the Holocaust
• Holocaust Survivor Bewilderment and Anger
• Life During the Holocaust in the Eyes of Jean Amery
• Comparing Adolf Hitler and Joseph Stalin During the Holocaust
• Christian Churches Should Have Opposed the Nazi Holocaust
• Holocaust, the Rwandan Genocide, and the Asian Genocide
• Stolen Art Literature and Music of the Holocaust
• German Anti-Semitism Was Responsible for the Holocaust
• Political Ideology and Other Factors Leading to the Holocaust
• Dehumanization During the Holocaust and Iranian Revolution
• Holocaust and Its Sociopolitical Causes
• American Foreign Policy During the Holocaust
• Moral Indifference, the Holocaust & the Directive for Genocide
• Croatia Before and After the Holocaust and World War II
• Death and Concentration Camps in the Holocaust History
• Nazi Propaganda During World War Two and the Holocaust
• Holocaust Victim’s Retribution and Reparations
• Nazi Germany and Virginia Holocaust Museum
• Medical Experiments During the Holocaust
• Pre Nazi Holocaust and the Civil War
• Holocaust and Bosnian Genocide Comparisons
• German Battalion 101’s Role in Perpetuating the Holocaust
• Hypothesis Concerning Holocaust Presented by David Cole
• Emotional Changes During the Holocaust
• Jewish Resistance During WWII and the Holocaust
• Holocaust Bystanders: Placing the Blame on Surrounding Citizens and Allied Nations
• Anti-Semitism and the Holocaust
• Japanese Internment Camps and Holocaust Concentration Camps
• Holocaust and the Response of the American Catholic Church
• Armenian Genocide and the Holocaust
• Holocaust Denial Political Agenda
• Nuclear Holocaust United States
• Advancing the Individual’s Knowledge of the Holocaust
• Holocaust: Monuments, Memorials, and Public Demonstrations
• Khmer Rouge and the Cambodian Holocaust
• Challenges Facing the Nazis and Other Jews in the Holocaust
• Holocaust Survivor Testimonies: Time, Methodology, and Memory
• American Holocaust: The Conquest of the New World
• How Did the Holocaust Affect the Development of Military Literature?
• How Did the Native American Removal Compared to the Holocaust?
• How Did the Nazis Use Propaganda During the Holocaust?
• How Ordinary Germans and Their Foreign Allies Willingly Participated in the Holocaust?
• How the Holocaust Affected It’s Jewish Victims?
• Were German Citizens Aware of the Holocaust?
• What Did the Holocaust and Japanese Relocation Act Have in Similarities?
• What Theological Questions Relevant to the Study of Judaism Are Raised by the Holocaust?
• What Was the Involvement of Ordinary Germans in the Holocaust?
• Why Germans Scientist, Engineers and Doctors Asked To Participate in the Holocaust?
• Why Should Future Generations Know About the Holocaust?
• Were the Jehovah Witnesses Really Affected by the Holocaust?
• Was German “Eliminationist Antisemitism” Responsible for the Holocaust?
• What Is Meant by Term the Holocaust Industry?
• Why Does God Permit Tragic Events Like the Holocaust Terrorist Attacks?
• Who Says the Holocaust Never Happened and Why Do They Say It?
• What Is the Environmental History of the Holocaust?
• Why Did the World Keep Silent During the Holocaust?
• What Is the Treatment of the Holocaust in High School History Textbooks?
• What Is the Culpability of Accounting in Perpetuating the Holocaust?
• Did Gender Matter During the Holocaust?
• What Are the Reflections on the Historiography of the Holocaust?
• Can There Be a Political Science of the Holocaust?
• How Did Holocaust Show the Problems of Historical Representation?
• Why the Holocaust Does Not Matter to Estonians?
• Bystanders during the Holocaust: should they be morally responsible for not intervening?
• Did the Nuremberg trials achieve justice for Holocaust victims?
• Should teaching the history of the Holocaust be mandatory in schools?
• Should Holocaust denial be legally punishable?
• Does the Holocaust illustrate the dangers of unchecked government power?
• Should Holocaust restitution claims be limited to a specific timeframe?
• The Holocaust and the problem of evil: does this genocide contradict the existence of a benevolent God?
• Should non-Jewish victims of the Holocaust be commemorated equally to Jewish victims?
• Should Holocaust museums adopt a truthful or sensitive approach to showing Holocaust atrocities?
• Is it justifiable for Holocaust victims to seek financial restitution from companies collaborating with Nazis?
• The Holocaust denial: the motivations behind it and its consequences.
• What were the motivations of people participating in the Holocaust genocide?
• The impact of the Holocaust survivors’ testimonies on understanding the history.
• The role of the Holocaust in countering modern hate speech and prejudice.
• Similarities and differences between the Holocaust and other genocides.
• How did the Nazi propaganda incite violence during the Holocaust?
• Evaluating the effectiveness of resistance movements during the Holocaust.
• The psychological effects of the Holocaust on survivors.
• Children’s experiences of separation and survival during the Holocaust.
• Non-Jewish people’s rescue efforts during the Holocaust.
• The ethical challenges involved in the artistic representation of the Holocaust.
• The role of international law in preventing genocide after the Holocaust.
• Beyond Auschwitz: lesser-known Holocaust concentration camps.
• How is the Holocaust remembered and commemorated today?
• The role of ordinary citizens in perpetrating the Holocaust.
• The Warsaw Ghetto uprising and its impact on the Jewish resistance.
• The portrayal of the Holocaust in literature and movies.
• The Holocaust and gender: unique experiences of male and female victims.
• Challenges that followed the liberation of the Nazi concentration camps.
• The effects of the Holocaust on the victims’ descendants.

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These essay examples and topics on Holocaust were carefully selected by the StudyCorgi editorial team. They meet our highest standards in terms of grammar, punctuation, style, and fact accuracy. Please ensure you properly reference the materials if you’re using them to write your assignment.

This essay topic collection was updated on January 21, 2024 .

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Common core writing prompts and strategies links.

The specific writing prompts and teaching strategies in this guide ask students to use evidence as they craft a formal argumentative essay. This guide also features effective writing strategies for general use in the social studies or English classroom.

Holocaust and Human Behavior uses our unique methodology to lead students through an examination of the history of the Holocaust, while fostering their skills in ethical reasoning, critical thinking, empathy, and civic engagement. We released a new edition of Holocaust and Human Behavior in 2017 and this Common Core supplement has been updated to align with it.

Related Facing History Resources & Learning Opportunities

Holocaust and human behavior, the ancient roots of anti-judaism.

Hitler's Rise to Power: 1918-1933

Hitler's Rise to Power: 1933-1934

Kristallnacht

Obedience: the milgram experiment.

Resources from Other Organizations

You might also be interested in…, holocaust and human behavior: a facing history & ourselves high school elective course, three good things, slow down with the slowdown, take a stand, appreciation, apology, aha, closing challenge, looking back, looking ahead, our names and our place in the world, making meaning of community, community is… community isn’t, emoji emotions, picture this, inspiration, insights, & ways to get involved.

Chronicles of Love & Resentment by Eric Gans

How to Write about the Holocaust

No. 410: Saturday, June 25th, 2011

As in many other things, not being an “authority” on the Holocaust makes it easier for me to formulate some basic ideas about it than for those whose lives and careers are directly dependent on it. I recently read Alvin Rosenfeld’s The End of the Holocaust (Indiana UP 2011), which is mostly devoted to noting the failures of Western culture’s memory of the Holocaust. While I sympathize with most of the views the author expresses, and certainly share his concluding apprehension concerning those in Iran and elsewhere who are happily dreaming of annihilating Israel in a “second Holocaust,” I would like to suggest a different, less polemical perspective on the subject.

The Holocaust provides an extreme version of the paradoxes that arise whenever we attempt to react as individuals to any real-world event. To simply take the event as a given is to abdicate our human responsibility to assign meaning, yet to insist on finding for it a “personal” meaning is to make our own judgment the measure of social value. The Holocaust poses this paradox in a maximally urgent manner because while it presents a spectacle so morally repugnant that we feel obliged to invent a personal way of “testifying” to it, it is a thing of the past that all our acts of repentance and charity cannot redeem. Hence it arouses reactions of denial, minimization, focusing on minor “positive” elements, de-Judaizing, attacks on the “Holocaust industry,” etc., as ways of reducing it to more tolerable dimensions; and at the other extreme, it inspires the suicide of survivors who cannot bear the guilt of having been “chosen” over so many others, coupled with the sense of irredeemable violation that suggests one no longer deserves to live.

But the intensity and frequent moral inadequacy of these responses testifies to the fact that the Holocaust’s historical impact goes well beyond the realm of direct reactions and their exploitation in rhetoric and imagery. To take a controversial example, when “happy” stories of the Holocaust such as Schindler’s List are accused of emphasizing cases that are in fact statistically trivial, I think a point missed is that the “happy ending” reflects not in fact the story of the Holocaust itself but of what is hoped to be its place in history—as the source of a new sensitivity to oppression, including but not limited to the Jewish resolve that has sustained Israel. For the justification for Schindler’s List as “the story of the Holocaust” includes as well the postwar liberation of the European colonies and the Blacks in the American South. Here and in general, I find it more useful to judge such works in their overall historical context rather than as attempted revisions, or re-visions, of the Holocaust. For the real story of the Holocaust cannot be made into a meaningful fiction, since the vast majority of its characters, those whom we desperately wish to memorialize, were not actors at all, only victims.

My thesis has long been that reaction to the Holocaust lies at the origin of the whole victimary trend of modern thought, in both what I consider its praiseworthy accomplishments and those I admire less—although like nearly all political actions ( except those that can be defined in terms of the Nazi-Jew paradigm of the Holocaust, which is why this very designation is, unsurprisingly, paradoxical) these are subject to the Hayekian principle that the “market” is smarter than its participants, so that a policy that may strike me as unjustified may in fact turn out to have a salutary effect on, say, the achievement of racial equality.

On the level at which this thesis is situated, specific reactions to the Holocaust as a historical event are no longer at issue; the question becomes how to understand the overall movement of thought that we claim this event brought about. To answer those who contest this claim, we must define victimary thinking and show how its categories can be conceived as reactions to the Holocaust. The point of such a discussion is not to prove that those who have made use of victimary categories in political and social thought “had the Holocaust in mind,” nor is it useful to argue with someone who denies either the Holocaust’s reality or its significance. The burden would rather be on such a person to provide an equally coherent alternative model, and only at this point would argument become productive.

But in fact the very notion of victimary thinking has no equivalent in everyday discourse, and not surprisingly there really are no other universal explanatory models. Most intellectuals reject the very idea of “victimary thought” and see themselves rather as defending the oppressed against their oppressors. In contrast, those who accept the idea of the victimary and who are generally critical of the phenomenon it designates are not wont to seek justifications for it in history.

Victimary thinking may be defined without circularly referring to the Holocaust. It is the way of thinking for which any difference between ascriptive or “objective” groups that can be understood as imputing values of superiority and inferiority is absolutely condemned as immoral and inhuman. In this context “ascriptive” may be taken broadly to include sexual orientation and religion as well as the usual categories of race, gender, nationality, social class, etc.

Let me now outline, as I have done in a number of Chronicles (e.g., 90 , 287 , 337 , 380 , 385 ,  392 , 399 …) a skeleton history of postwar victimary thinking. In the first phase, which in the United States was the era of “Civil Rights,” the form of victimization that was condemned was de jure inequality, whose obvious parallel with the Nazi-Jew relationship was rarely stated and, I imagine, seldom thought. The point is not that the living memory of the Holocaust was instrumental in creating a sense of repugnance, but that the Holocaust was experienced historically as a demonstration of the evil of differential relationships on racial lines. No doubt the Holocaust itself took place at a moment of history in which a certain (notably anti-colonial) struggle had already begun and must be understood in part as a reaction to it, as a strong assertion of the validity of “racial superiority” at a moment when this notion, so unproblematic in the previous century, had begun to come under fire. But in the next turn of the dialectic, the horror of Nazism itself, even independently of the still little-mentioned specifics of the Final Solution, was sufficient to fuel what turned out to be successful struggles for racial equality and colonial liberation. This phase of history, whose last triumph was the demise of apartheid in South Africa in 1990-91, is to the extent that historical developments may be so considered, relatively unproblematic; today only a tiny fringe would find acceptable, let alone prefer, the racial/colonial hierarchies of an earlier era.

The “Jewish question” was relatively absent from the vision of Nazism that provided the impetus for these developments, which focused less on the six million than on the general horror of Nazi racism and tyranny. In this period the Jews, rather than insisting on their role as victims, tended rather to be ashamed of it; the question commonly asked of survivors was, “why didn’t you/they fight back?”

It was only in the second, mature phase of postmodernism that victimary thinking fully came into its own. At much the same time, the idea of “the Holocaust” acquired currency, along with the now-familiar images of piles of bodies and suitcases, emaciated prisoners, the Warsaw Ghetto in flames, “selection” on the Auschwitz ramp… as well as the iconic and much-abused figure of Anne Frank, to whom Rosenfeld devotes two full chapters of his book. In this second phase of victimary thinking, those who claimed to be or defend victims learned a new rhetoric of results . It was not enough to demand equal rights; to obtain full equality one had to be compensated for past ills, to be granted a “level playing field.” Victimary thinking has operated ever since with this expanded model, with which is associated a deconstructive theory of history. In this perspective, giving Blacks or women equal rights today cannot suffice to reverse not so much the direct results of past discrimination as the mind-set, indeed, the shared ontology of a world that affirms racial and gender superiority/inferiority. Although the domination of many areas of the university system, corporate hiring, etc., by such considerations has provided victimary groups with considerable financial and other advantages, victims are not expected to be satisfied simply to have acquired “rights” and advantages in the present. On the contrary, they are called as witnesses to the applicability of the Nazi-Jew model to human society in general. For from the beginning, the ethical and intellectual values of these societies have been complicit in the oppression of peripheral victims for the benefit of central authority.

The power of the Holocaust model is simple and absolute. If one wishes to claim, for example, that certain social roles are better fitted to men than women—or, say, that marriage should be restricted to that between a man and a woman—the implicit Nazi analogy renders these judgments as ugly as the caricatures in Der Stürmer . It is of great significance that anti-Jewish prejudice, unlike the standard racial variety, is based on the denial of what is generally an objective superiority— one that can be traced back to the Hebrews’ firstness as the inventors/discoverers of monotheism. The Nazi-Jew paradigm colors all other victimary oppositions with an undertone of envy. Whatever the value of the evidence that, say, Blacks are less intelligent on average than Whites, or women less gifted in the sciences than men, there is certainly no evidence that Jews are less intelligent or gifted than non-Jews— au contraire. If victimary groups are persecuted ultimately for their superiority, then no discrimination of any kind can be objectively justified. Hence the existence of statistical differences between groups with regard to success in any given endeavor (unless the victimary group actually does better, as with Blacks on basketball teams or women in college admissions) is considered prima facie evidence of discrimination.

At this point victimary thinking becomes problematic, for it incorporates two contradictory principles derived from the originary moral model. On the one hand, the firstness of the first user of the sign is not allowed to confer an advantage when it comes to distributing the products of the sparagmos; the exchange of signs, and of the things that are ritually distributed as a result of the exchange of signs, is in principle perfectly symmetrical. On the other hand, in more advanced societies the different roles are expected to be distributed according to the ability to perform them and not by victimary categories. The creation of such categories in the postwar era, however obviously necessary they may appear to us, is a radically new development that is best understood as the legacy of the Holocaust. It is in effect the extension of the Holocaust paradigm to the whole ensemble of social relations. Nothing like “affirmative action” had ever existed, even among persons with great sympathy for groups that are today considered victims and that in the past were simply thought of as deprived of equal rights, such as slaves in the South or women not given the vote. Needless to say, this new victimary consciousness has not done away with social hierarchy, but it has eliminated many selection criteria previously considered “objective,” such as aptitude examinations for civil service work, and spawned affirmative action programs of various kinds, not always in compensation for past prejudice.

Rosenfeld’s material offers confirmation of my assertion that results-oriented victimary thought is a product of the Holocaust, not merely in the broad sense that victimary thinkers make abundant and often reckless use of Holocaust analogies, but more specifically that the very outrageousness of the Holocaust metaphor is essential to creating and imposing the new victimary paradigm on human relations.

Let me take as an example a passage quoted by Rosenfeld from Betty Friedan’s 1963 The Feminine Mystique , the key manifesto of American postwar feminism. This passage can serve us as a test case of “how to talk about the Holocaust,” since it lends itself admirably to Rosenfeld’s critique at the same time as its very enormity justifies my argument that the paradigm inaugurated by the Holocaust is at the heart of modern victimary thought.

[T]he women who “adjust” as housewives, who grow up wanting to be “just a housewife,” are in as much danger as the millions who walked to their own death in the concentration camps—and the millions more who refused to believe that the concentration camps existed. In fact, there is an uncanny, uncomfortable insight into why a woman can so easily lose her sense of self as a housewife in certain psychological observations made of the behavior of prisoners in Nazi concentration camps. In these settings, purposely contrived for the dehumanization of man [sic], the prisoners literally became “walking corpses.” Those who “adjusted” to the conditions of the camps surrendered their human identity and went almost indifferently to their deaths. Strangely enough, the conditions which destroyed the human identity of so many prisoners were not the torture and the brutality, but conditions similar to those which destroy the identity of the American housewife. . . .

It was said . . . that not the SS but the prisoners themselves became their own worst enemy. Because they could not bear to see their situation as it really was—because they denied the very reality of their problem, and finally “adjusted” to the camp itself as if it were the only reality—they were caught in the prison of their own minds. . . . All this seems terribly remote from the easy life of the American suburban housewife. But is [not] her house in reality a comfortable concentration camp? (48, quoting p. 305-07)

Here is Rosenfeld’s reaction to this passage:

“In reality,” her house is nothing of the sort, and a clear-thinking person knows that the comparison is a foolish one. . . . [W]hat we confront in Friedan’s book goes beyond merely hyperbolic thinking to something close to the shut-down of thought itself. For no one who thinks at all lucidly can possibly see a connection “in reality” between the situation of middle-class American housewives of the postwar period, no matter how bored they might be, and the wartime condition of inmates in the Nazi camps. (48)

In the paragraphs that follow, Rosenfeld attempts to explain Friedan’s use of this comparison, using ideas from Christopher Lasch and Tzvetan Todorov. But at bottom his “explanation” is simply a restatement of the facts. Rosenfeld alleges that “a politics of suffering and victimization has been developing within American society over the past several decades . . . whose proponents draw on the pervasive presence of Holocaust images in order to garner for themselves a certain moral superiority that victims have come to enjoy in our society.” Well, yes, but explaining the use of victimary imagery by “a certain moral superiority that victims have come to enjoy” is mere tautological wordplay.

But the basis for my remark that it is tautological is precisely my theoretical claim that it is truly the Holocaust that is the source of this rhetoric, which is not always as clearly derivative of its model as this particular example. And this means that calling it “rhetoric” and emphasizing as Rosenfeld does the “images” of the Holocaust in Friedan’s passage in fact obscures the real impact of the Holocaust on victimary thought. For these vocabulary elements need not be present in the text, and indeed, the course of victimary rhetoric has been to abandon the Nazi image, except to the extent it can be associated with the “West” and particularly with Israel. When Edward Said proposes “Orientalism” as the model for the West’s dismissive and ultimately oppressive attitude toward its “other,” the last thing he wants us to think of is the West’s oppression of its internal other, the Jews. In principle, at least, Rosenfeld should be happy with this development, as indeed he might be if it were not the flip side of Muslim-inspired neo-antisemitism that reviles Israel while reprinting Mein Kampf and the Protocols of the Elders of Zion . But precisely, the filiation of victimary thought with the Holocaust is not one of images but of paradigms, and the paradigm of oppressor vs. oppressed race/social group/gender/etc., is far more durable and significant than images of stacked bodies and false shower rooms.

What we observe in Friedan is an early, and for today’s reader strikingly naïve, use of this paradigm. But let us note how she uses it, before the Berkeley uprising of 1965, before the campus/French revolt of 1968, at a time when “affirmative action” (which dates—dixit Wikipedia—from a JFK Executive Order in 1961) was in its infancy and “diversity,” which college presidents today cannot form two consecutive sentences on any subject without mentioning, was as yet unknown. Friedan cannot claim that her housewives suffer physically, nor even that they are mentally tortured by… whom exactly? The SS is mentioned only to be dismissed, since not even the most uncompromising feminist could find an analogy between these women’s poor husbands and the SS. The real point is that the prisoners themselves became their own worst enemy , that the housewives/prisoners internalize their oppression and adjust to it. Today such language might be accused of “blaming the victim”; it is made palatable only by the extreme nature of the overall model, which allows the assimilation of the housewives’ oppression to Nazism on the condition that it be a Nazism without Nazis.

For the fact that the women’s material conditions are at the antipodes of those of Auschwitz inmates, far from leading us to dismiss Friedan’s comparison as “the shut-down of thought itself,” is precisely meant to caution us against rejecting it. Adjustment is the real problem, and although in the housewives’ world no oppressor is indicated, it is the system of oppression that is at fault. The point of this analogy is that any acquiescence in an oppressive system is the virtual equivalent of accepting the role of the oppressed in the Nazi-Jew model, something that no self-respecting human being should react to with anything but outrage, even unto death. But as Adam Katz would point out, and as the partisans of victimary thinking prefer to ignore, this analogy is only useful to the extent that it is being offered in a social context where it is not valid, where it can have an impact on us precisely because we are not Nazis and are shocked by the accusation that our notion of normality is “really the same as” Auschwitz.

Although Friedan isn’t proposing here anything like “affirmative action,” she clearly shows us where the Holocaust paradigm is going. This is no longer Civil Rights language; it is the language of absolute oppression, a pre-philosophical form of deconstruction, for which any acceptation of differential status—such as adjustment to a preestablished gender role—is equivalent to assuming the zombie-like status of prisoners who go unresistingly to their deaths. This is, to use a word that would have a considerable fortune a few decades later, the state of abjection.

However tasteless its rhetoric, Friedan’s book was instrumental in kicking off a neo-feminism that fifty years later has led American women to attend college in considerably higher proportion and with considerably greater success than men, to run for president, and to enter and in some cases dominate formerly male-dominated professions. Thus in condemning Friedan’s rhetoric for its wild reference to the Holocaust, we risk failing to notice what the outcome of reaction to the Holocaust through the mediation of such rhetoric has really been, leading both to the creation of a more gender-equal world and to the problematization of all remaining areas of non-reciprocity, justifiable or not. It is possible to feel disgust with the assimilation of suburban housewives to Nazi prisoners and yet to understand that Friedan’s overall (and generally valid) point in encouraging suburban housewives to look beyond their current roles is an example of the historical power of the Holocaust to generate victimary thought, independently of Friedan’s or anyone else’s specific use of Holocaust metaphors or images.

To conclude with an example of the persistence of this kind of rhetoric nearly fifty years later, here is an extract from the acknowledgement section of a 2008 UCLA doctoral dissertation.

I am . . . compelled to acknowledge the existence of demeaning plantation politics at UCLA, which also significantly and consistently contributed to my UCLA experience. While I carry a tremendous amount of resentment regarding experiences that can best be described as a new millennium form of Jim Crow, I have also gained a tremendous amount of strength from surviving, overcoming and conquering the demon of racism and the racist demons that exist and operate at the University of California Los Angeles.

The Nazis have been replaced by slave-drivers, but the rhetoric makes the same unbridled use of a stigmatized relationship of oppression to condemn phenomena that the author feels no need to describe in any detail. No doubt this example is more of an expression of personal hurt and resentment than an attempt to make other Black students conscious of their oppression. But this only makes it a more convincing illustration of the persistence of a model that, whatever the imagery used here, has its source not in American slavery but in the Holocaust, which brought forth a victimary paradigm that continues to dominate the postmodern era over 65 years after the end of WWII.

HIST B323 History of the Holocaust

• Finding Books
• Sources for Researching the Holocaust
• Develop a Research Question
• Primary Sources
• Cite Sources
• Scholarly vs Popular
• Thesis Statements

Developing a Research Question

From Laurier Library. 

Selecting and Narrowing a Topic

When starting out on your research, it is important to choose a research topic that is not only of interest to you, but can also be covered effectively in the space that you have available. You may not know right away what your research question is - that's okay! Start out with a broad topic, then conduct some background research to explore possibilities and narrow your topic to something more manageable.    

Choose an interesting general topic.  If you’re interested in your topic, others probably will be too! And your research will be a lot more fun. Once you have a general topic of interest, you can begin to explore more focused areas within that broad topic. 

Gather background information.  Do a few quick searches in OneSearch@IU  or in other relevant sources.  See what other researchers have already written to help narrow your focus.  

• What subtopics relate to the broader topic? 
• What questions do these sources raise?
• What piques your interest? What might you like to say about the topic? 

Consider your audience.  Who would be interested in this issue? For whom are you writing? 

Adapted from: George Mason University Writing Center. (2008). How to write a research question. Retrieved from  http://writingcenter.gmu.edu/writing-resources/wc-quick-guides  

From Topic to Research Question

Once you have done some background research and narrowed down your topic, you can begin to turn that topic into a research question that you will attempt to answer in the course of your research.  Keep in mind that your question may change as you gather more information and as you write. However, having some sense of your direction can help you evaluate sources and identify relevant information throughout your research process. 

Explore questions.

• Ask open-ended “how” and “why” questions about your general topic.  
• Consider the “so what?” of your topic. Why does this topic matter to you? Why should it matter to others?

Evaluate your research question. Use the following to determine if any of the questions you generated would be appropriate and workable for your assignment. 

• Is your question clear? Do you have a specific aspect of your general topic that you are going to explore further?   
• Is your question focused? Will you be able to cover the topic adequately in the space available?   
• Is your question sufficiently complex? (cannot be answered with a simple yes/no response, requires research and analysis)

Hypothesize.  Once you have developed your research question, consider how you will attempt to answer or address it. 

• If you are making an argument, what will you say?  
• Why does your argument matter?  
• What kinds of sources will you need in order to support your argument?  
• How might others challenge your argument?

Adapted from: George Mason University Writing Center. (2008). How to write a research question. Retrieved from http://writingcenter.gmu.edu/writing-resources/wc-quick-guides

Sample Research Questions

A good research question is clear, focused, and has an appropriate level of complexity. Developing a strong question is a process, so you will likely refine your question as you continue to research and to develop your ideas.  

Unclear : Why are social networking sites harmful?

Clear:  How are online users experiencing or addressing privacy issues on such social networking sites as MySpace and Facebook?

Unfocused:  What is the effect on the environment from global warming?

Focused:  How is glacial melting affecting penguins in Antarctica?

Simple vs Complex

Too simple:  How are doctors addressing diabetes in the U.S.?

Appropriately Complex:   What are common traits of those suffering from diabetes in America, and how can these commonalities be used to aid the medical community in prevention of the disease?

Adapted from: George Mason University Writing Center. (2008). How to write a research question. Retrieved from  http://writingcenter.gmu.edu/writing-resources/wc-quick-guides

General online reference sources.

Reference sources like dictionaries and encylopedias provide general information about various subjects. They also include definitions that may help you break down your topic and understand it better. Sources includes in these entries can be springboards for more in-depth research.

A note on citation: Reference sources are generally not cited since they usually consist of common knowledge (e.g. who was the first United States President).  But if you're unsure whether to cite something it's best to do so. Specific pieces of information and direct quotes should always be cited. 

Reference resources from the Oxford University Press. Includes English dictionaries and thesauruses, English language reference books, bilingual dictionaries, quotations, maps and illustrations, timelines and subject reference sources.

Database of encyclopedias and specialized reference sources.

Encyclopedias and specialized reference resources in: Arts, Biography, History, Information and Publishing, Law, Literature, Medicine, Multicultural Studies, Nation and World, Religion, Science, Social Science

The online equivalent of the printed Encyclopedia Britannica and more. A fully searchable and browsable collection of authoritative references, including Britannica's latest article database, hundreds of recent articles not found in the print Britannica. Thousands of illustrations; references to biographies, geography and yearbooks are available.

Why Use References Sources

Reference sources are a great place to begin your research. They can help you:

• gain an overview of a topic
• explore potential research areas
• identify key issues, publications, or authors in your research area

From here, you can narrow your search topic and look at more specialized sources.

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150 Holocaust Essay Topics & Examples

Looking for good titles for a Holocaust project? This is one of the most tragic parts of WW2 that is definitely worth studying.

🔝 Top 10 Holocaust Questions for Essays

📝 holocaust essay: how to write, 🏆 holocaust essay examples & topics, 📌 holocaust thesis ideas, ✍️ holocaust essay topics for college, 💡 most interesting holocaust topics to write about, ❓ holocaust essay questions.

The most popular Holocaust essay topics are:

• The Holocaust and its causes
• Nazi human experiments as a part of the Holocaust
• Jewish ghettos in Poland
• The establishment of Auschwitz concentration camp
• The consequences of the Holocaust

Below you can find much more ideas. In this article, we’ve collected Holocaust thesis ideas and questions for essays. They will suite for middle school, high school, and college-level assignments. You’ll also find tips on writing your introduction, conclusion, and formulating a thesis statement, together with Holocaust essay examples. Write an ️A+ paper with us!

• What were the ideological causes of the Holocaust?
• How was anti-Jewish legislation in Germany established?
• What were the goals of the Nazi Euthanasia Program?
• How and where were the largest ghettos created?
• How did the concentration camp system expand across Europe?
• What were the three types of ghettos?
• How did the resistance efforts in the ghettos look like?
• Who were the key opponents of Nazism inside and outside Germany?
• How did the US government respond to Nazism?
• What were the consequences of the Holocaust?

The Holocaust has affected millions of people around the world. It is one of the most tragic and problematic topics of history. Holocaust essays help students to understand the issue better, analyzing its causes and consequences.

Organizing an essay on the Holocaust may be challenging, as there are many aspects to cover. We have developed some tips to help you through the process.

First, choose the Holocaust issue you want to discuss. Select one of the titles to work on. Some of the Holocaust essay topics include:

• Concentration camps in today’s Europe
• Lessons from the Holocaust: Fostering tolerance
• Present and future of the Holocaust research
• The causes of the Holocaust and discrimination against Jewish people
• How could people have stopped the Holocaust?
• Political issues behind the Holocaust
• The effects of the Holocaust on its survivors
• The factors and issues that contributed to Nazism

You can choose one of these holocaust essay questions or ask your professor for suggestions. Once that you have selected the topic of your essay, you can start working on the paper.

A well-developed structure is highly significant for an outstanding essay. Here are some tips on how to develop a structure for the paper:

• Think of the Holocaust essay prompts you want to discuss first. You can do preliminary research to see what issues you should cover.
• Ask your professor about the type of essay you should write. If it is an argumentative essay, you will need to leave space for at least one refutation paragraph and a rebuttal paragraph.
• Include an introductory paragraph (or several paragraphs if you are working on a longer essay). This paragraph should include the background information on the Holocaust and the problem you have selected. Discuss the goals of the paper and state your main claim at the end of this section.
• The main arguments of your paper will comprise body paragraphs. You may want to dedicate at least one separate paragraph for each of your claims. The number of body paragraphs is up to you, however, we would recommend including at least three of them. Hint: Make smooth transitions between paragraphs to make your paper look more organized.
• Remember that at least one body paragraph should state the general information about the Holocaust, its causes, and effects. You may discuss statistical data, global consequences, and primary victims.
• While working on a refutation paragraph, do not forget to prove that your arguments are more reasonable that the opposing perspectives. You can dedicate a separate paragraph for a rebuttal.
• A concluding section or a summary should state your main arguments again. You can also include a recommendation if necessary.
• Important tip: Do not make your paragraphs too short or too long. We would recommend writing between 65 and 190 words per paragraph and not more than 35 words per sentence. Making all body paragraphs of similar length is also a good idea that will make your paper look more professional.
• Ask your professor whether you need to include a title page and table of contents. Remember that a reference page is a must, as it includes all sources from the essay.
• If you are not sure that the selected structure is good, search for the holocaust essay titles and examples online and see how other students organize their papers. Avoid copying the works you will find.

Remember to look at the samples on our website to get some ideas for your excellent paper!

• Holocaust and Bosnian Genocide Comparison The current paper aims to compare some of the most notable genocides in history, the Holocaust, and the Bosnian mass murder in terms of their aims, death tolls, tactics, and methods.
• Holocaust vs. Japanese Colonial Era in Korea The Holocaust in the history of Jewish people, as well as Japanese occupation in the history of Korean people, was one of the greatest tragedies.
• Critique of Elie Wiesel’s Holocaust Book “Night” Like many books on the Holocaust, Elie Wiesel’s Night is a dramatic picture of the horror times in the history of humankind and particularly in the history of the Jewish people.
• Reinhard Heydrich’s Role in the Holocaust With the help of his boss: Himmler[7], they used political forces to influence the police in an attempt to ensure the consolidation of the Nazi administration in the entire nation of Germany[8].
• Nazi Medical Experiments During the Holocaust The information is maintained by the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. This photograph is maintained and produced by the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum.
• US Holocaust Policy During World War II However, the anti-Nazi campaign was not successful, and the main reason for this was the harsh foreign policy of the USA.
• Reasons Why the Jews Failed to Resist the Holocaust The award-winning book brings the readers to the lives and experiences of Vladek Spiegelman, a holocaust survivor, and his father during the period.
• Discussion of Holocaust and Immigration In “Holocaust Education and Remembrance in Australia,” Suzanne D.and Suzanne H.discuss the adverse effects and after-issues of immigration among the Jewish community and how it led to the concept that the Holocaust had a long-lasting […]
• The Holocaust and the Nakba: Tragedy and Trauma The Nakba refers to the destruction of hundreds of cities and towns and the Palestinian people’s cultural, economic, political, and social backgrounds.
• Holocaust Commemoration in the US Holocaust Memorial Museum This paper is relevant to the understanding of virtual exhibit since it highlights the major notions of memorialization that are included in the exhibition.
• Holocaust: Traditions and Encounters He was the only presenter in the video: he revealed the question about Sephardic Jews in the Holocaust and answered questions from the audience.
• Holocaust: Taking Steps Toward Evil To the Nazi leader, the Jews were an inferior race and were an alien threat to the German racial purity. The Germans blamed the Jews for having lost the World War 1 and accused them […]
• A Visit to the Holocaust Museum Houston The museum emphasizes the perils of intolerance, bigotry, and apathy by drawing on the lessons of the Holocaust and other massive genocides.
• “Holocaust Horror…” by Moore A considerable number of young people do not have the correct knowledge, and the most disturbing fact is that the Holocaust started to be interpreted in different ways.
• The Relationship Between Epigenetics and the Effects of the Holocaust Tests are most likely to identify existing changes of DNA and the proteins related to DNA, which are responsible for the structure of the DNA and the availability of other elements related to the DNA.
• The Holocaust: Poem “Tears of Blood” The extermination of the Roma was part of the general policy of the National Socialists to destroy political opponents, homosexual people, terminally and mentally ill, drug addicts, and Jews.
• The Terror of the Holocaust in the Book “Hana’s Suitcase” by Karen Levine The story “Hana’s Suitcase” by Karen Levine is not fiction, where heroes and the plot are the imagination of the author; it is a documentary story where the situation and named people are real, they […]
• The Holocaust and Schindler’s List: Transforming the Human Perception of Violence The World War II genocide of Jews, known as the Holocaust, changed both the Jewish history and the history of the world, transforming the human perception of violence and religious conflicts.
• The Holocaust as a History-Cultural Phenomenon The Holocaust in the narrow sense represents the persecution and mass extermination of Jews who inhabited the German lands, the territories of Hitler’s allies, and the areas occupied during the war.
• Art Spiegelman’s Graphic Novel “Maus I: A Survivor’s Tale”: Author’s Understanding of the Holocaust Spiegelman uses mice to represent Jews because of the oppression they experienced while in Hitler’s concentration camps. The mistreatment the Jews experienced is similar to what mice experience in the presence of cats.
• Holocaust Museum Exhibition “State of Deception” Generally, evaluating a variety of facts from different sources, it becomes evident that the exhibition “State of Deception: The Power of Nazi Propaganda” in the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum can be seen as rather […]
• Holocaust: Ethnic and Cultural Diversity and the Real Face of Prejudice The holocaust refers to the murder of six million European Jews in the course of the Second World War. The holocaust was the highest level of prejudice in society during the time.
• German Attitudes Towards Third Reich and Holocaust Commemoration The Goldhagen debate represents a shift in the attitude of the Germans regarding the commemoration of the Third Reich and the remembrance of the holocaust.
• Human Response to Holocaust in “Nightfather” and “Fugitive Pieces” It is his memory of the nightmare that keeps him imprisoned, he appears in the camp again and again by the volition of his memory that is eager to play painful tricks with him.
• Holocaust Denial: Dynamics of Ethics While keeping this in mind, we will analyze the introduction of “holocaust denial” criminal charges into the penal code of many Western countries that simultaneously take pride in the fact that their democratic form of […]
• Jewish Family’s Experiences During the Holocaust Piecing together everything that I learned from my grandparents and parents, I have come to realize that I was shaped early on by the experience of my ancestors in the Holocaust and in Russia.
• Censorship, Holocaust and Political Correctness In this paper, we will focus on exploring different aspects of formal and informal censorship, in regards to a so-called “Holocaust denial”, as we strongly believe that people’s ability to express their thoughts freely is […]
• The Holocaust: Auschwitz Concentration Camp History In an attempt to dehumanize the victims of the Nazis and as a testament to the resilience of a few of the inmates of the camps, the mentality of the brutal Nazis is worth a […]
• Holocaust: What Were Its Causes and Effects? After the invasion of the Soviet Union by Nazis, the goal of the Nazis was to murder every individual of Jewish origin, which the Nazis defined as anyone with a trace of Jewish “blood” dating […]
• Henry Orenstein: Holocaust Survivor and Entrepreneur The Nazi regime, were under the impression that the Germans were ‘racially superior’ to the Jews and believed that the Jews were somehow lesser than them.
• The Holocaust: Historical Analysis The Holocaust, now the example of Jewish pain, has long stopped to be a piece of history, and is now regarded by spiritual and material alike, as a piece of divinity – a sacred text […]
• Holocaust Tragedy in Nazi Germany Since the forties of the twentieth century, another such theory, called the Holocaust, came into use in the context of the mass extermination of Jews in Europe by the Nazis. It is the education of […]
• A Visit to the Holocaust Museum in Washington DC People visited the museum to learn about the atrocities caused to the Jews by the Nazi administration, headed by Hitler. The other piece I learned is that in the museum there was a video of […]
• Holocaust in “Maus” Graphic Novel by Art Spiegelman It is quite peculiar that Spiegelman uses only the black-and-white color perhaps, this is another means to emphasize the gloomy atmosphere of the Nazi invasion and the reign of the anti-Semite ideas.
• Post-Holocaust and Imprisonment Literary Works It is possible that Celan uses repetition to express the feelings of repetitiveness that he and the other people felt during the imprisonment.
• The Poetry of the Holocaust Period In conclusion, it seems appropriate to state that Sutzkever is a metaphysical poet as his creative thought focuses on the beauty of nature and the truthful presentation of events.
• The Public Memory of the Holocaust In addition to his pain, Levi concerns the increasing temporal distance and habitual indifference of hundreds of millions of people towards the Holocaust and the survivors1 It causes the feeling of anxiety that was fuelled […]
• History of the Holocaust They can be outlined as follows: the historical legacy of anti-Semitism in Europe, the particulars of the German national character /the fact that the Nazis did succeed in dehumanizing the Jews, and the irrational hatred […]
• Holocaust and Stuttgart Declaration of Guilt This paper is devoted to the analysis of the Holocaust in general and the Stuttgart Declaration of Guilt in particular. The judges represented the states which were the main winners in the war: Great Britain, […]
• Holocaust Memorial Museum Textiles, for example, badges, uniforms, flags, costumes, and banners are also housed in the museum. Other types of materials housed in the museum are works on paper, such as announcements, posters, broadsides, and maps.
• Holocaust in “Survival in Auschwitz” by Primo Levi Another issue that needs to be discussed is that the economy of Germany was hurt because of the World War I, and it has affected the pride of the nation.
• 1942-1945 Holocaust: Nazi Germany’s Political Reasons Started in 1942 and taking place until the end of the war, the Holocaust was the genocide of Jewish people arranged by Hitler and implemented by the Nazi army.
• Holocaust, Antisemitism, and Propaganda That is why, nowadays great attention is given to issues which led to the death of millions of people. Being a part of the ideology of Nazism, it led to the elimination of a great […]
• The Holocaust Effects: Books “Tzili” and “Wartime Lies” The natural experiences of growing up are changed and twisted by the war and its horrors, but the specific developments, their perceptions, and impacts are affected by the children’s personalities and circumstances of their lives, […]
• The Holocaust and Jehovas Witnesses The concept of “spiritual resistance” in the case of members of Jehovah’s Witness during the era of the Nazis in Germany focused primarily on continuing the acts associated with their faith despite the persecution they […]
• Holocaust: Nazi Anti-Jewish Policies and Actions The major policy that the Nazi implemented was the Law for the Restoration of the Professional Civil Service that excluded Jews from government jobs.
• Holocaust and Nazi’s Racial Imperialism The scholar argues that the event was a result of the racial imperialism championed by the Nazi Party in the country.
• Holocaust Experience in the Book ‘Night’ by Elie Wiesel Eliezer’s depiction in the story as the main character in the story is that of a humble and religious young man.
• History of the Jews and the Holocaust The Nazi regime and its partners became the pioneers of the Holocaust. That being the case, the anti-Semitism ideas and prejudices experienced in Germany before the Second World War led to the infamous Holocaust.
• Denying the Holocaust: The Growing Assault on Truth and Memory by Deborah Lipstadt The book is divided into chapters that focus on the history and methods that are used to distort the truth and the memory of the Holocaust.
• The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Since its inception in 1993, the museum has served as the nation’s reminder when it comes to issues of the holocaust.
• Iran and Israel’s Nuclear Holocaust and the Gulf Cooperation Council’s Position As such conflict would put a serious threat to the safety of the region, the policy aims at the acceptance of nuclear deal and the development of the effective course of actions aimed at eliminating […]
• Liberal Democracy, Anti-Semitism and the Holocaust The Nazis and other populist political movements in Germany believed that the Jews had undue influence in the country through their prominent positions in the media and the financial system4.
• Was the Holocaust the failure of or the product of Modernity? The date that traditionally marks the beginning of modernist era is 1453, when the City of Constantinople was conquered by the Turkish Ottoman Empire, as far as this date symbolized the end of the Byzantine […]
• Reconsidering the History: Holocaust Denial. The XXI Century Prospects Despite the fact that Holocaust was one of the hideous crimes against the humanity that is never to occur again, some tend to represent the tragic event as the stage of the history that people […]
• Nazi Germany & Holocaust The Nazi movement is a revolutionary movement that was associated with the mass murder of Jews and Communists in an attempt to restore the reputation of Germany at the international level. The Nazi regime under […]
• The Holocaust and Nazi Germany The rise of the Nazis to power in 1933 led to the establishment of thousands of concentration camps, which were centers of mass murders of Jews.
• The Holocaust and Jews Extermination The Nazis perceived Internationalism in the context of the Holocaust to be a global perspective primarily held and advocated by Jews who were using it as a method designed to dominate the whole world.
• The Holocaust: Analysis of Life in the Kovno, Warsaw and Lodz Ghettos Due to the continued capturing and shooting of the Jews at the forts, Rabbi Shapiro felt that the Jews should be separated from the Lithuanians to live into the Ghetto and thus a seven member […]
• How Holocaust Has Been Projected by the Different Historians Over the Years? Several historians claimed that it was unfair as it was an act of barbarism and it promoted wicked behavior with the innocent people of Jewish community while on the other hand, it was said that […]
• Jewish Insight of Holocaust Holocaust, the extermination of Jews from the European land was the example of brutality and viciousness of the Nazi Germany. Meanwhile, many historians were observing the situation critically and wanted to present their ideas about […]
• Shooting At the Holocaust Museum According to the incident report, von Brunn entered the museum and shot the guard. His motive was to hold the board members who were in the building hostage for the economic difficulties that the country […]
• The Nazi Holocaust’s Effects This study aims at analyzing the claim that social and psychological effects of the Holocaust linger in areas of political systems in which the survivors of the holocaust currently reside.
• The History of the Holocaust Hitler said that the root cause of the problems were the despicable Jews of Europe. The direct victims were the Jews but the rest of the world understood the consequences of inaction and the lack […]
• Holocaust and the Cold War Cold war refers to the military and political tension between the United States of America and the Soviet Union immediately after the World War 2.
• Doris Bergen: Nazi’s Holocaust Program in “War and Genocide” The discussion of the Holocaust cannot be separated from the context of the World War II because the Nazi ideology of advancing the Aryans and murdering the undesirable people became one of the top reasons […]
• The ‘Banality’ of Abstraction: Western Philosophy’s Failure to Address the Moral Implications of the Holocaust Additionally, I would like to address the relationship of Arendt and Heidegger in the context of The Holocaust, and the effect that it had upon their philosophical works.
• Conduction of The Holocaust Propaganda against Jews The common media the Nazis used for the campaign against the Jews was the Weekly Nazis newspaper, “The attacker”.
• Does Global English Mean Linguistic Holocaust? It is not difficult to find examples of the extinction of languages in the wake of the introduction of English. Some of the most active areas of extinction include the American West, where a variety […]
• The Horror of the Holocaust in Different Styles of Writing One of the thematic thread that unites these three works of the writers from different countries is their attempt to reproduce how cruel and unfair the actions of the Nazi were. The Holocaust, the judgment […]
• Peter Eisenman; Building Germany, the Holocaust Memorial The Jews were not the Nazi’s only victims during the holocaust, other casualties were the weak and disabled people in the society, who were killed on the pretext of the Euthanasia program.
• The Holocaust: A German Historian Examines the Genocide The Holocaust: A German Historian Examines the Genocide deals with one of the most debatable issues of the history of the twentieth century, i.e.
• The Holocaust: Religion, Race and Ethnicity Discrimination
• Holocaust Resistance: The Largest Jews Revolt Holocaust
• The Violent Conditions and Dehumanization Faced by the Jewish People During the Holocaust
• Analysis of the Causes of the Holocaust in Germany
• The Anger and Bewilderment of Holocaust Survivors
• Racist and Hate Crimes During the Holocaust
• The Long-Lasting Impact of the Holocaust on the Survivors
• The Holocaust, and the Statistics of the Tragic Events
• General Information About the Holocaust Was Genocide Against the Jewish Race
• The Causes and Effects the Holocaust Was Responsible for the Death of 6 Million
• Overview of the Chinese Holocaust and Experiments on Living People
• The Goals and Impact of the Holocaust Camps in Germany
• General Information About the Horrible Events That Took Place During the Holocaust
• The Different Killing Methods Used by the Nazi Germans During the Holocaust
• The U.S. Government’s Disregard of the Jewish Holocaust
• Survivor’s Syndrome Among Holocaust Survivors
• The German Holocaust: Treatment of the Germans After WWII
• Holocaust Survivor Testimonies: Time, Methodology and Memory
• The Link Between Nazi Propaganda and the Holocaust
• Holocaust Survivor Bewilderment and Anger
• Stolen Art Literature and Music of the Holocaust
• The Genesis and History of the Holocaust in Nazi Germany
• The Knowledge About the Holocaust To Avoid the Same Experience
• Analysis of the Holocaust and the Crisis of Human Behavior
• The Horrific Experience and Fate of the Children During the Holocaust
• How Did the Holocaust Affect the Jewish Community?
• How Does the American Holocaust Show the Huge Decline of Native Americans?
• Was German “Eliminationist Anti Semitism” Responsible for the Holocaust?
• How Were Jews Treated During the Holocaust?
• What Is the Relationship Between Holocaust and Genocide?
• How the Holocaust Took Away the Rights of Jewish People?
• What Was the Strength of the Nazis During the Holocaust?
• With Whom Does Responsibility for the Holocaust Ultimately Lie?
• How the Pope Affected the Holocaust?
• What Events Led to the Holocaust in Germany?
• How Was Survival Possible in the Death Camps of the Holocaust?
• Were the Jehovah’s Witnesses Really Affected by the Holocaust?
• Why Does God Permit Tragic Events Like the Holocaust Terrorist Attacks?
• What Was Hitler’s Role in the Holocaust?
• Why Is Peter Eisenman Building a Memorial to the Victims of the Holocaust in Germany?
• How Does the Holocaust Compare to One Other Form of Modern Genocide (Kurdish Genocide)?
• What Are the Problems Between Jews and Christians That Caused the Holocaust?
• How Did Oskar Schindler Act During the Holocaust?
• What Prejudices Were There During the Holocaust?
• How Did People Avoid Removal During the Holocaust?
• What Kind of Medical Experiments Were Carried Out During the Holocaust?
• How Did the Holocaust Affect Ordinary People?
• What Are the Proposals for Preventing a New Holocaust?
• How Did the U.S. React to the Holocaust in Germany?
• Why Was the World Silent During the Holocaust?
• How the Holocaust Affected Its Jewish Victims?
• What Are the Consequences of the Holocaust and Its Consequences for the Jews and the Rest of the Population?
• How the Holocaust Explodes the Concept of Mass Crime?
• Why Are Jews Demanding Compensation for Holocaust Damage?
• What Economic and Social Conditions Led to the Holocaust?
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Holocaust - Free Essay Samples And Topic Ideas

The Holocaust, a grotesque period in history, entailed the systematic genocide of six million Jews by the Nazi regime during World War II. Essays could delve into the historical antecedents, ideological underpinnings, and the chilling bureaucratic mechanisms employed to perpetrate this mass extermination. The discourse might extend to the exploration of the global response, or lack thereof, discussing the roles of various nations and international organizations during and after the Holocaust. Discussions could also focus on the enduring legacy of the Holocaust, exploring its impact on subsequent human rights movements, international law, and the collective memory of humanity. Moreover, a comprehensive analysis could include a discussion on Holocaust denial, the importance of Holocaust education, and the ongoing efforts to commemorate the victims and ensure such atrocities are never repeated. Reflecting on the Holocaust and its myriad implications can engender a deeper understanding of the human capacity for both evil and resilience, fostering a commitment to justice, tolerance, and humanitarian values. A vast selection of complimentary essay illustrations pertaining to Holocaust you can find in Papersowl database. You can use our samples for inspiration to write your own essay, research paper, or just to explore a new topic for yourself.

Cause of the Holocaust

The Holocaust took millions of lives, people of all ages. This catastrophe is still impacting people 75 years later. In this, Jews and others were snatched out of their homes and told to bring valuables, thinking they were going to a delightful place. Instead, they would line up and a Nazi would point left or right. If pointed to the right, then they were spared and transmitted to concentration camps. If pointed to the left you were transported to gas […]

Is Holocaust Denial Real?

The Holocaust was the killing and persecution of over six million Jews and other groups such as the disabled, Gypsies, Slavics, homosexuals, and Jehovah's Witnesses. The Holocaust was performed and executed by the Nazis in the 1930s and 1940s. Although there is overwhelming evidence of the existence of the Holocaust, people still deny that the Holocaust was real and wrong. In fact, only one-third of the world believes the entirety of the Holocaust (Stuart, 1). There are 3 main reasons […]

Deliberate and Systematic Destruction of a Racial, Political, or Cultural Group

This genocide that is going to be discussed was state-sponsored and became known as one of the world's most notorious times to be alive. The official definition of a holocaust is a thorough destruction involving extensive loss of life (Merriam-Webster, Holocaust ). When it pertains to the Holocaust, almost everyone knows what it is. It was the mass killing of almost six million Jewish, Slavic, and mentally disabled people by Nazi Germany during World War II. Nazis had the hope […]

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Why did the Holocaust Happen?

Today, the problem of studying the Holocaust is the problem of the recognition of its uniqueness as a historical phenomenon of a universal scale. Before World War II, all conflicts in the history of genocide were based on religious conflicts: mass extermination of people took place on religious grounds. In the twentieth century, religious motives ceased to play a decisive role in determining the group identity of people. The Holocaust was one of the acts of mass destruction of people […]

The Holocaust is One of the Worst Events in Human History

The Holocaust is one of the most horrific events to occur in the twentieth century, it lasted from 1933 to 1945. For years the question that still remains is was this final solution an intentional plan created by Hitler, made ahead of time or was it a last minute decision based off of the circumstances surrounding Germany? These two groups have been in disagreement for years attempting to find the answer when the truth is, there is no real answer. […]

Genocide: the Nazis’ Original Plan

The Holocaust, which took place during 1933-1945, was a devastating period of time when the German Nazi's planned to mass murder European Jews. The literal term 'Holocaust' originates from the Hebrew Bible's term olah meaning a sacrifice that is offered up. This was a frightening time for everyone, Jewish and non-Jewish. Approximately six million people were killed as a result of the Holocaust (Roth). Adolf Hitler, the leader of Germany at the time, hated Jews and blamed them for all […]

The Holocaust and Human Nature

There are less than eighty Holocaust survivors today. As they pass away we need to tell their stories so we know the truth. We want to remember them and never forget what they did. Throughout this paper, we will examine the rise, fall and the impact of the Holocaust. We want to be thankful that there some survivors to bring us there stories so we can prevent this event from happening again. Let's not have this event happen again. The […]

Lord of the Flies & WWII/Holocaust Connections

The fear and darkness of the time period had spread to all living souls in surrounding of the terror. William Golding's novel, Lord of the Flies, takes place around 1950 during one of the evilous events in human history. The Holocaust was a horrible act of exterminating humans for not being the way Hitler, in his mind, pictured for the human race. Lord of the Flies is a novel that has symbols with hidden meanings that historically relate to The […]

World War Ll in History

Over 6 million jews died all in one period of time. All those people died in the holocaust because of Adolf Hitler and his Nazi group. The Holocaust changed the world forever, and is something we will never forget. Jews and many others had to experience harsh conditions, and the Holocaust made such a huge impact on our world. On the evening of April 20, 1889, at an inn called the Gasthof Zum Pommer in the village of Braunau Am […]

Genocide in Germany the Holocaust

Genocide is by definition the intentional, methodical, and targeted destruction of a particular ethnic, religious, or racial group. The term genocide is derived from the Greek prefix genos, which translates to race or tribe, and the Latin suffix cide, meaning killing. The Holocaust, also known as Shoah, is the most notable and deadliest instance of genocide in the world. The Holocaust began in Germany in the 1930s and expanded to Nazi occupied Germany, until the last liberation of death camps […]

Adolf Hitler and the Holocaust

Introduction Have you ever visited the holocaust museum? Located in Washington D.C., it is a place were we honor the people who died in the Final Solution . The Final Solution was a plan made by adolf hitler to kill off the jews. German authorities persecuted other groups on political, ideological, and behavioral grounds. Among them were Communists, Socialists, Jehovah's Witnesses, and homosexuals. I wonder what the reality was in that time and place. Adolf hitler The one who started […]

The Mass Murder of Six Million Jews

By May 8, 1945, the world lost around eleven million humans consisting of men, women, and children. The years of 1933 to 1945 were known as the Holocaust. If you don't know already, the Holocaust was the mass murder of six million Jews, along with millions of others. It was lead by a blood-thirsty leader known as Adolf Hitler. Who was Adolf Hitler? What was the Holocaust? Who were the victims during the Holocaust? With the masterminds and an army […]

Holocaust Denial and Distortion

The Holocaust has been taught in schools all over the world. I can distinctly remember learning about a horrible genocide that took place during World War II, and it immediately sparked my interest to dig deeper on the subject. There are groups of people out there who do not believe the Holocaust ever occurred, and they are known as Holocaust Deniers. I have read books and articles of those who have been through it all; the selection process, the starvation, […]

The Theme of the Holocaust and the Responsibility

When we see an image in black and white, we tend to believe that such an event only occurred in a history textbook years ago. We think of wars, death, power, the absence of life, and aggression. An image in black and white can create a nostalgic mood or a hopeless feeling like the Holocaust picture presented below. The image background, a grassland, looks dead and dull, no life being born out of it and a gray sky portraying an […]

Why should we Never Forget the Holocaust

I think that it is important to learn about the holocaust and what had happened during it. From the beginning of the holocaust when it all started, 1933, when hitler became power over germany, none of it was right or acceptable. Learning about the holocaust is something that everyone in the world should know about. Knowing what happened should be enough to make sure that this action never takes place again because of how brutal and harsh it was. Humans […]

Holocaust – Jewish Resistance

It is not wrong to say that the Holocaust is the center of Israeli psychology. Unlike most other historical events whose influence is gradually blurred, the impact of the Holocaust on Israeli society has actually increased over time. This process is very complex and difficult to describe in a few pages. However, understanding its dynamics is important in studying about Israeli culture. The Holocaust is also known as the name Shoal, was the greatest tragedy of the Jewish people in […]

Adolf Hitler Ended Germany’s Democracy

Adolf Hitler ended Germany's democracy and doomed six million Jews. To this day, Hitler is one of the cruelest people the world has ever seen because of his persecution of not only Jews but of 11 million people. After reading the book Night and completing my research on the topic of Adolf Hitler Birth - 1933, I have learned so much about the dark period known as the Holocaust. Adolf Hitler was reportedly distant and sometimes depressed as a child […]

The Holocaust’s Bureaucracy of Genocide

The intent of this study was to select and analyze a global event. The event chosen to be analyzed was the Holocaust. The Holocaust occurred in Germany beginning in the 1930s and then expanded to all areas of Nazi-occupied Europe during World War II. The event was a genocide in which Nazi Germany murdered about six million European Jews; they also murdered other groups, which resulted in up to seventeen million deaths overall. Germany's persecution of these groups was implemented […]

The Holocaust in Two Parts

The beginning of the Holocaust started when WWI ended. Germany lost the war, and Adolf Hitler got furious at Jews, homosexuals, and religious groups like Gypsies, and also, there was a bit of an economic crisis, so he needed to go Thanos and wipe out pretty much half of all Jews, homosexuals, and persecuted religious groups. But before he could do that, he needed to rise to power. HITLER'S RISE TO POWER The roots of Hitler's particularly virulent brand of […]

Effects of the Holocaust

Even though the Holocaust ended over seventy years ago, it still impacts our society today. As time progresses, more effects of this event are being discovered. The holocaust is a traumatic event that will forever affect the mental health of its victims, as well as their families and our society. The Holocaust has had a lasting effect on its survivors, especially concerning their mental health. Victims of the holocaust have been found to have psychological trauma, along with PTSD. Living […]

The Root of the Holocaust: Darfur

Upon different generations we have seen numerous genocides occur in all areas around the world. One of the most famous genocides was the Holocaust. Though the Holocaust was made aware to the public and caught the eye of people all over the globe, it still fell through the cracks for many years just like a lot of other genocides. Most of the time, genocides are started in silence because the people who are being targeted are kept quiet such as […]

My Hero is Wilhelm Hosenfeld

During the gruesome and horrid years of the holocaust many villains were highlighted, but many heroes remained unseen and were overshadowed by the awful wrath of the Nazis. One of these heroic figures was Wilhelm (Welm) Hosenfeld. He served as a German Captain but quickly changed to a anti-nazi. He did not only become against the Nazis, he started to save Jewish people and sacrificing his life. Learning about Hosenfeld is relevant because we can reflect to these figures to […]

The U.S. Government’s Disregard of the Jewish Holocaust

In the 1930s, Adolf Hitler rose to power and lead the Nazi party to discriminate and murder people of the Jewish race. In the span of four years, millions of innocent civilians were killed. During that time, citizens of the United States had at most their condolences to offer, and the government did almost nothing until the U.S. was directly attacked. Most of the population expressed extreme anti-Semitism toward Jewish people. If they had not been so hesitant to aid […]

Genocide in Germany: the Holocaust

There is much speculation as to why Adolf Hitler may have hated Jewish people so fervently. Some historians suspect that it could be related to his heritage; Hitler's father Alois was born out of wedlock, and there were rumors that he might have been of Jewish descent. Adolf did not have a healthy relationship with his father, leading some to believe that this is a possible explanation for his contempt. Another possible case for Hitler's disgust for Jewish people could […]

Gender and Sexuality: a Historiography and Analysis of the Holocaust

The Holocaust: a genocide in which Nazi Germany, aided by local collaborators, systematically murdered millions of people between 1941 and 1945; an event made possible through meticulous planning and manipulation across multiple dimensions. In an attempt for ultimate control, Hitler preyed upon the vulnerabilities of pre-existing stereotypes and stigmas surrounding gender and sexuality and manipulated his followers in accepting these ideologies. In fact, is arguable that everyone involved within the Holocaust (men, women, children, homosexuals, Jews, those of minority ethnicity, […]

Adolf Hitler and Responsibility for the Holocaust

Adolf Hitler became leader of Germany in 1933. Adolf was a soldier for Germany in the first world war. Germany lost the war due to betrayal from within. Socialists, communists, and particularly Jews were blamed. Hitler joined a new extreme right wing party, The National Socialists German workers Party. He would inspire people with his speeches. On April 1st, 1933 the Nazi party began their plan to remove Jews from society by announcing a boycott against all Jewish-owned businesses. Laws […]

Elie Wiesel and his Father in Night – the Impact of War on Relationships

Elie Wiesel and His Father: A Bond Amidst Atrocities In the Holocaust, 6 million European Jews were murdered because of their race to German. Hitler treated the Jews harshly because the Jews were accused of their racial character. The group of Jews who are homosexuals and gypsies was persecuted. According to the memoir “Night,” written by Elie Wiesel, Jews were sent to concentration camps in wagons with less oxygen and leftover food. Elie bore witness to Holocaust. He witnessed the […]

Jehovah Witnesses during the Holocaust

Jehovah witnesses were one of the groups targeted by Nazi Germany for elimination on religious ground. During the rise of the Nazi, the group had a small but active following in Germany. The problem with the group, as far as Nazis were concerned, is that they were against fighting into the army purposes of waging war. Therefore, their religious teachings were against the Nazi Germany goal of world domination through war and a new beginning of the German nation. The […]

Psychological Pain and Victims of Holocaust

The physical suffering that was experienced by Jewish victims of the Holocaust, through the Nazi's regime of systematic annihilation, is widely known. However, the impact of this trauma was not just at the physical level. The violent and devastating realities of the Holocaust inherently created an intense strain on Jewish religious and spiritual identity. Through the analysis of three primary sources, a memoir, a sermon, and a prayer, I will demonstrate how this strain lead to a variety of theological […]

The Holocaust – Failure of Humanity

The holocaust is not only a tragedy of the Jewish people, it is a failure of humanity as a whole -Moshe Katsav. The holocaust was started by the Germans. Their leader and the person who caused the holocaust to start was named Adolf Hitler. He was wrong for what he did to the Jews and it was inhuman. The human race as a whole failed because we could have done something to stop the holocaust or prevent it from getting […]

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How To Write An Essay On The Holocaust

Introduction to writing about the holocaust.

When undertaking the task of writing an essay on the Holocaust, it's crucial to approach the subject with a deep sense of respect and historical responsibility. The Holocaust, one of the darkest periods in human history, saw the systematic, state-sponsored persecution and murder of six million Jews by the Nazi regime and its collaborators. In your introduction, establish the context of the Holocaust, providing a brief historical background. It's important to acknowledge the sensitivity of the topic and set a tone that is both informative and reflective. Your thesis should clearly state the specific focus of your essay, whether it’s an analysis of the events, an exploration of the consequences, or a discussion of the lessons learned.

Exploring the Historical Context and Events

The main body of your essay should delve into the specific aspects of the Holocaust you wish to explore. If focusing on the historical context, discuss the political and social climate that led to the rise of Nazism in Germany. For essays examining the events of the Holocaust, detail the implementation of the Final Solution, the establishment of ghettos, and the operation of concentration and extermination camps. Use credible sources to support your analysis and include personal accounts where possible to provide a more vivid and human perspective on the atrocities. It’s crucial to handle these details with care, avoiding sensationalism and focusing on factual, respectful representation.

Addressing the Impact and Aftermath

In addition to exploring the events themselves, your essay should consider the impact and aftermath of the Holocaust. Discuss the profound effects on survivors, including the psychological trauma and the loss of entire communities. Explore the subsequent Nuremberg Trials and the establishment of international laws against genocide as a direct response to the Holocaust. Reflect on the global implications of the Holocaust on future generations and its role in shaping contemporary discussions on human rights, racism, and anti-Semitism. This part of your essay should underscore the far-reaching consequences of the Holocaust, both for those directly affected and for the world at large.

Concluding with Reflection and Responsibility

Conclude your essay by summarizing the key points of your analysis and reflecting on the broader significance of understanding the Holocaust. Emphasize the importance of remembering and learning from this tragic event to prevent similar atrocities in the future. Your conclusion should also address the responsibility of individuals and societies to combat hatred, intolerance, and discrimination. A well-crafted conclusion will not only bring closure to your essay but will also inspire a sense of moral responsibility and the need for continued vigilance in protecting human dignity and rights.

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The Holocaust: Students reflect in award-winning essays, projects

In her award-winning high school essay, Emily Salko asks others to imagine the freedoms that Mira Kimmelman lost as Nazi Germany intensified its persecution of Jews during the Holocaust. 

“The freedom that we possess is something that we all take for granted each day,” she wrote. “Ask yourself, are you allowed to attend school? Walk the streets of your town? Ride a bus? Live in your own house? Answering ‘yes’ means that you already have 10 times the freedom that Mira Kimmelman had, and this little freedom is what sparked her appreciation of the things such as the clothes on her back, her shoes, and even her own roof.” 

Emily, a sophomore at Oak Ridge High School, is one of the 14 students who won awards in the first Mira Kimmelman “Learning from the Holocaust” Contest in 2021.  Kimmelman told her story of surviving the Holocaust to students, civic and religious groups in East Tennessee for more than 50 years before her death in 2019. 

Her sons, Benno and Gene Kimmelman, created the essay and project contest for Tennessee high school and middle school students, sponsored by the Tennessee Holocaust Commission, to carry on her legacy and ensure that her voice continues to be heard through her books and recorded talks. The contest offers prize money ranging from $150 to $750. 

Emily watched videos of Kimmelman's speeches and read articles about her and about anti-Semitism before writing her essay while she was in the ninth grade. She noticed that Kimmelman, as a teen, chose to take family photos, rather than other possessions, when her family was forced to leave home for a ghetto.

“She was so brave to continue moving forward and just fighting to stay alive for her family,” Emily said of Kimmelman after she received the first place high school essay award. She wrote the essay when the Black Lives Matter movement was gaining attention in the news, and she realized that people facing discrimination need to have strength and resilience.

“I think her biggest message I would continue to use is just kindness toward everyone. You shouldn’t judge people based on who they are as a group, based on race or religion. You should get to know someone,” Emily said. “You should not treat them differently because you might look different or believe in something different.” 

Along with the mantra of “never forget” often heard in relation to the Holocaust, Benno and Gene hope students entering the contest learn their mother’s lessons of tolerance and kindness. The essays reflect that, as the students wrote about being moved by her bravery and resilience and about how they are applying her lessons today. 

“Many of the essays touched on current injustices and suggested ways they could be addressed,” said contest judge Katie High, of Knoxville, a retired University of Tennessee vice president for academic affairs and a member of the Tennessee Holocaust Commission. “The writers were giving world-wide atrocities serious thought, which was impressive. I wanted to cheer the students, and their teachers, because it was obvious teaching and learning were going on.” 

High, who served as interim dean at the UT Martin College of Business after her retirement, said much of the Holocaust Commission’s work is focused on middle school students, and that work becomes more difficult as more Holocaust survivors die. 

“When they talk to a group of middle school students and show their tattoos and talk about what it’s like to be in the camps, kids are horrified, but in awe of these survivors, because of their resilience,” High said. “You have planted something in their hearts.”

Emmanuelle Wolf-Dubin, first-place winner in the middle school essay contest, wrote that hearing a rabbi challenge listeners to think not only of Israelis and their suffering but Palestinians, as well, reminded her of Kimmelman’s message of seeing the kindness in all people. Her story, she wrote, is a message of ideals that Emmanuelle can only hope to achieve.

“As a young adult, she would be imprisoned in the deadliest concentration camp called Auschwitz and was forced into the nearly unimaginable march to Bergen-Belsen,” wrote Emmanuelle, a student at Meigs Magnet Middle School in Nashville. “Yet, after all of these horrors at the hands of one of the most evil men in recorded history, she still preached lovingkindness in a world that seemed apathetic to her plight. Instead of focusing on that, she zeroed in on the people who helped, the people of all nationalities, races, and religions who saved her and her counterparts across Europe,” Emmanuelle wrote. 

Chloe Collins, a student at Oakdale Middle School in Morgan County, said she read Kimmelman’s first book, "Echoes from the Holocaust," before writing her essay, which was awarded second place in the middle school contest. 

“Mira Kimmelman … had to say good-bye to the family she loved, she had all of her dignity stripped away, she saw things that no one should ever have to see, she lived in a world of hate, and she felt unwanted in a country that was once her own,” wrote Chloe, an eighth grader this year. “I am thankful for Mira Kimmelman’s message of hope and tolerance that will live on forever.” 

Though not a Tennessee student, Soha Sherwani earned a “Notable Achievement” award from contest judges for her essay comparing the Holocaust with the current Chinese government repression of the Uigher people, a small and mostly Muslim minority. 

“The Uigher population is being forced into concentration camps, which are dubbed ‘re-education’ camps by the government, and are forced to partake in direct violations of their Islamic faith,” Soha wrote as a high school senior in Houston, Texas. “The Uighur Muslims are exploited for cheap labor and physically abused ... it is happening again.”

Now a college freshman, Soha said she read about the essay contest online as she was seeking scholarship opportunities and was moved by the emotion in Kimmelman’s words. She could teach and spread love through her pain, Soha said. 

“For Ms. Kimmelman, her perception was undoubtedly changed by the two integral lessons she learned surviving the Holocaust: that there are always beacons of light in the darkness and that humanity must uphold its responsibility to learn and act from instances of injustices,” Soha wrote. In her essay, Soha urges those concerned to join her with their voices in protesting, spreading awareness, and educating others on the injustice happening now. 

First- and second-place awards for middle school contest projects went to teams of students at Oak Ridge’s Robertsville Middle School.

“The Shoah Proliferates” won first place. The team used an online survey to ask students to allow their names to be used on a poster to help remember the 6 million who died in the Holocaust, saying that people remember what they can be part of. Nathanael Peters, Lennox Pack, Aiden Cantu and Kyleigh Langdale are the team members who created the project, using a QR code for business cards that students used to access the survey. All are ninth graders at Oak Ridge High School now. 

A poster with a poem and image of broken glass, symbolizing Kristallnacht, the night of broken glass when Nazis targeted synagogues, was included. Kyleigh created the poster, and Lennox wrote the poem:

Think of them not as 6 million lives lost,

But 6 million lives remembered.

Thousands more put through exhaust,

And families dismembered.

These depressing tales aren’t fiction,

Rather they are tales to stand the test of time.

It is our job to remember,

These lives left devoured. 

The second-place team, Julia Hussey, Alia Oakes, Teagan Tate and Audrey Thompson, proposed a mural for a hallway at their school. They created artwork with Holocaust symbols, including  barbed wire on a red background on one side, and symbols of peace and hope, including swallows and flowers on a blue background. A Star of David represents martyrdom and heroism. 

Haley Braden, second-place high school essay winner from Anderson County High School, wrote that she knew little about the Holocaust before entering the contest. Her essay urges her generation to follow in Kimmelman’s footsteps, to “keep a positive attitude and mindset through the darkest hours. Because with this hope comes peace and love.”

Haley wrote, “We can embody her message when looking at the face of injustice. When you see something that is wrong, be sure to right it. Stand up for people who are treated wrongly and cannot stand up for themselves.” 

Elizabeth Bernheisel, of Dyersburg Middle School, focused on Kimmelman’s second book, "Life Beyond the Holocaust: Memories and Realities," in her third-place middle school essay. The book, she wrote, offers insights on how Holocaust survivors recover, rebuild and live normal lives after experiencing unimaginable trauma. 

“Through letters, reunions, and travels back to Europe, Mira Kimmelman tells her story, as well as the stories of those no longer able to speak for themselves,” Elizabeth wrote. “She also highlights the importance of remembering the atrocities of the Holocaust, as well as the restoration that must follow.” 

Guidelines for Teaching About the Holocaust

Teaching Holocaust history requires a high level of sensitivity and keen awareness of the complexity of the subject matter. The following guidelines reflect approaches appropriate for effective teaching in general and are particularly relevant to Holocaust education.

Define the term “Holocaust”

The Holocaust was not inevitable

Avoid simple answers to complex questions

Strive for precision of language

Strive to balance the perspectives that inform your study of the Holocaust

Avoid comparisons of pain

Avoid romanticizing history

Contextualize the history

Translate statistics into people

Make responsible methodological choices

Define the Term “Holocaust”

A historically accurate and precise definition of the Holocaust is essential as part of a successful lesson or unit. Defining the Holocaust at the beginning of a unit provides students with a foundation from which they can further explore the history and its lasting influence, identifying who was involved and placing the history into geographical and temporal context. It provides students with sound footing as they confront the question, “What was the Holocaust?”  

Museum educators can connect you with classroom resources and answer questions about teaching the Holocaust.

The Holocaust Was Not Inevitable

The Holocaust took place because individuals, groups, and nations made decisions to act or not to act. Focusing on those decisions leads to insights into history and human nature and fosters critical thinking. Just because a historical event took place, and it is documented in textbooks and on film, does not mean that it had to happen. 

Avoid Simple Answers to Complex Questions

The history of the Holocaust raises difficult questions about human behavior and the context within which individual decisions are made. Be wary of simplification. Seek instead to convey the nuances of this history. Allow students to think about the many factors and events that contributed to the Holocaust and that often made decision making difficult and uncertain.

Strive for Precision of Language

Because of the complexity of the history, there is a temptation to generalize and, thus, to distort the facts (e.g., “all concentration camps were killing centers” or “all Germans were collaborators”). Avoid this by helping your students clarify the information presented and encourage them to distinguish, for example, the differences between prejudice and discrimination, armed and spiritual resistance, direct and assumed orders, concentration camps and killing centers, and guilt and responsibility.

Words that describe human behavior often have multiple meanings. Resistance, for example, usually refers to a physical act of armed revolt. During the Holocaust, it also encompassed partisan activity; the smuggling of messages, food, and weapons; sabotage; and actual military engagement. Resistance may also be thought of as willful disobedience, such as continuing to practice religious and cultural traditions in defiance of the rules or creating art, music, and poetry inside ghettos and concentration camps. For many, simply maintaining the will to live in the face of abject brutality was an act of spiritual resistance.

Try to avoid stereotypical descriptions. Though all Jews were targeted for destruction by the Nazis, the experiences of all Jews were not the same. Remind your students that, although members of a group may share common experiences and beliefs, generalizations about them without benefit of modifying or qualifying terms (e.g., “sometimes,” “usually,” “in many cases but not all”) tend to stereotype group behavior and distort historical reality. Thus, all Germans cannot be characterized as Nazis, nor should any nationality be reduced to a singular or one-dimensional description.

Strive to Balance the Perspectives that Inform Your Study of the Holocaust

Make careful distinctions about sources of information. Encourage students to consider why a source was created, who created it, who the intended audience was, whether any biases were inherent in the information, whether any gaps occurred in discussion, whether omissions were inadvertent or not, and how the information has been used to interpret various events.

Most documentation about the Holocaust comes from the perspective of the perpetrators. In contrast, survivor testimonies and collections humanize individuals in the richness and fullness of their lives. 

Strongly encourage your students to investigate carefully the origin and authorship of all material, particularly anything found on the internet.

See recommendations from the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance on teaching and learning about the Holocaust.

Avoid Comparisons of Pain

A study of the Holocaust should always highlight the different policies carried out by the Nazi regime toward various groups of people; however, these distinctions should not be presented as a basis for comparison of the level of suffering between those groups during the Holocaust. One cannot presume that the horror of an individual, family, or community destroyed by the Nazis was any greater than that experienced by victims of other genocides. Avoid generalizations that suggest otherwise. 

Similarly, students may gravitate toward comparisons between aspects of the Holocaust and other historical or contemporary events. Historical events, policies, and human behaviors can and should be carefully analyzed for areas where there may be similarities and differences, but this should be done always with careful consideration of evidence and contextual factors, differentiating between fact, opinion, and belief.

Avoid Romanticizing History

Portray all individuals, including victims and perpetrators, as human beings who are capable of moral judgment and independent decision making. People who risked their lives to rescue victims of Nazi oppression provide compelling role models for students. But given that only a small fraction of non-Jews under Nazi occupation helped rescue Jews, an overemphasis on heroic actions can result in an inaccurate and unbalanced account of the history. Similarly, in exposing students to the worst aspects of human nature as revealed in the history of the Holocaust, you run the risk of fostering cynicism in your students. Accuracy of fact, together with a balanced perspective on the history, is necessary.

Contextualize the History

Events of the Holocaust, and particularly how individuals and organizations behaved at that time, should be placed in historical context. The Holocaust should be studied in the context of European history as a whole to give students a perspective on the precedents and circumstances that may have contributed to it.

Similarly, the Holocaust should be studied within its contemporaneous context so students can begin to comprehend the circumstances that encouraged or discouraged particular actions or events. For example, when thinking about resistance, consider when and where an act took place; the immediate consequences of one’s actions to self and family; the degree of control the Nazis had on a country or local population; the cultural attitudes of particular native populations toward different victim groups historically; and the availability and risk of potential hiding places.

Encourage your students not to categorize groups of people only on the basis of their experiences during the Holocaust; contextualization is critical so that victims are not perceived only as victims. By exposing students to some of the cultural contributions and achievements of 2,000 years of European Jewish life, for example, you help them to balance their perception of Jews as victims and to appreciate more fully the traumatic disruption in Jewish history caused by the Holocaust.

Translate Statistics Into People

In any study of the Holocaust, the sheer number of victims challenges comprehension. Show that individual people—grandparents, parents, and children—are behind the statistics and emphasize the diversity of personal experiences within the larger historical narrative. Precisely because they portray people in the fullness of their lives and not just as victims, first-person accounts and memoir literature add individual voices to a collective experience and help students make meaning out of the statistics.

Make Responsible Methodological Choices

Educators who teach about the Holocaust seek to honestly and accurately investigate a history in which millions of people were dehumanized, brutalized and killed while ensuring a safe classroom environment in which their students can engage in learning and critical thinking. Graphic material should be used judiciously and only to the extent necessary to achieve the lesson objective. Try to select images and texts that do not exploit the students’ emotional vulnerability or that might be construed as disrespectful to the victims themselves. Instead of avoiding important topics because the visual images are graphic, use other approaches to address the material.

In studying complex human behavior, some teachers rely upon simulation exercises meant to help students “experience” unfamiliar situations. Even when great care is taken to prepare a class for such an activity, simulating experiences from the Holocaust remains pedagogically unsound. The activity may engage students, but they often forget the purpose of the lesson and, even worse, they are left with the impression that they now know what it was like to suffer or even to participate during the Holocaust. It is best to draw upon a variety of primary sources, provide survivor testimony, and refrain from simulations or games that lead to a trivialization of the subject matter.

Art projects featuring Nazi imagery, word scrambles, crossword puzzles, counting objects, model building, and gimmicky exercises tend not to encourage critical analysis but lead instead to low-level types of thinking and, in the case of Holocaust curricula, trivialization of the history. If the effects of a particular activity run counter to the rationale for studying the history, then that activity should not be used.

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How to Write a Hook for a University Essay with Examples

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Crafting a compelling hook is a crucial first step in writing a university essay. The hook is the opening sentence or paragraph designed to grab the reader’s attention and set the stage for the rest of your paper. A well-crafted hook can make a significant difference in how your essay is received. This blog post will guide you through the process of writing an effective hook, provide examples, and offer tips to enhance your academic writing.

What is a Hook Sentence?

A hook sentence is the opening line of an essay that captures the reader’s interest and draws them into the topic. Its primary purpose is to make your reader want to continue reading. A strong hook sets the tone for the essay and provides a glimpse of what’s to come. It can take various forms, depending on the style and subject of your essay.

Types of Hooks and How to Use Them

Different types of hooks can be used to engage readers, depending on your essay’s purpose and audience. Here are some common types of hooks, along with examples:

1. Anecdotal Hook

An anecdotal hook involves starting your essay with a brief, interesting story or personal experience related to the topic. This type of hook can make your introduction more relatable and engaging.

Example: “When I first encountered the ancient manuscript in the dusty library archives, I never imagined it would lead me on a journey to uncover secrets that had been hidden for centuries. This manuscript, once thought to be lost, revealed new insights into the forgotten art of medieval alchemy.”

2. Question Hook

Starting with a question can engage your readers by prompting them to think critically about the topic. The question should be thought-provoking and relevant to the essay’s main argument.

Example: “Have you ever wondered why some societies are more resilient to economic crises than others? Understanding the factors that contribute to societal resilience can provide valuable lessons for navigating our increasingly volatile world.”

3. Quotation Hook

A quotation hook involves beginning with a relevant quote from a well-known figure or a source that aligns with your essay’s theme. This type of hook can lend authority to your introduction and set a tone for your discussion.

Example: “As Albert Einstein once said, ‘Imagination is more important than knowledge.’ This assertion highlights the crucial role that creativity plays in scientific discovery and innovation, a concept that will be explored throughout this essay.”

4. Statistic Hook

Presenting a surprising or intriguing statistic can capture your readers’ attention and provide a concrete foundation for your topic. This type of hook is particularly effective for essays that involve research or data analysis.

Example: “Did you know that over 70% of the world’s population lives in urban areas, and this number is projected to increase dramatically in the coming decades? This rapid urbanisation presents both opportunities and challenges that are central to the discussion of sustainable city planning.”

5. Statement Hook

A statement hook is a bold or provocative statement that challenges conventional thinking or presents a unique perspective. This type of hook can create curiosity and prompt readers to read further to explore your argument.

Example: “Contrary to popular belief, not all technological advancements lead to societal progress. In fact, some innovations have had detrimental effects on human relationships and mental health, an issue that demands urgent examination.”

How to Write a Hook for an Essay

Writing a hook for your essay involves several key steps:

1. Identify the Purpose of Your Essay

Before crafting your hook, consider the purpose of your essay. Are you aiming to inform, persuade, or entertain your readers? Your hook should align with your essay’s purpose and set the stage for the main argument.

2. Know Your Audience

Understanding your audience can help you choose the most effective type of hook. Consider what will engage your readers and make them interested in your topic.

3. Craft a Hook That Relates to Your Thesis

Ensure that your hook is relevant to the main thesis of your essay. It should introduce the topic in a way that naturally leads to your thesis statement.

4. Be Concise and Relevant

A hook should be brief yet impactful. Avoid lengthy introductions and focus on making your opening sentence or paragraph engaging and directly related to your essay’s content.

Examples of Hooks in Writing

To illustrate how different types of hooks can be used effectively, consider these examples based on various essay topics:

Example 1: Historical Analysis

“In the summer of 1969, the world watched in awe as humans took their first steps on the moon. Yet, behind this monumental achievement lay a series of events and decisions that reshaped the course of history and redefined human potential.”

Example 2: Literary Criticism

“‘All the world’s a stage,’ Shakespeare wrote, but what happens when the actors themselves are unaware of their roles? This essay explores the theme of self-awareness in Shakespeare’s plays and its implications for understanding human nature.”

Example 3: Environmental Science

“Every year, millions of tonnes of plastic waste end up in our oceans, disrupting marine ecosystems and threatening wildlife. This staggering statistic highlights the urgent need for effective waste management strategies to protect our environment.”

Crafting a compelling hook is an essential skill in writing a university essay. By choosing the right type of hook and tailoring it to your essay’s purpose and audience, you can capture your readers’ attention and set the stage for a strong, engaging introduction. Whether you use an anecdote, a question, a quote, a statistic, or a bold statement, your hook should align with your thesis and provide a clear direction for your essay.

If you need assistance in editing your academic assignments , including crafting the perfect hook for your essay, our expert team is here to help. Get a bespoke quote and let us support you in refining and perfecting your academic work for top-notch results.

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Return to Women Writing the Holocaust  

Joan Miriam Ringelheim asks, “Did anyone really survive the Holocaust?” It is a question more difficult to answer than it might at first appear. The Holocaust breaks down the definitions of words such as “survival.” Memoirist Charlotte Delbo wrote after the war’s end, “I died in Auschwitz, but no one knows it.” And as idealistic as it may sound, there is some truth to the notion that Anne Frank and Charlotte Salomon manage, despite their brutal and meaningless murders, to live on after death. They wrote, after all, with that possibility in mind.

If to survive means to come through unscathed, the answer to Ringelheim’s question must be no. But if to survive means to live through an experience of such horror still be able to desire connection with the world–to create, narrate, innovate, to invoke the voices of the dead and of the living–then the answer is yes. To survive: “sur”–over, “vive”–live; the verb implies both to surmount an event, to live through it, and to relive it, live it over. Perhaps the simplest and somewhat tragic truth is that the one necessarily involves the other.

I find some sense of closure in Felstiner’s loving exploration of Charlotte Salomon because it is one which treats both the creator and the creation with equal care. What distinguishes Lucille E. from Anne Frank and Charlotte Salomon, of course, is that only the first survived the Holocaust. Yet all three have created voices which seek to bear witness to the Shoah, if only the world will let them. The skill which it would benefit the world to develop is that of simultaneously recognizing the fundamental point that memoirs of female Holocaust witnesses are authored by women, and that they each nevertheless are not utterly circumscribed by that fact. To neglect the first point contributes to an artificial universalization of men’s experience and a silencing of painful but important questions. To neglect the second points to essentialism and dogmatic discourse. These women have taken a great step in creating a stand-in, a memorial protagonist, which can continue to tell their story after their own ends. They have invested the memoir with a certain autonomy; that autonomy needs to be acknowledged by the rest of us.

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Introduction to the Holocaust

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The Holocaust was the systematic, state-sponsored persecution and murder of six million European Jews by the Nazi German regime and its allies and collaborators. The Holocaust was an evolving process that took place throughout Europe between 1933 and 1945.

Antisemitism was at the foundation of the Holocaust. Antisemitism, the hatred of or prejudice against Jews, was a basic tenet of Nazi ideology. This prejudice was also widespread throughout Europe.

Nazi Germany’s persecution of Jews evolved and became increasingly more radical between 1933 and 1945. This radicalization culminated in the mass murder of six million Jews.

During World War II, Nazi Germany and its allies and collaborators killed nearly two out of every three European Jews using deadly living conditions, brutal mistreatment, mass shootings and gassings, and specially designed killing centers.

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The Holocaust (1933–1945) was the systematic, state-sponsored persecution and murder of six million European Jews by the Nazi German regime and its allies and collaborators. 1 In addition to perpetrating the Holocaust, Nazi Germany also persecuted and murdered millions of other victims .  

What was the Holocaust? 

The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum defines the years of the Holocaust as 1933–1945. The Holocaust era began in January 1933 when Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party came to power in Germany. It ended in May 1945, when the Allied Powers defeated Nazi Germany in World War II. The Holocaust is also sometimes referred to as “the Shoah,” the Hebrew word for “catastrophe.”

By the end of the Holocaust, the Nazi German regime and their allies and collaborators had murdered six million European Jews. 

Why did the Nazis target Jews?

The Nazis targeted Jews because the Nazis were radically antisemitic. This means that they were prejudiced against and hated Jews. In fact, antisemitism was a basic tenet of their ideology and at the foundation of their worldview. 

The Nazis falsely accused Jews of causing Germany’s social, economic, political, and cultural problems. In particular, they blamed them for Germany’s defeat in World War I (1914–1918). Some Germans were receptive to these Nazi claims. Anger over the loss of the war and the economic and political crises that followed contributed to increasing antisemitism in German society. The instability of Germany under the Weimar Republic (1918–1933), the fear of communism , and the economic shocks of the Great Depression also made many Germans more open to Nazi ideas, including antisemitism.

However, the Nazis did not invent antisemitism. Antisemitism is an old and widespread prejudice that has taken many forms throughout history. In Europe, it dates back to ancient times. In the Middle Ages (500–1400), prejudices against Jews were primarily based in early Christian belief and thought, particularly the myth that Jews were responsible for the death of Jesus. Suspicion and discrimination rooted in religious prejudices continued in early modern Europe (1400–1800). At that time, leaders in much of Christian Europe isolated Jews from most aspects of economic, social, and political life. This exclusion contributed to stereotypes of Jews as outsiders. As Europe became more secular, many places lifted most legal restrictions on Jews. This, however, did not mean the end of antisemitism. In addition to religious antisemitism, other types of antisemitism took hold in Europe in the 18th and 19th centuries. These new forms included economic, nationalist, and racial antisemitism. In the 19th century, antisemites falsely claimed that Jews were responsible for many social and political ills in modern, industrial society. Theories of race, eugenics , and Social Darwinism falsely justified these hatreds. Nazi prejudice against Jews drew upon all of these elements, but especially racial antisemitism . Racial antisemitism is the discriminatory idea that Jews are a separate and inferior race. 

Where did the Holocaust take place?

The Holocaust was a Nazi German initiative that took place throughout German- and Axis-controlled Europe. It affected nearly all of Europe’s Jewish population, which in 1933 numbered 9 million people. 

The Holocaust began in Germany after Adolf Hitler was appointed chancellor in January 1933. Almost immediately, the Nazi German regime (which called itself the Third Reich ) excluded Jews from German economic, political, social, and cultural life. Throughout the 1930s, the regime increasingly pressured Jews to emigrate. 

But the Nazi persecution of Jews spread beyond Germany. Throughout the 1930s, Nazi Germany pursued an aggressive foreign policy . This culminated in World War II, which began in Europe in 1939. Prewar and wartime territorial expansion eventually brought millions more Jewish people under German control. 

Nazi Germany’s territorial expansion began in 1938–1939. During this time, Germany annexed neighboring Austria and the Sudetenland and occupied the Czech lands. On September 1, 1939, Nazi Germany began World War II (1939–1945) by attacking Poland . Over the next two years, Germany invaded and occupied much of Europe, including western parts of the Soviet Union . Nazi Germany further extended its control by forming alliances with the governments of Italy , Hungary , Romania , and Bulgaria . It also created puppet states in Slovakia and Croatia. Together these countries made up the European members of the Axis alliance , which also included Japan. 

By 1942—as a result of annexations, invasions, occupations, and alliances—Nazi Germany controlled most of Europe and parts of North Africa. Nazi control brought harsh policies and ultimately mass murder to Jewish civilians across Europe. 

The Nazis and their allies and collaborators murdered six million Jews.

Geography of the Holocaust

How did Nazi Germany and its allies and collaborators persecute Jewish people? 

Between 1933 and 1945, Nazi Germany and its allies and collaborators implemented a wide range of anti-Jewish policies and measures. These policies varied from place to place. Thus, not all Jews experienced the Holocaust in the same way. But in all instances, millions of people were persecuted simply because they were identified as Jewish. 

Throughout German-controlled and aligned territories, the persecution of Jews took a variety of forms:

• Legal discrimination in the form of antisemitic laws . These included the Nuremberg Race Laws and numerous other discriminatory laws.
• Various forms of public identification and exclusion. These included antisemitic propaganda , boycotts of Jewish-owned businesses , public humiliation , and obligatory markings (such as the Jewish star badge worn as an armband or on clothing). 
• Organized violence. The most notable example is Kristallnacht . There were also isolated incidents and other pogroms (violent riots).
• Physical Displacement. Perpetrators used forced emigration, resettlement, expulsion, deportation, and ghettoization to physically displace Jewish individuals and communities.
• Internment. Perpetrators interned Jews in overcrowded ghettos , concentration camps , and forced-labor camps, where many died from starvation, disease, and other inhumane conditions.
• Widespread theft and plunder. The confiscation of Jews’ property, personal belongings, and valuables was a key part of the Holocaust. 
• Forced labor . Jews had to perform forced labor in service of the Axis war effort or for the enrichment of Nazi organizations, the military, and/or private businesses. 

Many Jews died as a result of these policies. But before 1941, the systematic mass murder of all Jews was not Nazi policy. Beginning in 1941, however, Nazi leaders decided to implement the mass murder of Europe’s Jews. They referred to this plan as the “Final Solution to the Jewish Question.” 

What was the “Final Solution to the Jewish Question”?

The Nazi “Final Solution to the Jewish Question” (“ Endlösung der Judenfrage ”) was the deliberate and systematic mass murder of European Jews. It was the last stage of the Holocaust and took place from 1941 to 1945. Though many Jews were killed before the "Final Solution" began, the vast majority of Jewish victims were murdered during this period.

Mass Shootings

The Nazi German regime perpetrated mass shootings of civilians on a scale never seen before. After Germany invaded the Soviet Union in June 1941, German units began to carry out mass shootings of local Jews. At first, these units targeted Jewish men of military age. But by August 1941, they had started massacring entire Jewish communities. These massacres were often conducted in broad daylight and in full view and earshot of local residents. 

Mass shooting operations took place in more than 1,500 cities, towns, and villages across eastern Europe. German units tasked with murdering the local Jewish population moved throughout the region committing horrific massacres. Typically, these units would enter a town and round up the Jewish civilians. They would then take the Jewish residents to the outskirts of the town. Next, they would force them to dig a mass grave or take them to mass graves prepared in advance. Finally, German forces and/or local auxiliary units would shoot all of the men, women, and children into these pits. Sometimes, these massacres involved the use of specially designed mobile gas vans. Perpetrators would use these vans to suffocate victims with carbon monoxide exhaust.

Germans also carried out mass shootings at killing sites in occupied eastern Europe. Typically these were located near large cities. These sites included Fort IX in Kovno (Kaunas), the Rumbula and Bikernieki Forests in Riga , and Maly Trostenets near Minsk . At these killing sites, Germans and local collaborators murdered tens of thousands of Jews from the Kovno, Riga, and Minsk ghettos. They also shot tens of thousands of German, Austrian, and Czech Jews at these killing sites. At Maly Trostenets, thousands of victims were also murdered in gas vans.

The German units that perpetrated the mass shootings in eastern Europe included Einsatzgruppen (special task forces of the SS and police), Order Police battalions, and Waffen-SS units. The German military ( Wehrmacht ) provided logistical support and manpower. Some Wehrmacht units also carried out massacres. In many places, local auxiliary units working with the SS and police participated in the mass shootings. These auxiliary units were made up of local civilian, military, and police officials.

As many as 2 million Jews were murdered in mass shootings or gas vans in territories seized from Soviet forces. 

Killing Centers

German authorities, with the help of their allies and collaborators, transported Jews from across Europe to these killing centers. They disguised their intentions by calling the transports to the killing centers “resettlement actions” or “evacuation transports.” In English, they are often referred to as “deportations.” Most of these deportations took place by train. In order to efficiently transport Jews to the killing centers, German authorities used the extensive European railroad system , as well as other means of transportation. In many cases the railcars on the trains were freight cars; in other instances they were passenger cars. 

The conditions on deportation transports were horrific. German and collaborating local authorities forced Jews of all ages into overcrowded railcars. They often had to stand, sometimes for days, until the train reached its destination. The perpetrators deprived them of food, water, bathrooms, heat, and medical care. Jews frequently died en route from the inhumane conditions.

The vast majority of Jews deported to killing centers were gassed almost immediately after their arrival. Some Jews whom German officials believed to be healthy and strong enough were selected for forced labor. 

My mother ran over to me and grabbed me by the shoulders, and she told me "Leibele, I'm not going to see you no more. Take care of your brother."  — Leo Schneiderman  describing arrival at Auschwitz, selection, and separation from his family

At all five killing centers, German officials forced some Jewish prisoners to assist in the killing process. Among other tasks, these prisoners had to sort through victims’ belongings and remove victims’ bodies from the gas chambers. Special units disposed of the millions of corpses through mass burial, in burning pits, or by burning them in large, specially designed crematoria .

Nearly 2.7 million Jewish men, women, and children were murdered at the five killing centers. 

What were ghettos and why did German authorities create them during the Holocaust? 

Ghettos were areas of cities or towns where German occupiers forced Jews to live in overcrowded and unsanitary conditions. German authorities often enclosed these areas by building walls or other barriers. Guards prevented Jews from leaving without permission. Some ghettos existed for years, but others existed only for months, weeks, or even days as holding sites prior to deportation or murder. 

German officials first created ghettos in 1939–1940 in German-occupied Poland. The two largest were located in the occupied Polish cities of Warsaw and Lodz (Łódź). Beginning in June 1941, German officials also established them in newly conquered territories in eastern Europe following the German attack on the Soviet Union. German authorities and their allies and collaborators also established ghettos in other parts of Europe. Notably, in 1944, German and Hungarian authorities created temporary ghettos to centralize and control Jews prior to their deportation from Hungary. 

The Purpose of the Ghettos

German authorities originally established the ghettos to isolate and control the large local Jewish populations in occupied eastern Europe. Initially, they concentrated Jewish residents from within a city and the surrounding area or region. However, beginning in 1941, German officials also deported Jews from other parts of Europe (including Germany) to some of these ghettos. 

Jewish forced labor became a central feature of life in many ghettos. In theory, it was supposed to help pay for the administration of the ghetto as well as support the German war effort. Sometimes, factories and workshops were established nearby in order to exploit the imprisoned Jews for forced labor. The labor was often manual and grueling. 

Life in the Ghettos

Jews in the ghettos sought to maintain a sense of dignity and community. Schools, libraries, communal welfare services, and religious institutions provided some measure of connection among residents. Attempts to document life in the ghettos, such as the Oneg Shabbat archive and clandestine photography, are powerful examples of spiritual resistance . Many ghettos also had underground movements that carried out armed resistance. The most famous of these is the Warsaw ghetto uprising in 1943.    

Liquidating the Ghettos

Beginning in 1941–1942, Germans and their allies and collaborators murdered ghetto residents en masse and dissolved ghetto administrative structures. They called this process “liquidation.” It was part of the “Final Solution to the Jewish Question.” The majority of Jews in the ghettos were murdered either in mass shootings at nearby killing sites or after deportation to killing centers. Most of the killing centers were deliberately located near the large ghettos of German-occupied Poland or on easily-accessible railway routes. 

Who was responsible for carrying out the Holocaust and the Final Solution?

Many people were responsible for carrying out the Holocaust and the Final Solution. 

At the highest level, Adolf Hitler inspired, ordered, approved, and supported the genocide of Europe’s Jews. However, Hitler did not act alone. Nor did he lay out an exact plan for the implementation of the Final Solution. Other Nazi leaders were the ones who directly coordinated, planned, and implemented the mass murder. Among them were Hermann Göring , Heinrich Himmler , Reinhard Heydrich , and Adolf Eichmann . 

However, millions of Germans and other Europeans participated in the Holocaust. Without their involvement, the genocide of the Jewish people in Europe would not have been possible. Nazi leaders relied upon German institutions and organizations; other Axis powers; local bureaucracies and institutions; and individuals. 

German Institutions, Organizations, and Individuals

As members of these institutions, countless German soldiers , policemen , civil servants , lawyers, judges , businessmen , engineers, and doctors and nurses chose to implement the regime’s policies. Ordinary Germans also participated in the Holocaust in a variety of ways. Some Germans cheered as Jews were beaten or humiliated. Others denounced Jews for disobeying racist laws and regulations. Many Germans bought, took, or looted their Jewish neighbors' belongings and property. These Germans’ participation in the Holocaust was motivated by enthusiasm, careerism, fear, greed, self-interest, antisemitism, and political ideals, among other factors. 

Non-German Governments and Institutions

Nazi Germany did not perpetrate the Holocaust alone. It relied on the help of its allies and collaborators. In this context, “allies” refers to Axis countries officially allied with Nazi Germany. “Collaborators” refers to regimes and organizations that cooperated with German authorities in an official or semi-official capacity. Nazi Germany’s allies and collaborators included:

• The European Axis Powers and other collaborationist regimes (such as Vichy France ). These governments passed their own antisemitic legislation and cooperated with German goals.
• German-backed local bureaucracies, especially local police forces. These organizations helped round up, intern, and deport Jews even in countries not allied with Germany, such as the Netherlands .
• Local auxiliary units made up of military and police officials and civilians. These German-backed units participated in massacres of Jews in eastern Europe (often voluntarily). 

The terms “allies” and “collaborators” can also refer to individuals affiliated with these governments and organizations.

Individuals across Europe 

Throughout Europe, individuals who had no governmental or institutional affiliation and did not directly participate in murdering Jews also contributed to the Holocaust. 

One of the deadliest things that neighbors, acquaintances, colleagues, and even friends could do was denounce Jews to Nazi German authorities. An unknown number chose to do so. They revealed Jews’ hiding places, unmasked false Christian identities, and otherwise identified Jews to Nazi officials. In doing so, they brought about their deaths. These individuals’ motivations were wide-ranging: fear, self-interest, greed, revenge, antisemitism, and political and ideological beliefs.

Individuals also profited from the Holocaust. Non-Jews sometimes moved into Jews’ homes, took over Jewish-owned businesses, and stole Jews’ possessions and valuables. This was part of the widespread theft and plunder that accompanied the genocide. 

Most often individuals contributed to the Holocaust through inaction and indifference to the plight of their Jewish neighbors. Sometimes these individuals are called bystanders . 

Who were the other victims of Nazi persecution and mass murder?

The Holocaust specifically refers to the systematic, state-sponsored persecution and murder of six million Jews. However, there were also millions of other victims of Nazi persecution and murder . In the 1930s, the regime targeted a variety of alleged domestic enemies within German society. As the Nazis extended their reach during World War II, millions of other Europeans were also subjected to Nazi brutality. 

The Nazis classified Jews as the priority “enemy.” However, they also targeted other groups as threats to the health, unity, and security of the German people. The first group targeted by the Nazi regime consisted of political opponents . These included officials and members of other political parties and trade union activists. Political opponents also included people simply suspected of opposing or criticizing the Nazi regime. Political enemies were the first to be incarcerated in Nazi concentration camps . Jehovah’s Witnesses were also incarcerated in prisons and concentration camps. They were arrested because they refused to swear loyalty to the government or serve in the German military.

The Nazi regime also targeted Germans whose activities were deemed harmful to German society. These included men accused of homosexuality , persons accused of being professional or habitual criminals, and so-called asocials (such as people identified as vagabonds, beggars, prostitutes, pimps, and alcoholics). Tens of thousands of these victims were incarcerated in prisons and concentration camps. The regime also forcibly sterilized and persecuted Afro-Germans . 

People with disabilities were also victimized by the Nazi regime. Before World War II, Germans considered to have supposedly unhealthy hereditary conditions were forcibly sterilized. Once the war began, Nazi policy radicalized. People with disabilities, especially those living in institutions, were considered both a genetic and a financial burden on Germany. These people were targeted for murder in the so-called Euthanasia Program .

The Nazi regime employed extreme measures against groups considered to be racial, civilizational, or ideological enemies. This included Roma (Gypsies) , Poles (especially the Polish intelligentsia and elites), Soviet officials , and Soviet prisoners of war . The Nazis perpetrated mass murder against these groups.

How did the Holocaust end? 

But liberation did not bring closure. Many Holocaust survivors faced ongoing threats of violent antisemitism and displacement as they sought to build new lives. Many had lost family members, while others searched for years to locate missing parents, children, and siblings.

How did some Jews survive the Holocaust? 

Despite Nazi Germany’s efforts to murder all the Jews of Europe, some Jews survived the Holocaust. Survival took a variety of forms. But, in every case, survival was only possible because of an extraordinary confluence of circumstances, choices, help from others (both Jewish and non-Jewish), and sheer luck. 

Survival outside of German-Controlled Europe 

Some Jews survived the Holocaust by escaping German-controlled Europe. Before World War II began, hundreds of thousands of Jews emigrated from Nazi Germany despite significant immigration barriers. Those who immigrated to the United States, Great Britain, and other areas that remained beyond German control were safe from Nazi violence. Even after World War II began, some Jews managed to escape German-controlled Europe. For example, approximately 200,000 Polish Jews fled the German occupation of Poland. These Jews survived the war under harsh conditions after Soviet authorities deported them further east into the interior of the Soviet Union.

Survival in German-Controlled Europe

A smaller number of Jews survived inside German-controlled Europe. They often did so with the help of rescuers. Rescue efforts ranged from the isolated actions of individuals to organized networks, both small and large. Throughout Europe, there were non-Jews who took grave risks to help their Jewish neighbors, friends, and strangers survive. For example, they found hiding places for Jews, procured false papers that offered protective Christian identities, or provided them with food and supplies. Other Jews survived as members of partisan resistance movements . Finally, some Jews managed, against enormous odds, to survive imprisonment in concentration camps, ghettos, and even killing centers. 

In the aftermath of the Holocaust, those Jews who survived were often confronted with the traumatic reality of having lost their entire families and communities. Some were able to go home and chose to rebuild their lives in Europe. Many others were afraid to do so because of postwar violence and antisemitism . In the immediate postwar period, those who could not or would not return home often found themselves living in displaced persons camps . There, many had to wait years before they were able to immigrate to new homes.

In the aftermath of the Holocaust, the world has struggled to come to terms with the horrors of the genocide, to remember the victims, and to hold perpetrators responsible . These important efforts remain ongoing.

Series: After the Holocaust

Liberation of Nazi Camps

The Aftermath of the Holocaust: Effects on Survivors

Displaced Persons

About Life after the Holocaust

Postwar Trials

What is Genocide?

Genocide timeline, series: the holocaust.

"Final Solution": Overview

Forced Labor: An Overview

Mass Shootings of Jews during the Holocaust

Gassing Operations

Deportations to Killing Centers

Killing Centers: An Overview

Switch series, critical thinking questions.

What can we learn from the massive size and scope of the Holocaust?

Across Europe, the Nazis found countless willing helpers who collaborated or were complicit in their crimes. What motives and pressures led so many individuals to persecute, to murder, or to abandon their fellow human beings?

Were there warning signs of what was to come before the Nazis came to power in 1933? Before the start of mass killing in 1941?

In this context, “allies” refers to Axis countries officially allied with Nazi Germany. “Collaborators” refers to regimes and organizations that cooperated with German authorities in an official or semi-official capacity. These German-backed collaborators included some local police forces, bureaucracies, and paramilitary units. The terms “allies” and “collaborators” can also refer to individuals affiliated with these governments and organizations.

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We would like to thank Crown Family Philanthropies, Abe and Ida Cooper Foundation, the Claims Conference, EVZ, and BMF for supporting the ongoing work to create content and resources for the Holocaust Encyclopedia. View the list of donor acknowledgement .

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C.D.C. Urges Doctors to Make IUD Insertion Less Painful

As videos describing the procedure as agonizing spread on social media, new guidelines advise physicians to consider various anesthetics.

By Teddy Rosenbluth

In recent years, the process of getting an intrauterine device, or IUD, has become infamous on social media. Videos of women writhing and crying while the T-shaped contraceptive device is inserted have become macabre online staples .

“Unless you’re living under a rock, you’re aware of the issue,” said Dr. Beverly Gray, an associate professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Duke University.

Doctors have been accused of ignoring the discomfort. For the first time, federal health officials recommended on Tuesday that physicians counsel women about pain management before the procedure.

This updated guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention may lead clinicians to take the pain more seriously and to consider using anesthetics more often, experts said.

“Women’s pain and women’s experiences have been downplayed throughout medicine ,” Dr. Gray said.

“This is really validating that for some people, this can be a really painful experience.”

As the number of women opting for IUDs has risen, so have calls for physicians to address the discomfort associated with the procedure. Some women have described it as “the worst pain imaginable” or likened it to a “ hot knife ” slowly stabbing them.

Effective strategies for managing that pain exist, though a 2019 survey found that few doctors offered those options. Less than 5 percent of doctors offered an injection of a local anesthetic during the procedure, many instead prescribing over-the-counter painkillers, which have been shown to be less effective.

A study in 2015 found that doctors tended to underestimate the pain their patients experienced during the procedure.

While the last version of the C.D.C.’s guidance mentioned pain management for IUD insertion, Dr. Eve Espey, chair of the obstetrics and gynecology department at the University of New Mexico, said she thought these updated guidelines put a much stronger emphasis on the patient’s preferences and experience.

“I think it is a significant change,” she said. “The guidance on this topic has gone from a more provider-centered focus to a more patient-centered focus.” Anxiety about pain may dissuade women from considering the contraceptive, which is safe and highly effective, she added.

Dr. Antoinette Nguyen, a medical officer in the C.D.C.’s division of reproductive health, said the new guidance emphasized that choices about pain management should be based on “shared decision making,” taking into account patient experiences that may heighten feelings of pain, like anxiety and past trauma.

The new guidelines also broadened the pain-relief options available to women during the procedure, a significant addition since lidocaine shots — the sole anesthetic option mentioned in the 2016 guidance — may themselves be uncomfortable, Dr. Espey said.

The choices now include anesthetic gel, creams and sprays. While Dr. Espey said the evidence showing these topical anesthetics are effective was not “fabulous,” the new recommendations still expand the arsenal of tools that doctors have at their disposal.

“It’s good when the public stamps it’s foot sometimes,” she said.

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Harris and VP pick Walz hold first campaign rally as Democratic ticket

What we covered here

• First joint rally:  Vice President Kamala Harris and her newly announced running mate , Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz , laid out their vision for the country and how they will aim to defeat Donald Trump in November during their first joint rally in Philadelphia.
• Walz introduces himself: Harris outlined her running mate’s credentials , saying he “will be ready on Day 1,” as Walz introduced himself to voters by highlighting the values he and Harris align on. Walz also slammed Trump and challenged the former president’s running mate, JD Vance, to debate, saying he “can’t wait.” Harris and Walz will next go on a five-day campaign tour through battleground states.
• Historic nominee: Harris and Walz are officially the Democratic nominees for president and vice president, the party announced Tuesday. Harris is the first Black woman and the first Asian American to lead a major-party ticket.
• GOP bashes Harris’ pick: Republicans rushed to try to define Walz, as the Trump campaign slammed the governor’s record and began fundraising off the selection. Vance said during a campaign event in Philadelphia earlier that Harris picking Walz “highlights how radical” she is.
• Here’s a breakdown of all the 2024 presidential candidates and their key stances.

Today’s live coverage has wrapped for the day. Catch up on the latest headlines on the 2024 presidential race here.

Key lines from Harris and Walz's first rally as the Democratic ticket

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz  introduced himself  as Vice President Kamala Harris’  running mate at a joint rally in Philadelphia on Tuesday, positioning himself as both a folksy populist and a fierce defender of the Democratic ticket.

Here’s what you should know about the rally:

Small-town background:

• The Tuesday appearance marked the first opportunity for both Walz, a relatively unknown politician on the national scale, and Harris to share his story with voters across the country, from his upbringing in rural Nebraska to his record as governor of the North Star State.
• The pair used their remarks to portray the Minnesota governor as a Midwestern everyman, a high school teacher turned swing-district lawmaker who advanced key Democratic policies since being elected to his state’s top office in 2018.
• The governor described following in the footsteps of his late father — a former educator who served in the Army — first as a member of the Army National Guard and later as a teacher.

Mutual praise:

• Walz and Harris both commended each other’s records during Tuesday’s rally. Harris said she “found such a leader” in Walz and outlined why she chose him as her running mate. She pointed out his experience coaching high school football, saying that it will influence his ability to serve the country as vice president and that Walz is “more than a governor.”
• Walz thanked Harris for “the trust you put in me” as well as for “bringing back the joy.” He said he is “thrilled to be on this journey” with Harris, as well as her husband, first gentleman Doug Emhoff.

Promises made:

• Harris pledged that she and Walz will save the Affordable Care Act, and that they’d pass a bill restoring nationwide abortion rights.
• On the economy, perhaps the stickiest issue she will face, Harris promised to fight for the middle class and to bring down prices.

Attacks on Trump and Vance:

• Walz said Donald Trump is “too busy serving himself” to serve others and argued that the former president would take the country backward, echoing Harris’ popular stump speech line: “We’re not going back.” Walz also slammed Trump’s record on Covid-19, the economy, abortion and crime.
• Walz referenced Ohio Sen. JD Vance’s Ivy League education and declared that he “can’t wait” to debate Trump’s running mate. He repeated his now-familiar line, calling Vance and other Republicans “weird as hell.”
• Harris took her own jab at Vance, comparing the records of the two parties’ running mates. “It’s like a matchup between the varsity team and the JV squad,” she said.

Read more about today’s campaign rally here.

CNN Projection: "Squad" member Cori Bush will lose primary in Missouri

Missouri Rep.  Cori Bush  will lose her Democratic primary to St. Louis County prosecutor Wesley Bell, CNN projects, securing another win for the same pro-Israel groups that  helped oust New York Rep. Jamaal Bowman  six weeks ago.

Bush, a member of the House “squad” of progressive lawmakers like Bowman, was already earmarked for a tough primary in Missouri’s 1st Congressional District – which ended up being the second-most expensive primary of the cycle, behind only Bowman’s race in New York. Her fierce advocacy for a ceasefire in Gaza added fuel to opponents’ fire.

And in similar fashion to Bowman, Bush – despite the backing of progressive groups, local leaders and top congressional Democrats – was unable to fend off Bell, who will be heavily favored to win the general election for the deep-blue St. Louis-area seat.

Bush is the fourth member of the House to lose a primary this year.

Read more here .

Harris will travel to Wisconsin and Michigan on Wednesday, her office says

Vice President Kamala Harris will travel to Eau Claire, Wisconsin, on Wednesday as she continues her battleground state tour with her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz.

The vice president’s remarks in Wisconsin are expected at 1:20 p.m. CT (2:20 p.m. ET).

Harris is then expected to travel to neighboring Michigan, another battleground state, where she will make remarks at a campaign event at 6:40 p.m. ET Wednesday.

Walz enacted protections for abortion rights and gender-affirming care as governor

As Minnesota’s governor, Tim Walz — the new Democratic vice presidential nominee — has enacted progressive health care provisions.

Walz has been an advocate for abortion access, in January 2023 signing into law the Protect Reproductive Options Act, which established the right for people in the state to obtain an abortion after the US Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade the previous year.

In April 2023, he signed a law protecting people who travel to Minnesota for abortions, and clinicians providing abortion care, from criminal penalties from other states.

Minnesota’s policies make it among the most protective states for abortion access, according to the Guttmacher Institute, a research and policy organization that supports abortion rights.

When Kamala Harris became the first vice president believed to have visited an abortion clinic in office, she chose a Planned Parenthood location in Minnesota.

Walz also signed an executive order in March 2023 directing state agencies to take action to protect and support access to gender-affirming health care across the state.

Gender-affirming care is evidence-based care for people who identify as transgender or nonbinary. It’s been deemed medically necessary and has the backing of nearly every major medical association and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. More than half of states now have laws that restrict such care.

“We want every Minnesotan to grow up feeling safe, valued, protected, celebrated and free to exist as their authentic versions of themselves,” Walz said after signing the order.

The next month, he signed “trans refuge” legislation that safeguarded access to such care. He also signed another law that banned “conversion therapy,” a discredited practice that aims to change someone’s understanding of their gender identity or sexual orientation.

Richmond describes Harris' thought process in choosing a VP and what Walz said about the role in interviews

Cedric Richmond, co-chair of the Harris-Walz campaign, described what it was like to be in Vice President Kamala Harris’ inner circle while she decided on a running mate in her bid for president.

He said that Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, who was announced today as the Democratic vice presidential nominee, “fit that mold.”

Richmond added that Walz “expressed that he didn’t have ambition to be president.”

When asked about Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro and the other finalists, Richmond said there was “a great connection” with Walz.

“Shapiro is immensely talented. He cares about the American people. He’s devoted to the people of Pennsylvania, and he loves his country dearly. And so did Senator Kelly and Governor Bashir. It was — she couldn’t make a wrong choice with the options that she had. But there was a great connection between Governor Walz and not to mention that there is a great contrast,” he said.

“And I think it was a great decision that she made. And it’s no slight on anybody who I was not picked but that connection was strong, that contrast was strong,” he added.

“Like she always does, I think she put a lot of time, energy, effort, thought, and she put a heart into it and that’s where we ended up,” he said.

As governor, Walz has signed into law family-friendly measures

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz promised in January 2023 to make Minnesota the best state in the nation for kids to grow up in. Less than five months later, he signed a budget and another bill enacting much of that vision.

Here are several of the provisions that are now law:

Child tax credit: Many lower-income Minnesota families can access a state child tax credit . The credit, which provides up to $1,750 per kid with no limit on the number of children claimed, is the most generous in the US and is projected to lower child poverty by a third.

The full credit is available to single parents earning $29,500 and couples earning $35,000, and slowly phases out depending on income, filing status and number of children.

More than 215,000 families, totaling more than 437,000 children, have claimed the credit so far for 2023, Walz said in a statement last week. The average credit was $1,244 per child — totaling $545 million. 

Universal school meals: Students can receive free breakfast and lunch in participating schools, making Minnesota the fourth state to enact such a universal school meals measure.

Nearly 4.3 million more breakfasts and 4.5 million more lunches were served to students last fall compared with the same period in 2022, Walz said in March.

The measure is expected to cost the state about $400 million over two years.

Paid family and medical leave: In a program set to launch in 2026, individuals will be able to take up to 12 weeks for each period of medical and family leave, for a combined maximum of 20 weeks in a 12-month period. How much workers will receive during their leave will depend on their pay.

Benefits are paid by the state but are funded through payroll deductions on wages.

Minnesota will be the 13th state to enact such a program.

Harris campaign files updated FEC paperwork listing Walz as running mate

Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign filed paperwork with the Federal Election Commission on Tuesday to reflect the choice of her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz. 

The campaign filed an  amended statement of candidacy , listing Walz as a candidate in the new filing.

In recent weeks, amendments to the campaign’s statement of candidacy have captured the series of dramatic developments for the Democratic presidential ticket.

On July 20, the campaign  filed  under “Biden for President,” listing President Joe Biden and Harris as candidates. On July 21, the campaign  filed  an amendment, renaming itself “Harris for President” after Biden withdrew from the race. And now, on August 6, the campaign has updated its statement of candidacy again for Walz, capping its transformation.

CNN Projection: Slotkin and Rogers will face off in competitive Senate race in Michigan

Democratic Rep. Elissa Slotkin and Republican former Rep. Mike Rogers will win their respective Senate primaries in Michigan on Tuesday, CNN projects, setting up a competitive general election race for the seat of retiring Democrat Debbie Stabenow.

The race is one of several that could help determine the balance of power in the Senate, where Democrats are defending a narrow majority this fall.

Slotkin is projected to defeat actor Hill Harper, who is known for his roles on “CSI: NY” and “The Good Doctor.” Rogers, who had Donald Trump’s endorsement, is projected to win a Republican primary that included former Rep. Justin Amash, a noted critic of the former president.

Both nominees have national security backgrounds – Slotkin as a former CIA analyst and Rogers as the former chairman of the House Intelligence Committee.

Republicans have not won a Senate race in Michigan in 30 years.

About today’s primaries: While presidential primaries are long behind us, there are still a few down-ballot primaries for congressional, state and local races to get through before November’s general election. Four states — Missouri, Michigan, Kansas and Washington – held down-ballot primary contests today. 

Walz's former student: "He's one of my favorite people in the world" 

One of Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz’s former students told CNN on Tuesday that he likely wouldn’t have finished high school without him. He called Vice President Kamala Harris’ newly minted running mate “just a great overall human being.”

Clement also spoke warmly of Walz’s presence in his life as his high school football coach.

“There’s no question I probably wouldn’t have finished high school,” he continued, explaining that Walz was able to “pull him through” a struggle he had with substances. “Without that, you know, who knows where my trajectory would have gone,” he said, while also noting that he continued to stay in contact with Walz after he graduated.

Clement also described Walz as a high-energy, goofy teacher, who was also “the type of guy that’s gonna tell you what you needed to hear” when necessary.

“I need to hear it in football. I definitely needed to hear it in the classroom, right? So he really helped pull me along there,” he added.

Watch here:

Analysis: Tuesday's event was dramatically different from a Biden rally 

Tuesday evening’s raucous event introducing Kamala Harris’ new running mate was about as far a cry as her team could have orchestrated from the smaller, quieter events President Joe Biden was holding until he withdrew from the race last month.

The contrast was notable. Harris’ and Tim Walz’s speeches were laced with humor and delivered with high energy to a crowd many times the size of Biden’s largest events.

When Biden was last rallying supporters in Philadelphia, he spoke to a much smaller audience for seven minutes at a church service. At the time, the unscripted speech was seen as a win — if only because Biden made no major errors.

Tuesday’s event was a dramatically different affair.

Neither Harris nor Walz dwelled on the record or accomplishments of the Biden administration, focused instead on their opponents and their vision for the country’s future. Absent were any mention of Donald Trump’s threat to Democracy, or his vow to act as a dictator on Day 1 — central themes of Biden’s former campaign.

The shift in messaging is hardly a surprise for a candidate who entered the race with an implicit mandate to do things differently from Biden, who was struggling to gain traction.

But the difference in style and substance presented to the American public for the first time Tuesday was an indication that Democrats have moved in a very different direction.

4 states are holding down-ballot primary elections today. Here's what to know about the key contests

While today’s attention has largely been on Kamala Harris’ choice as a VP and the presidential primaries are long behind us, there are still a few down-ballot primaries for congressional, state and local races to get through before November’s general election.

Four states — Missouri, Michigan, Kansas and Washington – held down-ballot primary contests today. 

A key race to watch in Missouri is the Democratic primary for the state’s 1st Congressional District, where Rep. Cori Bush, a member of the House “squad” of progressive lawmakers, is being challenged by St. Louis County prosecutor Wesley Bell. Bush has  been a target for centrist and Israel-aligned groups  over her stance on the war in Gaza. 

Michigan is playing host to a  competitive Senate race  to succeed retiring Democrat Debbie Stabenow. Former Republican Rep. Mike Rogers and Democratic Rep. Elissa Slotkin are favored in their respective primaries today.

And in Washington’s 4 th  Distric t, Rep. Dan Newhouse, who was  among the 10 House Republicans  who voted to impeach Donald Trump after January 6, is facing two Trump-endorsed GOP opponents – Navy veteran Jerrod Sessler and 2022 Senate nominee Tiffany Smiley. Under Washington state’s election rules, all candidates run on the same primary ballot, with the top two, regardless of party, advancing to the general election.

In pictures: Harris and Walz hold their first joint campaign rally

Vice President Kamala Harris and her newly announced running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, made their debut as the Democratic ticket tonight in Philadelphia.

See scenes from the campaign rally in the pictures below:

Harris addresses staff and praises Walz during post-rally call

Vice President Kamala Harris and her running mate Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz called in to an all-staff meeting after Tuesday’s rally in Philadelphia to thank the team for the rollout and give a pep talk.

She also praised Walz and his energy.

“I was so proud to stand on that stage and talk about who you are and what you have done in sacrifice and dedication to our country. Really, you have an extraordinary life and career and it is my honor to be able to do this with you and we’re going to win,” she continued.

How Tim Walz went from an unexpected contender to Harris' vice presidential pick

Tim Walz was in the midst of his interview with Vice President Kamala Harris’ vetting team when he told them there was something important they needed to know.

He doesn’t use a teleprompter, the Minnesota governor said. He doesn’t even have one, in fact. So if he became the pick, Walz said, Harris’ team would have to get him a teleprompter and teach him how to use it.

It was a lighter moment, but it was also part of an interview process with Harris’ team that Walz aced, multiple sources familiar with the meeting told CNN. The Minnesota governor was up-front about his vulnerabilities, noting he wasn’t from a swing state or a household name. He also said he was a bad debater.

But Walz made it clear he would be a team player.

Asked how he saw his role as VP, Walz said he would perform the job however Harris wanted him to. Asked whether he wanted to be the last person in the room before Harris made a decision, Walz said only if she wanted him to be there.

And asked whether he had ambitions to run for president himself one day, Walz said he did not, a point that sources said was not lost on a team looking to minimize the potential for any internal drama in a future Harris administration.

The vetting interview was a key step for Walz to ultimately lock up the selection that Harris made after sitting down with the three finalists, including Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro and Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly, for one-on-one interviews at her residence Sunday.

“It was a home run,” said one source familiar with Walz’s meeting with Harris’ vetting team. “Everyone loved him.”

Beyond the personal chemistry Harris and her team felt toward Walz, people familiar with the interview process said that he was also someone Harris felt could attract the kinds of voters Democrats have lost to Donald Trump — voters who Harris may not be able to connect with on her own.

Read more about what went on behind the scenes during the vetting process.

Watch more:

Analysis: Should they hug? Should they shake hands? Tonight was a chemistry test for Harris and Walz

Vice President Kamala Harris was looking for chemistry in a running mate.

At the close of her rally here in Philadelphia, the smile that spread wide across her face suggested she may have found just that with Tim Walz.

While Harris and Walz were still finding their way on stage together – should they hug? should they shake hands? – the debut of the new Democratic ticket showed two partners appearing far more comfortable than many in recent history. He walked a step behind, gesturing repeatedly to her, intent on making her the center of the show.

There’s little doubt that Walz will upstage Harris – nor have any interest in trying to do so. That, of course, would be a fool’s errand, given how adoring the Democratic crowd was for Harris.

As the Democratic candidates lingered on stage, basking in the booming applause as they stood beneath a giant blue Harris-Walz sign, it’s clear that Harris has entered an entirely new realm in just 17 days. But she made clear the hardest part of this assignment was yet to come.

“Now we’ve got some work to do,” Harris said. “We are the underdogs in this race, but we have the momentum and I know exactly what we are up against.”

Doug Emhoff shares photo of him and Gwen Walz with campaign sign

Second Gentlemen Doug Emhoff shared a photo on social media Tuesday alongside Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz’ wife, Gwen Walz.

In the photo, the two are seen holding a Harris-Walz campaign sign after Vice President Kamala Harris and Walz’ first rally together in Philadelphia.

Now that’s a campaign sign. pic.twitter.com/YXlC3uLAko — Doug Emhoff (@DouglasEmhoff) August 6, 2024

A flashback to 2016 as another Tim takes the VP stage

Just over eight years ago, another Democratic Tim was being introduced as the vice presidential nominee ready to take on former President Donald Trump.

Hillary Clinton and Tim Kaine walked out to “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” at Florida International University on July 23, 2016.

The events are similar visually, both planned in part by longtime producer Greg Hale, who was spotted peeking from backstage in the moments before Vice President Kamala Harris walked out with Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz. 

“Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” was, again, on Tuesday night’s playlist at another college campus, Temple University in Philadelphia. But the stage was lit in red, white and blue, with attendees wearing coordinating, color-changing bracelets — a sign of the times. This event also featured a heavily-produced video of Harris to warm the crowd up, and a Beyoncé soundtrack . 

Tim Walz says he "can't wait" to debate JD Vance

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz ripped Ohio Sen. JD Vance, the Republican nominee for vice president, saying he can’t wait to get on the debate stage.

“Like all regular people, I grew up with in the heartland. JD studied at Yale, had his career funded by Silicon Valley billionaires and then wrote a bestseller trashing that community. Come on! That’s not what middle America is,” Walz said at a Tuesday rally in Philadelphia.

After the crowd quieted down, Walz added, “That is, if he’s willing to get off the couch and show up.”

“You see what I did there?” Walz said, giving a shrug and a small laugh.

The governor also repeated his now-popular line of attack, calling Vance and other Republicans “weird as hell.”

“I got to tell you, pointing out just an observation of mine that I made. I just have to say it — you know it, you feel it. These guys are creepy, and yes, just weird as hell,” Walz said. “That’s what you see.”

Vance told CNN’s Kristen Holmes earlier on Tuesday that he wants to debate Walz but only after Walz officially becomes the Democratic vice presidential nominee.

Harris and Walz officially became the Democratic nominees for president and vice president, the party announced Tuesday evening.

This post has been updated with comments from Vance earlier Tuesday on debating Walz.

Former Vice President Al Gore calls Walz a "proven leader" and "valuable asset" on climate

Former Vice President Al Gore called Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz a “proven leader” and “valuable asset” to the Democratic ticket on the issue of climate change.

Gore, who served as vice president under President Bill Clinton, is a well-known climate advocate.

Analysis: Harris and Walz praise each other's background in symbolic moment onstage

Vice President Kamala Harris introduced her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, to America on Tuesday — and then he returned the compliment.

The new Democratic vice presidential nominee praised Harris as a prosecutor, a senator and a vice president who had dedicated her life to service — while arguing that Donald Trump served only himself. 

The symbolism is strong. A plainspoken, White, Midwestern dad — who was an Army National Guard sergeant major, a football coach and a high school teacher — is vouching to his own community for the values and patriotism of a running mate who is being demeaned by Republicans as a racial chameleon and as out of the American cultural and political mainstream.

Ironically, given the events of the last two weeks, Walz is serving a similar role that then-VP nominee Joe Biden played for future President Barack Obama in 2008.

Walz shares anecdote about his family's journey with IVF

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz drew a sharp contrast with former President Donald Trump, offering new and crowd-pleasing lines of attack against his opponent framed around personal freedoms, including reproductive rights.

“Some of us are old enough to remember when it was Republicans who were talking about freedom. It turns out now, what they meant was the government should be free to invade your doctor’s office. In Minnesota, we respect our neighbors and their personal choices that they make, even if we wouldn’t make the same choice for ourselves. There’s a golden rule: mind your own damn business,” he said to cheers.

Walz spoke personally about his own family’s journey with fertility treatments, including IVF, to welcome daughter, Hope. 

“When the vice president and I talk about freedom, we mean the freedom to make your own health care decisions,” he said.

He took specific aim at Trump, who, he said, “would damn sure take us backward.”

“Don’t believe him when he plays dumb: He knows exactly what Project 2025 will do to restrict my freedom,” he said, referring to the Trump-aligned playbook the former president has disavowed.

And Trump, Walz said, “doesn’t know the first thing about service – he doesn’t have time for it because he’s too busy serving himself,” later adding that he “sews chaos and division.”

Will Walz help Harris win? Here’s what the numbers say

Vice President Kamala Harris picked Minnesota Gov.Tim Walz to be her running mate.

CNN Senior Data Reporter Harry Enten looks at the data to understand if Walz will help her this November.

Walz slams Trump's record on Covid-19, economy and crime

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz slammed former President Donald Trump’s record on Covid-19, economy and crime in his speech at Tuesday’s rally in Philadelphia, insisting that Republican nominee doesn’t “doesn’t know the first thing about service” because he’s serving himself.

Walz leans into his background as he introduces himself as a teacher, a coach and a veteran

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz walked a Philadelphia crowd through his biography , introducing himself Tuesday as the Democratic pick for vice president.

In his first remarks as part of the Democratic ticket, Walz told the audience about his time as a teacher and a coach and his experience as a veteran.

“I was born in West Point, Nebraska. I lived Butte, a small town of 400 where community was a way of life. Growing up, I spent the summers working on the family farm,” Walz said.

He used his biography to try to draw contrasts between the Democratic ticket and former President Donald Trump.

Walz said he joined the Army National Guard when he was 17 years old.

“The National Guard gave me purpose; it gave me the strength of a shared commitment to something greater than ourselves,” adding that the “GI bill gave me a shot at a college education.”

Walz said after graduating, he taught high school social studies and coached football for nearly 20 years, before running for Congress in 2006.

“It was my students. They encouraged me to run for office. They saw in me what I was hoping to instill in them — a commitment of common good. A belief that one person can make a difference,” Walz said.

Harris compares Walz to Vance: "It's like a matchup between the varsity team and the JV squad”

Vice President Kamala Harris compared Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz’s background with that of GOP vice presidential nominee JD Vance in remarks at her campaign’s Philadelphia rally Tuesday.

“I’m telling you, Tim Walz will be ready on Day 1,” Harris said.

Analysis: Harris' speech previews how the Democratic ticket will aim to appeal to voters in November

Kamala Harris’ stump speech began to sketch out the policy appeal she will make to voters in November.

And there are no big surprises. It’s standard Democratic orthodoxy.

She praised her running mate Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz for being an early defender of LGBT rights. She’s pledged that she and her new running mate will save the Affordable Care Act. And the vice president promised they’d also pass a bill restoring nationwide abortion rights.

A Harris administration would protect and expand voting rights, she said. Mentioning that Walz is a hunter and a gun owner, the Democratic nominee called for “reasonable gun safety laws.”

On the economy, perhaps the stickiest issue she will face, Harris promised to fight for the middle class and to bring down prices. That part of her speech – and her capacity to demonstrate empathy for the struggles that many Americans are still facing despite the strong post-Covid economy – is going to need fleshing out if she is going to effectively counter Trump’s populist economic appeal in the Midwest.

Walz praises Harris for "bringing back the joy"

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz thanked Vice President Kamala Harris for “the trust you put in me” as well as for “bringing back the joy.”

He went on to commend Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro.

“He can bring the fire,” Walz said of Shapiro. “This is a visionary leader.”

Harris and Walz have now raised $20 million since Tuesday morning's announcement

Vice President Kamala Harris and her newly announced running mate Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz have now raised more than $20 million since the announcement that Walz was joining the ticket Tuesday morning, according to the campaign.

Additionally, Harris’ campaign began selling a camouflage baseball hat on its website – a nod to Walz, who regularly dons a camouflage cap, joining the ticket today.

The hat bears the words “Harris Walz” written in the campaign’s newly-minted font in bright orange over a camouflage print. The Harris campaign is charging $40 for the hat. The website’s description suggests high demand for the hat.

“You asked, we answered. The most iconic political hat in America,” the description reads. 

More context: Walz, an avid hunter, often wears a camouflage hat at campaign events and during his personal life. In a video posted by the Harris campaign on Tuesday, Walz was wearing a camouflage hat when he received the call from Harris asking him to join the ticket. 

This post has been updated with additional information on the Harris-Walz campaign.

Harris promises to lift people up and govern for all Americans

Vice President Kamala Harris, the official Democratic nominee for president, emphasized unity and celebrated the diversity of the country during remarks in Philadelphia on Tuesday.

She talked about her background growing up in California, contrasting that with the upbringing of her new running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, who was raised in Nebraska.

Harris says "hard-won freedoms" like abortion rights are under attack while touting Walz's record

Vice President Kamala Harris argued that Americans are witnessing a “full-on attack against hard-fought, hard-won freedoms and rights” during remarks in Philadelphia Tuesday, pointing to her promises to enshrine reproductive rights if she is elected.

Harris was appearing for the first time with her new vice presidential pick, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz.

Harris touted Walz’s record on abortion during his time as governor, saying this campaign is a “fight for freedom.” She slammed Trump and said it is because of the former president’s actions that states have abortion bans.

Walz has been an advocate for abortion access, in January 2023 signing into law the Protect Reproductive Options (PRO) Act , which established the right for people in the state to obtain an abortion after the US Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade the previous year.

In April 2023, he signed a law protecting people who travel to Minnesota for abortions , and clinicians providing abortion care, from criminal penalties from other states.

Harris promised to sign a bill to “restore reproductive freedom,” vowing to sign it into law.

Harris and Walz are officially the Democratic nominees

Vice President Kamala Harris and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz are officially the Democratic nominees for president and vice president, the party announced Tuesday.

The Democratic National Committee announced Monday that Harris won the presidential nomination. She is the first Black woman and first Asian American to lead a major-party ticket. Harris won 99% of the vote, according to the DNC.

Under party rules, Harris could name her running mate without a separate vote.

This post has been updated with additional details on the party’s announcement.

Harris outlines why she picked Walz as her running mate

Vice President Kamala Harris outlined why she picked Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate in the 2024 presidential election.

She continued, saying that she “found such a leader,” referencing Walz, who was standing behind her.

Harris went on to speak about Walz’s life, saying that he is “more than a governor.”

She pointed toward his experience coaching high school football, saying that it will influence his ability to serve the country as vice president.

“He saw the potential in kids who sometimes didn’t even see it in themselves,” she said, adding that Walz led his team from a winless record to the school’s first state championship.

Harris said Walz was “the kind of teacher and mentor that every child in America dreams of having,” saying that he inspired people to “dream big” and that he made “people feel like they belong.”

“That’s the kind of vice president he will be,” Harris said.

The November election is not just fight against Trump — but a fight for the future, Harris says

Kamala Harris, the official Democratic nominee for president, said that her campaign is not just about beating former President Donald Trump in November, but it’s also about the future.

“I know Donald Trump’s type,” Harris said, to huge cheers and chants from the crowd.

She added she is fighting for affordable housing, health care and child care.

“We fight for a future where we bring down prices that are still too high and lower the cost of living for American families so that they have the chance not just to get by but to get ahead,” he said.

Her newly named vice presidential pick, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, stood behind her and clapped. It is the first time Harris and Walz have appeared together.

She said she set out to “find a partner who can help build this brighter future” and turned to introduce Walz to the audience, arguing that he is that partner her campaign has been seeking.

Harris calls Democrats "the underdogs in this race"

Vice President Kamala Harris told a raucous crowd in Philadelphia on Tuesday that Democrats, while energized, have work to do to win in November.

Harris went on to describe her presidential campaign as “not just a fight against Donald Trump,” but “a fight for the future.”

Harris says with Gov. Shapiro's help, "we will win Pennsylvania"

Vice President Kamala Harris said Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, who was one of the finalists to be her running mate, will help Democrats win the key state in November.

Harris called Shapiro a “dear, dear friend and an extraordinary leader.” Shapiro took the stage just before Harris and her vice presidential pick, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz.

The vice president said with Shapiro’s help, “we will win Pennsylvania” — a key state in the path to the presidency.

Here are some excerpts from Harris' expected remarks in Philadelphia

These are some of the excerpts from Vice President Kamala Harris’ expected speech during her first rally with her vice presidential pick, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz.  

NOW: Harris and Walz hold their first joint appearance at Philadelphia rally

Vice President Kamala Harris and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz are holding their first joint appearance at a  rally in Philadelphia  — kicking off their sprint across the electoral map.

The candidates came out together on the stage to a roaring applause from the crowd.

A former educator, Walz is currently in his second term as Minnesota governor and chairs the Democratic Governors Association. He is expected to lean on his biography to introduce himself to voters , many for the first time, according to excerpts of his remarks.

He previously served 12 years in Congress, representing a conservative-leaning rural district that, both before and after his tenure, has been mostly dominated by Republicans.

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro says he will work his "tail off" to get Harris and Walz elected

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, who was a finalist on Vice President Kamala Harris’ running mate short list, voiced support Tuesday to an enthusiastic crowd for Harris and her newly announced vice presidential pick, Tim Walz.

“I’m going to be working my tail off to make sure we make Kamala Harris and Tim Walz the next leaders of the United States of America,” Shapiro said in Philadelphia, where the candidates were holding their first joint rally.

He also praised Walz, calling him “a great man” and an “outstanding governor,” and urged the crowd to give the Minnesota governor “a whole lot of love.”

“I’ll tell you what else — Tim Walz is a dear friend, and I want you to know Lori and I feel blessed to have Tim and Gwen in our lives,” Shapiro said. “They are outstanding public servants, and I can’t wait for you, Philly, the rest of this commonwealth and our entire country to get the chance to know the Walzes.”

Analysis: Though not the VP pick, Shapiro is still a rising star in the Democratic Party

Had things turned out differently Tuesday, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro would be taking his first steps on a national political stage.

Instead, he’s the warm-up act.

The rising Democratic star was beaten to Kamala Harris’ vice-presidential nomination by Tim Walz — but judging by the testimony of many people in the crowd here and the rapturous welcome he got when walking out to speak — Pennsylvanians are glad he’s staying home. 

Shapiro is demonstrating the rapid-fire rhetoric that means he’s going to be seen as a future presidential prospect for Democrats whatever happens in November. 

And as he turned his attention to Trump’s running mate JD Vance, Harris supporters, chanted, “He’s a weirdo! He’s a weirdo!”

Walz, who doesn't use a teleprompter, practiced using one today

Vice President Kamala Harris’ newly chosen running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, practiced using a teleprompter ahead of taking the stage in Philadelphia for the first joint Harris-Walz rally, a source familiar with the matter told CNN.

As CNN has reported, Walz raised the issue during his interview with Harris’ vetting team in recent days. He doesn’t use a teleprompter, the governor told the team, and doesn’t even have one — so if he were to become Harris’ pick, he would need to learn.

Enthusiastic crowd is on its feet as Gov. Josh Shapiro takes the stage

The crowd is on its feet and coursing with enthusiasm inside the Liacouras Center at Temple University in Philadelphia, where Vice President Kamala Harris is minutes away from making the debut appearance with her running mate.

But first, the audience is hearing from the Democrat she didn’t pick — Gov. Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania.

Thunderous applause from the hometown crowd erupted as Shapiro took the stage, walking past blue signs declaring: “Harris/Walz.”

“I love you Philly,” Shapiro said. “And you know what else I love? I love being your governor.”

Harris-Walz campaign says it raised $10 million since announcement Tuesday morning

Vice President Kamala Harris and her running mate, Tim Walz, have raised more than $10 million since the Minnesota governor was announced as Harris’ VP pick Tuesday morning, according to the campaign.

Harris campaign spokesperson Lauren Hitt touted it as “one of the campaign’s best fundraising days this cycle.”

The campaign also said it expects Tuesday’s joint rally in Philadelphia to be the largest event to date for the Democratic presidential nominee. Harris and Walz are expected to be introduced at 5:30 p.m. ET, and the duo will hold their “first virtual grassroots fundraiser” following the rally.

Walz initially didn't answer the phone when Harris called to tell him he was VP pick

When Vice President Kamala Harris called Gov. Tim Walz this morning to inform him that he was her selection for her pick for vice president, he initially didn’t answer. 

That’s because the phone blocked the caller ID from her government-issued phone, which is standard, a person familiar with the call tells CNN. 

Harris had to phone Walz a second time – when he answered to accept the call and the offer. 

Democrats say Walz was "a very difficult person to dislike" in Congress

When then-Rep. Tim Walz became the ranking member of the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee, Rep. Ann Kuster, a Democrat from New Hampshire, remembers he gave her a gift.

Instead of the kind of ceremonial present many members had become accustomed to from their ranking member or chairman — fancy pens, maybe a little clock or collectible — Walz offered something that Kuster said she now sees as the perfect distillation of the practical politician he embodies: a sturdy wool blanket made in his home state of Minnesota. 

“He gave us each this very, very heavy blanket made from his district,” Kuster said. 

The blanket ended up serving a critical role in Kuster’s recovery after the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot just a few years later. Its weight, she said, made it the only thing she could get sleep under while she was recovering from the trauma of that day. 

“Just salt of the earth,” Kuster said of Walz and the gift he gave. 

In Congress, members remember a colleague who hailed from a tough district but was still willing to take some difficult votes, such as advancing the Affordable Care Act, a decision that led to the defeat of many other Democrats from swing districts. 

“He had to be relatable to people in his district, but there were core Democratic values that were expressed in acts of courage,” Takano said of the ACA vote. 

Walz served on both the Agriculture and Veterans’ Affairs committees with Kuster, who remembers him as someone who could easily defuse tense situations with humor.

Sen. Tina Smith of Minnesota, who has known Walz for two decades, told CNN that “Tim is a no-nonsense guy. He takes his work super seriously but he doesn’t take himself too seriously, so he is great to work with.”

Emhoff shares video of call with Gwen Walz

Second gentleman Doug Emhoff and Gwen Walz , wife of Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, spoke on the phone Tuesday.

“Holy smokes!” Walz exclaims after Emhoff introduces himself.

Watch video of the moment below:

Welcome to the team, Gwen. I’ve got your back. pic.twitter.com/u9928E7rIw — Doug Emhoff (@DouglasEmhoff) August 6, 2024

First lady Jill Biden offers her "congratulations" to Gov. Tim Walz and his wife Gwen

First lady Jill Biden offered her “congratulations” to Gov. Tim Walz and his wife, Gwen, after Vice President Kamala Harris choose him as her running mate, elevating the former teacher, congressman and Army National Guard veteran to join the Democratic ticket. 

“National Guard family. Public School Educators. Governor and First Lady of MN. Our next VP and Second Lady - Congratulations Tim and Gwen 💕,” the first lady  wrote on social media.

Jill Biden herself served as second lady when the president was then-Vice President Joe Biden. The first lady has made some public appearances, including at the Paris Olympics, but has largely stayed out of the spotlight since President Biden bowed out of the 2024 race.

Almost all seats in the venue are filled as crowd awaits first joint Harris-Walz appearance

A big, loud crowd is getting warmed up for Vice President Kamala Harris’ first joint appearance with Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz at the Liacouras Center, the home of Temple basketball in Philadelphia.

Harris supporters are wearing flashing blue, red and white bracelets and almost all seats in a venue that seats 10,000 for college games are filled and there’s a healthy gathering on the floor. Large banners hanging from the ceiling feature the new campaign logo – which has “Harris” written in white block capitals above “Walz” in a slightly smaller font against a blue background.

Home state Sen. John Fetterman just took the stage.

“I work with JD Vance and I am to confirm that he is a seriously weird dude,” Fetterman said of the GOP vice presidential nominee, borrowing the adjective that Walz coined for the Republican ticket that helped rocket the Minnesota governor to prominence and to the vice presidential nomination.

CNN Poll of Polls update shows Harris and Trump in tight race nationally with no clear leader

The latest CNN Poll of Polls average of national polling shows a close general election race with no clear leader between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump.

Trump holds 49% support in the average of five recent polls testing the matchup, while Harris holds 48%.

The Poll of Polls includes an  NPR/PBS News/Marist poll  released Tuesday that also finds no clear leader in a matchup between the candidates, with Harris taking 51% and Trump taking 48% among registered voters nationally.

The NPR/PBS/Marist poll finds that Americans trust Harris over Trump to handle the issue of abortion (56% say Harris would do a better job, while 41% say Trump would) and the preservation of democracy (53% say Harris, 46% Trump). Americans prefer Trump on immigration (52% say he would better handle the issue, compared with 46% for Harris), with a closer split on who would better handle the economy (51% say Trump, 48% Harris).

Walz will lean on biography as he introduces himself to voters in Philadelphia

Gov. Tim Walz will lean on his personal biography and will try to draw contrasts between the Democratic ticket and former President Donald Trump in his first stump speech as Vice President Kamala Harris’ running mate.

Walz will detail his rural upbringing in Nebraska, his Minnesota values, and his experience as a teacher, according to excerpts of his prepared remarks, introducing himself to voters – many of whom are learning about him for the first time.

Walz will add, “Minnesota’s strength comes from our values — our commitment to working together, to seeing past our differences, to lending a helping hand.

“These same values I learned on the family farm and tried to instill in my students, I took to Congress and the state capital, and now, Vice President Harris and I are running to take them to the White House,” he is expected to say.

Walz will also serve as a hype man for the vice president, saying he “couldn’t be prouder to be on this ticket” and help make Harris president. Harris, he will say, has “fought on the side of the American people,” pointing to her career as a prosecutor while also saying that she “brings joy to everything she does.”

Vivek Ramaswamy argues Walz is "a massive gift to Republicans," calls Trump more "moderate"

Former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy said Tuesday that Vice President Kamala Harris’ selection of Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate was “a massive gift to Republicans.”

“The reality is his progressive policies are going to cause Democrats to lose a lot of centrist voters,” Ramaswamy said in an interview with CNN’s Brianna Keilar.

The biotech entrepreneur, who ended his bid for the GOP presidential nomination after a disappointing finish in the Iowa caucuses, argued that “Donald Trump is actually the moderate when it comes to policy on this race.”

Ramaswamy, a surrogate for the Trump campaign, later added: “This provides an opening that resets the race after, admittedly, a rough couple of weeks for Republicans.”

Trump calls Harris and Walz the "most Radical Left duo in American history"

Former President Donald Trump responded directly to Vice President Kamala Harris’ new running mate Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, calling the pair “the most Radical Left duo in American history.”

Republicans have spent the day working to define Walz as a progressive liberal, pointing to his record as governor. 

“This is the most Radical Left duo in American history, “ Trump wrote on TruthSocial. “There has never been anything like it, and there never will be again.”

Earlier Tuesday, Republican vice presidential nominee JD Vance said Harris’ decision to pick Walz “highlights how radical Kamala Harris is.”

Obama was "sounding board" for Harris as she made VP selection

Former President Barack Obama served as “a sounding board” for Vice President Kamala Harris as she made her decision to select Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate, a senior aide told CNN.

Obama, whose relationship with Harris goes back nearly two decades, has communicated with her frequently since her whirlwind presidential campaign began two weeks ago. While Obama did not tip his hand on the scale, an aide said, he listened as she and her vetting team made arguments about her path toward winning the White House.

In a statement Tuesday , Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama praised the selection of Walz and drew an implicit contrast with the Republican ticket.

They added: “By selecting Tim Walz to be her vice president from a pool of outstanding Democrats, Kamala Harris has chosen an ideal partner — and made it clear exactly what she stands for.”

"Let's do this together": Video shows moment Harris asked Walz to be her running mate

Vice President Kamala Harris posted a video on social media of the moment where she called Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz to ask him to be her running mate.

Harris told the governor that she has enjoyed their work together so far and has the “utmost respect” for him and his dedication to the country.

“We’re going to do this, we’re going to win and we’re going to unify our country and remind everyone that we are fighting for the future for everyone,” Harris said.

“Let’s win this thing,” Walz later added.

When I called @Tim_Walz this morning to ask him to join our campaign, I shared my deep level of respect for him and the work we’ve done together. We’re going to unify this country and we’re going to win. Let’s go get this done. pic.twitter.com/EcqZ497lyk — Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) August 6, 2024

Walz served 24 years in the military, most recently in the Minnesota National Guard

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, who was announced as Vice President Kamala Harris’ running mate Tuesday, retired from the Army National Guard as a master sergeant after 24 years in uniform, according to the Minnesota National Guard. Master sergeant is one of the more senior ranks for enlisted soldiers.

Lt. Col. Kristen Augé, spokesperson for the Minnesota National Guard, told CNN on Tuesday that while Walz “obtained the rank of command sergeant major and served in that role,” he officially retired as a master sergeant in 2005. That’s one rank below command sergeant major because “he did not complete additional coursework at the U.S. Army Sergeants Major Academy.” 

Walz is identified on his  official biography page  as “Command Sergeant Major Walz.” 

In the Army, the command sergeant major is the senior enlisted leader in a battalion or higher unit echelons, enforcing training, performance and appearance standards. It’s not uncommon for an enlisted leader at that rank to be “conditionally promoted,” meaning they are promoted under the assumption they will complete the required professional military education to officially obtain that rank. If that professional military education is not completed, the service member reverts to their previously held rank — in Walz’s case, reverting to master sergeant after not completing the additional coursework at the Army Sergeants Major Academy. 

It’s unclear why Walz did not complete the coursework. CNN has reached out to Walz’s office. 

During his time with the Minnesota National Guard, Walz served in the 1st Battalion, 125th Field Artillery, working as a cannon crew member and field artillery senior sergeant, according to Augé.

Walz was deployed to Vicenza, Italy, in 2003 as part of a security mission in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, according to Augé.

“The battalion supported security missions at various locations in Europe and Turkey. Governor Walz was stationed at Vicenza, Italy, during his deployment. He returned to Minnesota in April, 2004,” Augé said.

This post has been updated with information about Walz’s deployment.

How Walz responded to Minneapolis protests after George Floyd's murder in 2020

Early GOP  attacks  on Democratic vice presidential candidate Tim Walz have criticized his handling of civil unrest after the murder of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer in 2020.

Ohio Sen. JD Vance, former President Donald Trump’s running mate, claimed Tuesday that the Minnesota governor “allowed rioters to burn down Minneapolis in the summer of 2020.” And Trump has previously claimed that he took action to deploy the Minnesota National Guard over the objections of the state’s Democratic leaders. 

CNN’s Daniel Dale  fact-checked  that assertion in July 2020, writing:

A  CNN interactive  from that summer provides a closer look at the timeline of events in the city: Floyd was killed on May 25, 2020, and protests began the next day as demonstrators clashed with police. Some of those turned violent, with riots in Minneapolis leaving businesses destroyed. There was  looting, violence and arson , along with peaceful protest, in Minneapolis on May 27. On May 28, Walz signed an executive order activating part of the Minnesota National Guard. Also that day, protesters lit the outside of the Minneapolis Police Department’s Third Precinct on fire.  

Walz, who served 24 years in the Army National Guard, activated the entire Minnesota National Guard on May 30.

“He activated the Minnesota National Guard at the request of the Mayors of Minneapolis and St. Paul, before he talked to the White House,” Walz’s press secretary, Teddy Tschann, said in a statement to CNN at the time. As CNN’s fact check notes, Tschann said there were no buildings set on fire on the night of May 30, unlike the previous three nights.

Harris-Walz campaign releases video highlighting running mate's biography

The Harris-Walz campaign released a video Tuesday highlighting newly announced vice presidential candidate Tim Walz’s biography. The video, which runs just under 90 seconds, is narrated by the Minnesota governor, who talks about his service in the Army National Guard and time as an educator. 

“I coached football and taught social studies for 20 years. And I tried to teach my students what small-town Nebraska taught me: respect, compromise and service to country,” Walz adds.  

It’s something the campaign has leaned into heavily — earlier Tuesday, it posted a video on TikTok drawing a contrast with Walz’s GOP counterpart, Ohio Sen. JD Vance, and playing up the governor’s rural roots.

The TikTok post features video of Walz in office, with farm animals, on a football field, and in a helicopter, underscoring how the campaign plans to utilize his biography.

Former President Bill Clinton says Walz is a "terrific choice"

Former President Bill Clinton calls Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz a “terrific choice” and said that he will “be a great vice president” in a statement issued Tuesday. 

Harris chose Walz to be her running mate and the duo will appear together in their first joint rally in Philadelphia later today before visiting other battleground states this week.

Jeffries praises Walz as Harris' running mate

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries praised Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz Tuesday after Vice President Kamala Harris chose him as her running mate. 

Harris allies see Walz as their "Friday Night Lights" candidate

As friends and allies of Vice President Kamala Harris privately discussed her running mate finalists, one of the qualities of Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz mentioned most often: His background as a geography teacher and football coach. 

Specifically, multiple conversations have compared Walz to Eric Taylor, the fictional West Texas football coach from the popular television series “Friday Night Lights.” Coach Taylor, played by actor Kyle Chandler, is portrayed as a wholesome family man in middle America who married his high school sweetheart and serves as a role model for the young men he coaches. Some of the motivational messages Taylor delivers to his team have become pop culture lore. 

Rohini Kosoglu, a longtime policy adviser to Harris,  tweeted  one of them: “Clear Eyes, Full Heart, Can’t Lose.”  

David Plouffe, senior adviser to the Harris-Walz campaign, said on CNN that both Harris and Walz are “optimists” who plan to infuse the party’s messaging and policies with positivity. Walz, he said, could help build on President Joe Biden’s support among older voters, and those in suburban, exurban and rural areas. 

With the election home stretch overlapping with football season, allies expect those teacher-coach attributes to be on full display, particularly across the South. 

“Who doesn’t want someone radiating positivity from the sidelines?” one quipped in a text message.

Second gentleman to headline fundraiser in Paris on Thursday

Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff will headline a fundraiser for the Harris campaign in Paris on Thursday, a source familiar with the matter said. 

Emhoff will visit Paris from Wednesday until next Monday as he’s set to lead the presidential delegation to the closing ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympics.

While in Paris, he will also meet with government officials and senior leaders at the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). He will also speak at a roundtable to discuss efforts to promote education about the Holocaust and to combat antisemitism, as well as speak at an annual event commemorating the victims of the 1982 attack at a Jewish restaurant in Rue des Rosiers, which killed six people and injured 22 others. 

First Lady Jill Biden was initially scheduled to headline a Paris fundraiser for President Joe Biden’s campaign when she traveled to France’s opening ceremony of the Olympics, but that plan was scrapped after her husband bowed out of the 2024 race.

Emhoff has spent much of the past two weeks raising money for Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign and is set to join her in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, today as she kicks off a battleground state tour with her new running mate Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz.

Harris' pick highlights the power of social media — but it may may make the electoral math harder

Minnesota Gov.  Tim Walz  hadn’t been in  the top tier  of potential running mates for Kamala Harris until the past few weeks. But his  selection to join the vice president  on the Democratic ticket underscores both the power of social media and of being relatively affable and nondivisive.

The fact that Harris selected a candidate who does well online shouldn’t be surprising — this is the campaign that  has embraced  “coconut tree” and “ brat .”

But is the Walz pick indicative of a campaign that is  too  online?

That’s a fair question given that Harris  skipped over  Pennsylvania Gov.  Josh Shapiro  in favor of Walz. Shapiro, who was long seen as a front-runner for the vice presidential pick,  divided a lot  of the online left over his perceived views on the Israelis and Palestinians.

Notably, Walz  shares many of those same views but received far less backlash than Shapiro, who is Jewish.

One of the first rules when it comes to a vice presidential pick is to “Do no harm.” Harris likely did no harm with this pick. The big question now is whether she left points on the board by choosing Walz over Shapiro.

Minnesota is likely not going to be competitive this fall. No Republican nominee for president has carried the state since 1972, and  polling in the North Star State since Harris entered  the race has shown that the streak is likely to continue.

Pennsylvania, on the other hand, is almost certainly a must-win state for Harris. In fact, it is probably  the  most important swing state this cycle, and the polling there has been very tight.

Shapiro holds a  61% favorable rating  in Pennsylvania and outperformed Biden’s 2020 baseline by 14 points  in 2022 .

What we can say, though, is that Walz is not likely to help Harris with many swing voters. He did less than a point better than Biden in Minnesota when he  won reelection  in 2022. In fact, Shapiro seems  to have done better  with White voters without a college degree in Pennsylvania than Walz did with the same demographic in his state two years ago.

Read more about whether Harris left points on the board by choosing Walz.

Minnesota has had a strong labor market during Walz' tenure

Minnesota, which has been led by Gov. Tim Walz since 2019, has had a healthy labor market since it recovered from a Covid-19 pandemic-induced shock in early 2020.

The state’s unemployment rate was 2.9% in June, which tied for 11th lowest with four other states, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics. It has been at 3% or less since November 2021.

That’s lower than the national unemployment rate, which was 4.1% in June and has mainly hovered in the mid- to high-3% range since early 2022.

Likewise, a larger share of Minnesotans are in the labor force, compared to their peers nationwide. The state’s participation rate, which counts both those working and looking for jobs, was 67.8% in June, the fifth highest in the US. The national rate was 62.6%. 

Under Walz, the state has also enjoyed a healthy budget surplus, which has allowed the governor to enact many of his progressive policy proposals. The 2024-25 biennium budget is projected to end with a surplus of $3.7 billion, according to the Minnesota Management and Budget agency’s latest projection in February. That’s an increase of $1.3 billion from the agency’s projection from November.

Tax revenue, especially from corporations, was also higher than previously projected, according to the agency. However, Minnesota is still expected to spend more than it collects in revenue in the current budget term and the next one.

Vance says Harris picking Walz "highlights how radical" she is

Republican vice presidential nominee JD Vance on Tuesday reacted publicly for the first time to Vice President Kamala Harris’ choice of Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate, arguing the decision “highlights how radical Kamala Harris is.” 

Speaking to reporters aboard his plane in Philadelphia, Vance argued Harris “listened to the Hamas wing of her own party in selecting a nominee.” The Trump campaign has tried to argue that by not selecting Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, Harris caved to more progressive members of the Democratic Party who ardently oppose Israel’s handling of its war in Gaza. Shapiro is Jewish and has been critical of some demonstrators who have protested Israel’s war against Hamas. 

Vance said he left Walz a voicemail this morning after learning he was Harris’ pick.  

“I didn’t get him, but I just said, ‘Look, congratulations, look forward to a robust conversation, and enjoy the ride.’ And maybe he’ll call me back, maybe he won’t,” Vance said. 

Here's how Donald Trump’s campaign is trying to define Tim Walz

Republicans moved quickly Tuesday to try to define  Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz , whom Vice President Kamala Harris has  chosen as her running mate .

The former president’s campaign, which has spent the last several days compiling opposition research on Walz, plans to attack him as someone who is more liberal than both Harris and President Biden, with a key focus on his record as governor for the last four years, senior Trump campaign advisers and people close to the former president told CNN.

Trump’s advisers said that while they will pull on details from his 12 years in Congress, their goal is to paint Walz — a former teacher and Army National Guard veteran — as someone who has been in lockstep with progressives over the last four years and a key champion of the Biden administration’s policies.

Key focal points in their expected attacks include…

• Arguing Walz has taken a liberal stance on the border
• Painting him as anti-gun and anti-cop
• Tying him to Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar
• Linking him to the Biden administration’s economic policies
• Questioning his record on foreign policy.

Democratic Rep. Illhan Omar of Minnesota says Walz will bring "Minnesota nice to the ticket"

Progressive Rep. Ilhan Omar congratulated Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz on his selection as Vice President Kamala Harris’ running mate.

Omar, a Democrat from Minnesota, promoted Walz’s policies in a post on X , saying: “Our North Star state Governor has signed universal school meals, paid family and sick leave, marijuana legalization, and protections for reproductive rights into law.”

“Bringing Minnesota nice to the ticket,” she added.

Vance says he wants to debate Walz after official nomination

Republican vice presidential nominee JD Vance told CNN’s Kristen Holmes on Tuesday that he wants to debate Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz but only after Walz officially becomes the Democratic vice presidential nominee.

Vance added, “Would it shock me if the Democrats pulled another switcheroo, no it wouldn’t. So look, we’re going to wait until they actually nominate Kamala Harris and Tim Walz before we do any debates. And then of course we want to have a robust debate.” 

Harris announced Walz as her running mate Tuesday morning.

Walz is an opportunity for Democrats to reintroduce themselves to parts of US, Rep. Dean Phillips says

Rep. Dean Phillips argued that Democrats “have to start refocusing on the bread basket of America” to win the 2024 election — and Gov. Tim Walz is the person to carry the message.

The Democratic lawmaker from Minnesota, who previously ran for president in the primaries against President Joe Biden, said this includes winning over key areas, such as the Great Plains and the Midwest.

Vice President Kamala Harris chose Walz to be her running mate on Tuesday.

Phillips said he is excited about Walz, calling him a “decent, outstanding guy.” As governor, Walz’s policies were “downright normal,” Phillips said, referencing attacks from Republicans that Walz’s record as the leader of the state has been very progressive.

“Of course he’ll be positioned as an uber progressive, but the fact is, if you look at his record in Congress, if you look at his common-sense approach to things, I think people are going to be awfully, awfully pleased at his decency and competency,” Phillips said.

Pennsylvania dominates presidential ad spending, as Harris passes over Shapiro

Pennsylvania looms large in the 2024 election, despite Vice President Kamala Harris’ decision to pass over Gov. Josh Shapiro as her running mate.

Harris will unveil her new running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, at a rally in Philadelphia later today, which is the top media market for presidential ad spending so far in 2024. And Pennsylvania has seen more ad spending than any other battleground state, more than twice as much as the next closest, Michigan.

According to AdImpact data, presidential campaigns and allied outside groups from both parties have combined to spend about $51.7 million on advertising in the Philadelphia market since the start of the year through today, more than any other media market. This includes advertising that was aired in support of President Biden before he withdrew from the race.

Here, Democrats have outspent Republicans by about $29.6 million to $22 million. The second closest media market behind Philadelphia is Atlanta, which has seen about $35.6 million total in presidential ad spending so far. Two other Pennsylvania media markets — Pittsburgh and Harrisburg — are among the top 10.

And Pennsylvania leads all battleground states in ad spending by a wide margin. From the start of the year through today, campaigns and outside groups from both parties have combined to spend nearly $124 million advertising in the commonwealth.

Democrats have outspent Republicans by about $66 million to $57.8 million statewide so far. And Pennsylvania is far ahead of the battleground state that has seen the second most ad spending, Michigan, at about $58.8 million all spending combined.

AOC calls Walz pick "an excellent decision" and brings up policies on health care and school lunch

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez expressed enthusiasm around Democratic nominee Kamala Harris’ vice presidential pick, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, calling it “an excellent decision.”

“Vice President Harris made an excellent decision in Gov. Walz as her running mate. Together, they will govern effectively, inclusively, and boldly for the American people. They won’t back down under tight odds, either - from healthcare to school lunch,” the congresswoman wrote on X .

Under his tenure as governor, Walz signed into law a bill providing free school breakfast and lunch, a policy that Walz has made a cornerstone in his appeal to make Minnesota “the best state for kids to grow up,” as Walz said in a  release  upon the bill signing.

Ocasio-Cortez also joked in another X post that Democrats are in “disconcerting levels of array” in response to the fact that both she and Sen. Joe Manchin are on the same page on Walz.

Ocasio-Cortez was a key member of President Biden’s 2020 Democratic coalition, which was seeking to unite the progressive and moderate factions of the party. 

RFK Jr. says the "political divide sharpens" with Walz pick for VP

Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said Vice President Kamala Harris’ bringing Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz on to the Democratic ticket exacerbates partisan tensions in his first reaction to the news on social media. 

In a social media post, Kennedy pointed to Walz’s attacks on Donald Trump as an example of sowing division, while pitching himself as a unifier. 

“America’s political divide sharpens with the pick of Tim Walz for Dem VP. He called Trump supporters “fascist” and “weird,” and they in turn are calling him worse than that. The need for an independent President who stands outside the divide and can unify the country is more compelling than ever,” he wrote on X . 

Walz has previously referred to Trump as “fascist” and “weird,” but has explicitly said he does not see Republican voters in those terms.

Biden praises Harris' decision to pick Walz, describing the team as a "powerful voice for working people"

President Joe Biden has praised Vice President and Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris for picking Tim Walz as her running mate, saying their ticket will be a “powerful voice for working people.”

“They will be the strongest defenders of our personal freedoms and our democracy. And they will ensure that America continues to lead the world and play its role as the indispensable nation,” Biden wrote.

“It’s time for all Democrats—and indeed all Americans—committed to freedom, democracy, and American leadership in the world to rally behind the Harris-Walz ticket. Every generation of Americans faces a moment where they are asked to defend American democracy. That moment is now,” Biden wrote in a social media post.

The president added that he has known Walz for nearly two decades as he listed out the toplines of his journey into public politics.

And after Biden lauded Harris’ decision to pick Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, he also posted a fundraising appeal for the new Democratic ticket on social media.

“Chip in now to help get @KamalaHarris and @Tim_Walz to the White House,” Biden wrote with a campaign donation link.

House GOP chair slams Walz as a "failed Member of Congress"

House GOP Chair Elise Stefanik slammed Minnesota Governor Tim Walz as a “failed Member of Congress and a failed Governor,” as top congressional Republicans label him as a “radical.”

Republicans focused their attacks on progressive Sen. Bernie Sanders’ support for Walz and the governor’s handling of the Black Lives Matter protests in 2020.

GOP Senator Lindsey Graham also noted the governor’s handling of Black Lives Matter protests in 2020, saying, “Not only did Governor Tim Walz sign legislation giving free college and free health care to illegal immigrants, but he sat on the sidelines and watched Minneapolis burn for four days straight. Weird and dumb.”

Republican Senator Joni Ernst called Walz “Bernie Sanders’ choice for VP,” and said the Democratic ticket is “the most radical ticket in American history.”

For his part, Sanders did announce his support for Walz as Harris’ running mate this morning,  tweeting , “@Tim_Walz is a great asset to @KamalaHarris’ winning campaign & administration. He is a former public school teacher, football coach, and strong union supporter. As governor, he delivered for working families in MN. As VP, he will deliver for the working families of the US.”

Biden spoke with Harris and Walz today

President Joe Biden spoke by phone Tuesday morning with Kamala Harris ahead of her official announcement that she’d selected Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate. He then spoke with Walz to congratulate him on being selected, according to Emilie Simons, a White House spokesperson. 

Biden is in a unique position: he has served as both president and vice president, which would inform his insights and advice to both Harris and Walz.

When Biden was asked last week whether he had consulted with Harris about the choice, he said yes.

But asked what qualities she should look for in a selection, he demurred: “I’ll let her work that out.”

Secret Service will take over Walz’s security in Philadelphia

Gov. Tim Walz remains under his gubernatorial protection via Minnesota state police as he makes his way to Philadelphia for a joint rally with Vice President Kamala Harris.

When he touches down in Philadelphia hours from now, US Secret Service officially takes over his security, a source familiar with the process tells CNN. Walz will be taken through a full onboarding process, as is custom for all new Secret Service protectees. 

Walz will have a full Secret Service detail when he departs the rally this evening, the source said. His wife, Gwen Walz, will also now receive Secret Service protection.

Walz voted to hold Eric Holder, who led vetting process, in contempt of Congress as attorney general

As a member of Congress, Tim Walz was one of just 17 Democratic lawmakers  who voted to hold then-Obama Attorney General Eric Holder in contempt  over refusing to comply with a subpoena over the body’s investigation into the Fast and Furious scandal.

“To do its job, Congress must have access to all the information it needs to make independent, sound judgments on behalf of the American people,” Walz said in a statement at the time,  according to the Star Tribune . 

Walz’ vote may not have come as a surprise given the political landscape of his district— he successfully flipped his seat from Republicans when he was elected to Congress in 2006. When he left Congress to assume the governorship, the seat flipped back.

Holder, for his part, led the vetting process that Walz eventually emerged from as the party’s vice presidential nominee. 

A reminder on the fast and furious scandal: The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives – in cooperation with legal gun dealers – traced weapons of low-level buyers , who they believed were acquiring them illegally for Mexican drug cartels.

Nearly 2,000 firearms from the program went missing, some turning up at killing scenes in Mexico – and at the site of a December 2010 gun battle in Arizona that left US Border Patrol agent Brian A. Terry dead.

Manchin praises Walz as someone who can "bring balance to the Democratic Party"

Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia, a critical swing vote in the closely divided Senate, praised Vice President Kamala Harris’ running mate, Gov. Tim Walz, as the “real deal,” and someone who can “bring balance to the Democratic Party.”

The Trump campaign has released its first "reaction ad" to Walz's selection

The Trump campaign has released its first reaction video to Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris’ decision to pick Tim Walz as her running mate.

The video, which is being billed as the first “reaction ad” from the campaign, will be part of an upcoming ad buy.

A Trump campaign source did not provide details on where or when it would air. It has already been pushed by the campaign and Republicans on social media.

“Tim Walz will be a rubber stamp for Kamala’s dangerously liberal agenda,” a narrator says.

JD Vance will speak at midday event in Philadelphia, hours before Harris and Walz hold rally in the city

Republican vice presidential nominee JD Vance will speak at midday in Philadelphia during a campaign stop in the city.

Donald Trump’s running mate will deliver remarks just hours after Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris picked Tim Walz as her running mate, and hours before Harris and Walz will hold their first in-person rally in the city.

On Wednesday, both Vance and the Harris campaign will hold events in the Detroit area and Eau Claire, Wisconsin.

 CNN’s Arit John contributed reporting in this post.

Harris and Walz will address campaign and convention staff during meeting Tuesday

Vice President Kamala Harris and her newly announced running mate Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz will address campaign and 2024 Democratic National Convention staff during an all-hands meeting Tuesday that is expected to be held at 6:15 p.m. ET, a source familiar tells CNN.

The duo will hold their first joint appearance at a rally in Philadelphia on Tuesday night that will kick off their sprint across the electoral map.

Walz is heading to Philadelphia

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz is en route to an airport in Minnesota and will then head to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where he is set to campaign with Vice President Kamala Harris this evening, a source familiar with the matter says.

Walz's voting history reveals a fairly centrist record in Congress and progressive stint as governor

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, Kamala Harris’ vice presidential pick , has a long and storied political history, going from a centrist member of Congress to a progressive governor with a Democratic trifecta in his state.

Over more than a decade in Congress, he assembled a fairly centrist voting record. As a first-time campaigner, he opposed a ban on same-sex marriage and supported abortion rights.

Once in Congress, he balanced that out with comparatively more conservative positions on gun rights, which resulted in scoring a National Rifle Association endorsement. Walz has since fallen out of favor with the gun lobby over his support for gun safety actions as governor.

During his first term as governor, Walz had to grapple with divided government and slim majorities in the state Legislature.

But in 2022, the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party (as the state’s Democratic Party is known) won control of both the state House and Senate, giving Walz’s party a slim “trifecta” of government control.

That allowed Walz to sign into law a raft of expansive social welfare programs such as free lunch for public school students, expansive access to Medicaid, increased protections that allow workers to unionize and expanded medical and family paid family leave.

Minnesota Democrats were also able to codify abortion rights into law, increase transgender rights protections, pass a marijuana legalization bill and install new gun safety laws. Progressives hailed the work as an example of all that Democrats could achieve.

Walz is also a former teacher and Army National Guard veteran.

Walz and his wife went through IVF, Harris campaign says

As the Harris campaign seeks to introduce voters to Vice President Kamala Harris’ running mate, there’s one notable biographical item that is sure to be key in the coming 90-plus days: Gov. Tim Walz and his wife, Gwen, went through the in-vitro fertilization process to welcome their daughter, Hope.

The Biden-turned-Harris campaign has made the fight for reproductive rights a centerpiece of its messaging, with Harris personally leading that charge in contrast with Republicans.

Earlier this year, Alabama’s Supreme Court said that frozen embryos are children and those who destroy them can be held liable for wrongful death – a  decision that reproductive rights advocates warned could have a chilling effect on infertility treatments. While the state’s legislature took action aimed at protecting IVF in the wake of the ruling, Democrats have argued that this is only one example of how access to reproductive health care is under threat across the nation. 

Obamas herald Walz’s "values and integrity"

Frmer President Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama heralded Vice President Kamala Harris’ choice of Gov. Tim Walz as a running mate, highlighting his “values and integrity.”

They continued, “Governor Walz doesn’t just have the experience to be vice president, he has the values and the integrity to make us proud.”

CNN had reported that President Barack Obama was among the people Harris consulted with as she made her choice. 

“Tim’s signature is his ability to talk like a human being and treat everyone with decency and respect,” the Obamas said.

Harris campaign lays out early vision for Harris-Walz ticket

Kamala Harris’ campaign laid out an early vision for the Democratic ticket in the official news release unveiling Tim Walz as her vice presidential pick as the campaign enters a new stage.

The campaign touted both Harris’ and Walz’s record on several policy issues including women’s reproductive rights and the economy — and vowed that the pair will continue to draw a stark contrast between former President Donald Trump and his running mate Sen. JD Vance.

Harris and Walz “will to crisscross the country to outline the choice between two very different visions for the future: Vice President Harris and Governor Walz, who are running to move the country forward, not backward — or Donald Trump and JD Vance, who are running to enact their extreme and dangerous Project 2025 agenda that will roll back Americans’ rights and freedoms, hurt the middle class, and threaten our democracy.” 

Harris and Walz will make their first joint campaign appearance at a rally in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, later today. This event marks the first day of a five-day barnstorm to introduce the Harris-Walz ticket to voters in key battleground states.

Analysis: How Walz could help Harris shore up the "blue wall" on the way to the White House

Vice President Kamala Harris’  vice-presidential pick Tim Walz  is known for bonding with rural voters who other Democrats can’t reach.

That’s one big reason why the  Minnesota governor , who is largely unknown to most Americans, now finds himself on a major party ticket in the most intense sprint to an election in modern history following  President Joe Biden’s  late decision to abandon his reelection bid.

The selection of Walz reveals the geographic and demographic key to the 2024 election. If Harris is to win, her path will most likely run through Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, which Donald Trump captured in 2016 only to lose them to Biden in 2020. Presently, they are threatening to tilt back to the Republicans again this year.

History suggests that vice presidential nominees rarely deliver a state to their ticket-mates as voters tend to focus on potential presidents. But Walz, a friendly and jocular leader whose urbanity doesn’t conceal an acidic partisan tongue, provides a political complement to Harris.

The vice president will hope to perform strongly among minority voters in cities like Detroit, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia and Milwaukee and to run up Democratic numbers among suburban and women voters alienated by Trump. Walz may be able to help most by reaching out to rural Americans wavering over a vote for the ex-president but who are not yet convinced by the new Democratic nominee or may find her too liberal.

Keep reading about how Walz’s pick could shape up .

In pictures: Harris running mate Tim Walz

Vice President Kamala Harris  has selected Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate , capping the Midwestern Democrat’s short but swift ascent from a relative unknown to a leading driver of the Democratic attacks on Donald Trump and the MAGA agenda. 

Before Walz was elected governor in 2018, he served 12 years in Congress, representing a conservative-leaning rural district that, both before and after his tenure, has been mostly dominated by Republicans. Walz, 60, is also a former high school teacher and football coach who served in the Army National Guard. 

Harris and Walz  will appear together in Philadelphia  later on Tuesday for the new Democratic ticket’s first joint rally.

See more of Gov. Walz’s life in pictures

"White Dudes for Harris" said their account was targeted by X for the second time

“White Dudes for Harris” said its X account was labeled as spam just a week after it had been locked and then reinstated on the Elon Musk-owned platform.

Musk has  publicly endorsed Harris’ opponent, Donald Trump . A leader of the political organizing group for Kamala Harris   claims there is a double standard on Musk’s platform, despite the billionaire’s long-standing claim to be a “ free-speech absolutist .”

Some context: X first locked the “White Dudes for Harris” account during a massive fundraiser with 190,000 participants and more than $4 million raised on July 29, according to a post by the organizers. It was subsequently  reinstated  the following day.

“White Dudes for Harris” is one of several coalition groups that have popped up in support of Kamala Harris. The campaign said groups like Black Women for Harris, Latinas for Harris and White Dudes for Harris  raised more than $20 million .

CNN has reached out to X for comment, but the company rarely responds to press inquiries.

Harris campaign posts TikTok on Walz, underscoring how it plans to utilize his personal biography

The Harris campaign has made its first TikTok since Vice President Kamala Harris announced Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate, welcoming him to the race. 

The 21-second post features Walz drawing a contrast with his GOP counterpart, Ohio Sen. JD Vance, and playing up his rural roots. 

It features video of Walz in office, with farm animals, on a football field, and in a helicopter, underscoring how the campaign plans to utilize his personal biography.

Walz says it is "the honor of a lifetime" to join Harris on Democratic ticket

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, the newly-selected running mate to Vice President Kamala Harris, said in a post on X Tuesday that it is “the honor of a lifetime to join @kamalaharris in this campaign.”

Kelly throws support behind Walz and Harris, saying they are "building a campaign to unite our country"

Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly, a contender in Democratic nominee Kamala Harris’ vice presidential pool, expressed his support of Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz.

Giffords is Kelly’s wife and once served as a House member in Arizona.

Walz is the first person on a Democratic ticket not to attend law school since 1980

For more than 40 years, Democrats have nominated presidential and vice presidential nominees who attended law school.

That ended Tuesday when Vice President Kamala Harris selected Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate.

He is the first Democrat on a presidential ticket since 1980 to have not attended law school. He has a masters in educational leadership.

Former President Jimmy Carter was the last Democrat on the ticket to have not attended law school. Former Vice President Al Gore left Vanderbilt Law School early to pursue a political career, so he never became a lawyer.

Harris and Walz confirm selection on social media

Vice President Kamala Harris and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz confirmed their new status as running mates on social media.

His bio on X now says, “Running to win this thing with @KamalaHarris.”

On Instagram, Harris shared a message describing her decision to select Walz as her running mate.

“I am proud to announce that I’ve asked  @walzforgovernor  to be my running mate,” she wrote. “One of the things that stood out to me about Tim is how his convictions on fighting for middle class families run deep. It’s personal.”

New Harris-Walz merchandise marks dramatic style shift from Biden campaign

New merchandise launched by the Harris-Walz campaign marks a dramatic break in the style of the Biden-turned-Harris campaign. 

Biden campaign signage was in the sans-serif typeface “Decimal” and serifed “Mercury Text,” both  designed by Hoefler&Co  in consultation with Biden campaign senior creative adviser Robyn Kanner. 

When the Biden signage rolled into Harris branding 16 days ago, there was a notable continuity in style in the updated signage. 

The new typeface and color scheme unveiled Tuesday represents a notable change as Vice President Kamala Harris moves forward with her new running mate, and harkens back to her 2020 “KAMALA HARRIS FOR THE PEOPLE” sans-serif logo.

Hillary Clinton says she's "thrilled" about Walz joining ticket

Former Secretary of State and 2016 Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton praised Vice President Kamala Harris’ decision to pick Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate, writing on social media that she’s “thrilled” to see him join the ticket.

Buttigieg "excited" for what Walz brings to ticket

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, who was a contender to be Kamala Harris’ running mate, praised the vice president’s choice of Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz on Tuesday.

Buttigieg also served in the military and has spent time campaigning for Harris in the Midwest, including in Michigan where he now resides with his family.

He is in Maine on Tuesday, promoting the Biden-Harris infrastructure agenda.

Most Americans are unfamiliar with Walz, poll released Tuesday shows 

Most Americans are unfamiliar with Tim Walz, an  NPR/PBS/Marist poll  released Tuesday finds.

A 71% majority of US adults have never heard of Walz or are unsure how to rate him – making him even less of a known quantity than fellow running mate finalists Mark Kelly or Josh Shapiro. The poll, conducted August 1-4, finds that 17% of US adults view Walz favorably, with 12% viewing him unfavorably.

The NPR/PBS/Marist poll gives Walz a 31% favorability rating among Democrats, with just 7% in the party rating him unfavorably.

Republican VP pick JD Vance, meanwhile, has seen his ratings fall underwater, with 34% viewing him favorably and 43% unfavorably. In July, the public was closely split — 28% viewed him favorably and 31% unfavorably.

Gov. Shapiro will still be at the Harris rally in his state tonight, spokesperson says

A spokesperson for Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro confirms to CNN that Shapiro will still attend Vice President Kamala Harris’ rally in Philadelphia tonight.

He was one of the finalists to be Harris’ running mate.

Harris campaign rolls out new Harris-Walz merch and website

Shortly after Vice President Kamala Harris chose Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate, the Harris campaign updated its website to reflect the newly formed ticket.

Several Harris-Walz merch items were also posted for sale including mugs, t-shirts, stickers and yard signs. 

How the Trump campaign plans to define Walz

The Trump campaign has spent the last several days compiling opposition research on Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, in addition to other leading contenders to be Vice President Kamala Harris’ running mate, and plans to attack Walz as someone who is more liberal than both Harris and President Joe Biden — with a key focus on his record as governor for the last four years, senior Trump campaign advisers and people close to former President Donald Trump tell CNN.

Trump’s advisers said that while they will pull on details ranging from both his years in Congress as well as governor, their goal is to paint him as someone who has been in lockstep with progressives over the last four years and a key champion of the Biden administration’s policies.

Key focal points in their expected attacks include arguing Walz has taken an extremely liberal stance on the border, painting him as anti-gun and anti-cop, tying him to Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar, linking him to the Biden administration’s economic policies, and questioning his record on foreign policy.

The campaign also plans to lean heavily into Harris’ decision against selecting Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro as her vice presidential pick – even as Trump’s advisers and many people close to the former president privately acknowledge they were more concerned about Shapiro being on the ticket given the importance of winning Pennsylvania, the sources said.

Trump’s team plans to argue that Harris listened to far-left voices who were concerned about how Shapiro would handle the war between Israel and Hamas.

In message to supporters, Harris says Walz will bring "principled leadership" to Democratic campaign

In a text message to supporters, Vice President Kamala Harris said she was “pleased to share” that she had selected Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz to join the Democratic campaign as her running mate.

Harris also used the message to ask supporters to support the campaign.

“Now, would you pitch in $20 to welcome Tim to our ticket? We are relying on your immediate support to defeat Donald Trump and JD Vance,” she said.

“It means the world to me, to Tim, and to our families to have you in our corner,” the Democratic presidential candidate added.

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, a running mate finalist, hails Walz as a "strong addition to the ticket"

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, a finalist to be Vice President Kamala Harris’ running mate, hailed her ultimate decision to tap Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz on Tuesday.

“Lori and I consider Tim and Gwen to be good friends of ours and we are excited for them and for the country to get to know the great people we know them to be,” Shapiro said in a statement on X .

Read his full statement below:

Harris told Walz they are underdogs in phone call, source says

Vice President Kamala Harris told Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz that they are the underdogs in the 2024 presidential race – but that they are confident that together they have a winning message on reducing costs for the middle class and protecting freedom.

These are the factors that compelled Harris to choose Walz, according to a source

Vice President Kamala Harris’ selection of Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz leaned heavily on his experience and personal biography and their chemistry, a source close to the process said.

And she found his biography compelling: a background as a high school teacher and football coach, his service in the Army National Guard, and his roots in rural America, viewing his story as one that will appeal to voters in crucial midwestern battleground states. 

As Harris deliberated, one of her most crucial decision factors was her strong personal rapport with Walz, believing he will be a trustworthy partner in campaigning, and possibly, in governing.

Walz pick celebrated by broad coalition of Democrats on Capitol Hill

On Capitol Hill, there is widespread excitement for Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz ’ selection as Vice President Kamala Harris’s running mate.

In conversations with several aides across the ideological spectrum, Walz is seen as a champion of progressive policies who delivers and packages his message in a way where he still appeals to many voters in the middle of the country.

When asked about Walz, Democratic Rep. Delia Ramirez of Illinois, a progressive member, sent a GIF of a dancing penguin, a sign she said he was happy with the news.

When he was in Congress, Walz represented Minnesota’s first congressional district. He consistently won races in a tough district even in 2016 when Donald Trump won the district by 15 points.

His old district is now represented by Republican Rep. Brad Finstad.

Walz spent a lot of time in Congress focused on mental healthcare access for veterans and served as the top Democrat on the Veteran’s Affairs committee in the 115th Congress. At the time he was elected to Congress, he was the highest-ranking enlisted soldier ever to serve.

Activists and organizers in battleground Georgia applaud Walz selection

Activists and organizers in the key battleground state of Georgia are applauding Vice President Kamala Harris’ selection of Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate.

Luis Zaldivar organizes immigrant communities in the Peach State and says Walz is a unifying choice. 

Georgia-based activist Hillary Holley, the Executive Director of the national organization Care in Action, describes Walz as a “care champion” with legislative victories to back it up.

Harris has personally informed Walz he is her VP pick, source says

Vice President Kamala Harris has now personally informed Minnesota Governor Tim Walz she has selected him as her running mate, a source familiar with the matter said.

Harris informed Walz via a video call.

They are expected to appear together in their first joint rally later today in Philadelphia.

Polling conducted by Harris campaign did not show significant national movement with any VP finalist

As Vice President Kamala Harris entered the final stretch of deliberating over her vice presidential running pick, the Harris campaign was armed with research, vetting materials and polling on the finalists – data that would all help to inform the vice president’s political decision of a lifetime. 

None of the three finalists – Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly – were shown in the polling data as moving the Harris-Trump national match up beyond the margins, two sources familiar said. The same was the case in a range of the most critical battleground states. 

Both Shapiro and Kelly were shown to improve the Democratic ticket’s chances against Donald Trump in Pennsylvania and Arizona, respectively, but those improvements were only on the margins, the source added.

"What a joyous day!": Walz’s neighbors in St. Paul excited about Harris' VP choice 

As word spread that Vice President Kamala Harris had chosen Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate, Walz’s neighbors in St. Paul have gathered outside his home to witness a piece of political history in their own backyard. 

Dog walker, joggers and nearby residents were heard sharing in their excitement over the news and praising Harris’ choice. 

A few cars driving by the house have honked their horns in celebration. 

Sue Ver Steeg, a Minneapolis resident who came to the governor’s house, told CNN she’s excited and relieved about the pick. 

Nick Arnosti is a St. Paul resident who found about the news when he rode his bike by Walz’s house on his way to work and saw the crowd gathered. He said he’s excited about the ticket and feels lucky to be able to witness the moment. 

“Yeah, it’s pretty crazy. You know, I wasn’t necessarily expecting it,” he said. “It’s a pretty cool experience.” 

Trump campaign calls Walz a "West Coast wannabe" in statement

Donald Trump’s campaign press secretary Karoline Leavitt slammed Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz in a statement Tuesday, calling him a “West Coast wannabe” who has spent “his governorship trying to reshape Minnesota in the image of the Golden State.”

“While Walz pretends to support Americans in the Heartland, when the cameras are off, he believes that rural America is ‘mostly cows and rocks’. From proposing his own carbon-free agenda, to suggesting stricter emission standards for gas-powered cars, and embracing policies to allow convicted felons to vote, Walz is obsessed with spreading California’s dangerously liberal agenda far and wide. If Walz won’t tell voters the truth, we will: just like Kamala Harris, Tim Walz is a dangerously liberal extremist, and the Harris-Walz California dream is every American’s nightmare,” she added.

Trump campaign fundraising off Harris' selection of Walz

The Trump campaign on Tuesday sent its first fundraising blast attacking Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz shortly after CNN and other outlets began reporting that Vice President Kamala Harris had selected him as her running mate. 

The text included a link to the Trump campaign’s fundraising page, which claimed Walz “would be the worst VP in history” and labeled him as being more “dangerously liberal” than Harris.

Walz oversaw cutting-edge clean energy and electric grid transformation in Minnesota

Vice President Kamala Harris’ VP pick Tim Walz oversaw cutting-edge clean energy policy as governor of Minnesota.

As part of a Democratic trifecta in the state house, senate and governor’s office, Walz signed a law last year that aims to make 100% of Minnesota’s electricity clean by 2040. The law narrowly passed the Minnesota state senate and was signed by Walz in February 2023.

The law compels utilities that provide electricity in Minnesota to switch from polluting sources of electricity like coal and natural gas to clean sources, including wind, solar, battery storage, hydropower and clean hydrogen.

Under the law, utilities need to switch to generating 100% carbon-free electricity by 2040 and get 80% of the way there by 2030. Minnesota’s largest utilities have voiced support for having to move quickly to zero-carbon energy but have also acknowledged the switch will be challenging.

And earlier this summer, Walz signed a separate bill to speed up energy permitting projects in Minnesota and get more clean energy onto the grid. Passing a similar bill at the federal level has been elusive in Congress.

Walz "talks and looks like a lot of the voters we’ve lost to Trump," a Democratic operative says

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz emerged from the most accelerated vice presidential search in modern history as Vice President Kamala Harris’ preferred governing partner, with Harris impressed “by his authenticity,” a person close to the process told CNN. 

While the two did not enjoy much of a previous relationship, aides said Harris grew increasingly enthused by how Walz genuinely carried himself and found a warm chemistry with him during a final meeting Sunday at her residence at the Naval Observatory. 

In a remarkable two-week period, Walz ascended from a third-tier candidate to a final contender in the view of Harris and her vetting team. He was propelled by support from across the Democratic Party, progressive and moderate groups, in a sophisticated whirlwind campaign.

Harris' "chemistry" with Walz was important to VP decision, source says

Vice President Kamala Harris’ “chemistry” with her newly-selected running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, was “really important and it really clicked for both of them,” a source close to Walz told CNN.

Harris will make calls to final contenders

Vice President Kamala Harris will be making calls to the final vice presidential contenders this morning after selecting Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate, people familiar with the matter said.

She’ll inform those who she didn’t pick to be her running mate and thank them for participating in the process, the person said.

Over the weekend, Harris met with Walz, Gov. Josh Shapiro and Sen. Mark Kelly for interviews.

The meeting with Walz had “great chemistry,” the person said, and the two got along well. 

Some Trump allies relieved Harris did not choose Shapiro

Many of former President Donald Trump’s allies had feared that Vice President Kamala Harris would ultimately choose popular Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro as her running mate, potentially giving her an advantage in the critical battleground state.

While Trump has repeatedly said that vice presidential candidates don’t matter, he and his running mate, JD Vance, had zeroed in on Shapiro in their recent attacks, an indication of the threat that Shapiro could pose to the campaign.

Key things to know about Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, Harris' pick for vice president

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz has been selected as Kamala Harris’ running mate, according to multiple sources.

Walz spent more than two decades in the Army National Guard, which included a deployment overseas after the 9/11 attacks, working as an educator and coach, before shockingly defeating a six-term Republican incumbent congressman in 2006, a wave year for Democrats.

Walz remained when the tide rolled out, reelected to the typically red district repeatedly until he left to run for his current job in 2018. (The seat quickly returned to GOP control after his departure.)

Walz’s six years in charge of Minnesota have seen a remarkable series of political and social upheaval. First came the Covid-19 pandemic and then, in its midst, the murder of George Floyd by a White police officer, which set off global anti-racist demonstrations. Walz navigated it all – alongside more usual complaints over wasteful spending – well enough that, by the beginning of 2023, he was leading a Democratic trifecta in the state government.

In the time leading up to his selection as Harris’ running mate, Walz had first been an outspoken defender of Joe Biden following his disastrous debate performance as calls for the president to end his reelection bid escalated. When Biden did drop out, Walz endorsed Harris the next day and has since emerged as a reliable, energetic and cutting advocate for the presumptive Democratic nominee.

Picking Walz underscores the Harris campaign’s focus on a path to victory that puts a premium on the “blue wall” states of the Midwest. Minnesota is slightly outside that sphere, but Walz, once a high school football coach, has evolved during his time in office into something of a progressive populist folk hero – the exact kind of pugilistic voice that Democrats taking on Trump are keen to highlight.

He has over the past week delivered a handful of memorable haymakers against Republicans, though his most notable contribution has been a determination to label the GOP, especially its presidential ticket of Trump and Ohio Sen. JD Vance. Walz has referred to the duo as “weird dudes,” before lighting into their political agenda.

Read more about Walz’s career and pick as Harris’ VP.

Analysis: Selection of Tim Walz shows the power of social media

Vice President Kamala Harris’ selection of Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate illustrates the power of social media. Walz had not been in  the top tier  of basically anyone’s list until the past few weeks. 

He became an online sensation thanks to his “happy go lucky” Midwestern manner and his recent attacks on Republicans as “weird,” which  seem to have stuck . 

It’s not clear, however, that Walz will be of any help to Harris in the key battleground states. Recent polling suggests that Minnesota is not expected to be all that competitive. 

Additionally, Walz has not shown much of an ability to  win over swing voters  when running statewide. While other potential Harris running mates (Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly and Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro) greatly outperformed Biden’s 2020 baseline in their most recent elections, Walz did less than a point better than Biden when he won a second term in 2022.

Still, Walz is unlikely to hurt the ticket. He did better than most Minnesota Democrats two years ago, which is very different from Ohio Sen. JD Vance – Donald Trump’s running mate. Vance was the worst-performing statewide Republican winner in  the 2022 midterm elections .

Key things to know about Gwen Walz, the wife of Harris’ new running mate

Before he got his start in politics, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, reportedly chosen on Tuesday to be Vice President Kamala Harris’ running mate, was a longtime educator – just like his wife.

Gwen Walz has taught in public, alternative and migrant schools, as well as prisons. She also served as an administrator and coordinator at Mankato Area Public Schools, a school district in the congressional district her husband represented from 2007 to 2019.

Her  first public event  as Minnesota first lady was a rally in support of voting rights restoration for felons. She has also toured state prisons and helped recruit an assistant commissioner working to install a new college curriculum behind prison walls, among other things,  according to a report  from Minnesota Public Radio.

Read more about her here .

Trump team begins attacking Walz after VP announcement

Former President Donald Trump’s team has begun attacking Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz moments after CNN reported that Vice President Kamala Harris had chosen Walz as her running mate.

Campaign sources told CNN that they believe Walz’s selection will help with their argument that Harris is a radical liberal. Walz had emerged as a liberal favorite in the mix.

“Don’t ever shy away from our progressive values. One person’s socialism is another person’s neighborliness,” Walz said recently during remarks to the White Dudes for Harris Zoom fundraiser.

On social media , the campaign and super PAC, MAGA Inc, immediately started pushing some of the research it had been gathering on Walz while it prepared for Harris’ ultimate decision, calling him an “incompetent liberal.”

Walz was a "staff favorite," source at Harris' campaign HQ says

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, who CNN has reported is Vice President Kamala Harris’ running mate pick, was a “staff favorite,” one source at Harris’ Wilmington, Delaware campaign headquarters said. 

Staffers have been excitedly standing by for the vice presidential announcement, sources say, including the small circle of staffers preparing for the Walz rollout.

There was little sleep last night, the staffer said, as the team awaited the news – capping a whirlwind 16-day period since President Joe Biden’s team became Harris’ campaign. 

Why Gov. Tim Walz may have emerged as Harris' VP pick, according to CNN's John King

As Vice President Kamala Harris decided to pick Tim Walz as her running mate, according to sources, CNN’s John King explains why the Minnesota governor may have emerged as the right choice for the Democratic ticket.

The reason for the pick includes factors such as “comfort level” and that Harris believes Walz would be a “good governing partner,” King said.

As her Republican rival Donald Trump labels her as “dangerously liberal,” Walz will be able to defend that, King said.

“We’re in such uncharted territory with a campaign this late, with Donald Trump’s vice presidential pick having a more of a rocky rollout. And so if you’ve watched, Gov. Walz has impressed everybody,” King said.

As the vice presidential candidate, Walz can go to a smaller market TV while Harris focuses on national picture, King explained.

Here's the one thing that impressed Harris about Walz

As she was going through the vetting process, Vice President Kamala Harris was impressed, in part, by Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz’s “happy go lucky” warrior and joyful presence.

Harris grew increasingly comfortable with Walz in final days of selection process

Vice President Kamala Harris grew increasingly comfortable with Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz in the final days of the selection process, people familiar with the search said, elevating the plainspoken former congressman, teacher and commander in the Army National Guard to join the Democratic ticket and help lead the party’s fight to defeat Donald Trump.

Harris will make her call with Walz, which will be turned into an official announcement to be sent to supporters today. 

A small team from the Harris campaign was standing by near the Minnesota governor’s mansion to greet him and fly with him to Philadelphia, where he is set to appear tonight with Harris at their first joint rally of the campaign.

Harris decides on Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as running mate, multiple sources say

Vice President Kamala Harris has made a decision for her running mate, with four people close to the process saying Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota is her choice. 

A former educator, Walz is currently in his second term as Minnesota governor and chairs the Democratic Governors Association. He previously served 12 years in Congress, representing a conservative-leaning rural district that, both before and after his tenure, has been mostly dominated by Republicans. 

He has over the past week delivered a handful of memorable haymakers against Republicans, though his most notable contribution has been a determination to label the GOP, especially its presidential ticket of former President Donald Trump and Ohio Sen. JD Vance. Walz has referred to the duo as “weird dudes,” before lighting into their political agenda.  

The phrase has stuck, becoming a central meme in the new, post-Biden version of the campaign, a development that is delighting Democrats and apparently frustrating many on the right.   

During recent remarks at a “White Dudes for Harris” fundraiser, Walz made a rough-and-ready case for the vice president before would-be small-dollar donors. 

Trump advisers carefully watching Harris VP decision today

Former President Donald Trump’s campaign is closely monitoring Vice President Kamala Harris’ running mate decision, two sources close to Trump told CNN.

While advisers maintain that they don’t believe the pick will be that impactful in the race long term, they have been collecting opposition research on the top contenders, including Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz. 

Some Trump allies have expressed concern about Shapiro’s potential to deliver Pennsylvania to Democrats in November, however, a Trump adviser brushed off that notion, saying that Shapiro had yet to be fully vetted on a national stage. 

As Trump has tried out new attack lines on Harris, including questioning her ethnicity, the campaign intends to continue to paint her as a radical Democrat, linking her to President Joe Biden’s policies, particularly on crime, immigration, and inflation.

Secret Service standing by for Harris VP pick

The Secret Service is standing by to quickly launch protection for Vice President Kamala Harris’ expected running mate on Tuesday. 

The Democratic nominee for vice president is expected to receive a full Secret Service protective detail, USSS spokesperson Anthony Guglielmi told CNN. 

Secret Service is staffed with special agents and resources at field offices near where each final contender lives, Guglielmi said, and the permanent CNOS team “will be activated once the person is announced.”

The new protectee is receiving Secret Service protection at a moment of heightened scrutiny for the agency just weeks after an assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump – and days after the agency’s director Kimberly Cheatle resigned in the fallout. 

Harris has kept her circle very tight as she weighs VP decision

As she has been weighing one of the most consequential decisions of her political career, Vice President Kamala Harris has been relying on a tight circle of aides and confidantes for advice and perspective, people familiar with the deliberations said.

She has faced an onslaught of views, both in public and private, amid the interviews she conducted at the Naval Observatory over the weekend.

But amid the storm, she has sought to limit the circle of actual decision-making to her closest advisers.

Others who have offered their advice over the course of the process include former attorney general Eric Holder, who captained the vetting process through his law firm.

Second gentleman Doug Emhoff, who leaves for Paris this week to attend the Olympics closing ceremony, has also acted as a central sounding board. 

Former President Barack Obama has consulted with Harris at points since she emerged as the Democratic standard-bearer, though he has not advocated for a particular name as a running mate, a person familiar with the matter said.

When President Joe Biden was asked last week whether he had consulted with Harris about the choice, he said yes.

But asked what qualities she should look for in a selection, he demurred: “I’ll let her work that out,” he said.

Harris’ Raleigh rally postponed due to Tropical Storm Debby

Vice President Kamala Harris’ trip with her soon-to-be-announced running mate to Raleigh, North Carolina, on Thursday has been postponed due to Tropical Storm Debby, a campaign official said. 

This marks the second Harris trip impacted by the tropical storm this week. The vice president is also postponing a Friday stop in Savannah, Georgia. 

Campaign officials have yet to detail when the events will be rescheduled.

Analysis: Harris will name running mate as global turmoil rocks an already surreal campaign

The stunning transformation of the 2024 presidential race will reach new heights Tuesday when  Vice President Kamala Harris  unveils  her running mate  after a sequence of events that left Republican nominee  Donald Trump  flailing.

Harris is due to join her vice presidential pick at a rally in Philadelphia that will kick off a joint sprint across an electoral map expanded by  President Joe Biden’s  shelving of his own reelection bid just over two weeks ago.

In the final hours of her search after a compressed vetting period, Harris narrowed in on two candidates — Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, 51, and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, 60, sources told CNN, although Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly remained in the running as of Monday afternoon. Shapiro is a rising Democratic star whose popularity in the commonwealth could be an asset to Harris in perhaps the most vital swing state. Walz is an experienced progressive leader whose profile could help shore up the midwestern blue wall states, including Wisconsin and Michigan, that may represent Harris’ best route to the Oval Office.

The theatrics will offer the vice president a fresh chance to supercharge her candidacy’s momentum, which has energized a party that had looked headed for defeat in November and tightened the contest into a 50-50 struggle in a polarized country. Her relative youth, at 59, has inverted the generational contrast with Trump, 78, now that the issue of Biden’s age and acuity in a potential second term is moot.

While the naming of the Democratic vice presidential pick is the focus of the campaign, new developments Monday — outside a race that has been on a momentous trajectory since Trump escaped an assassination attempt and Biden pulled out — hinted at potential new twists to come before November.

Harris’ final deliberations took place against a backdrop of fast-developing domestic and global events that reflected the complex political environment she must navigate if the novelty of her sudden elevation wears off.

Read Collinson’s full analysis on Harris as she is set to announce her VP pick.

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz has no events on public schedule as Harris is set to announce VP pick

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz has no public events on his schedule today, according to a copy of his schedule obtained from CNN affiliate WCCO.

Walz and Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro are the two candidates left in Vice President Kamala Harris’ search for her running mate, according to previous  reporting .

Harris is expected to announce her decision today and will later hold a rally with her new running mate in Philadelphia.

Harris expected to fundraise in California on Sunday

Vice President Kamala Harris is expected to attend a fundraiser in California on Sunday, a source familiar with the event said.

The event is expected to take place in the San Francisco area, the source said, and will come on the heels of a battleground state swing with her new running mate this week.

Harris will be in San Francisco following a campaign event in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Saturday.

Harris needed to sleep on VP decision

Vice President Kamala Harris went to bed last night not yet having made a decision on her vice presidential running mate, and chose to sleep on the most consequential decision of her political career for one more night, a source familiar tells CNN. 

That means that the vice president will only be informing her chosen running mate – as well as the advisers around her – sometime this morning of her choice. 

Still, preparations for that eventual announcement — including prep work for this evening’s Philadelphia rally where Harris and her running mate will appear together for the first time – have had to go on even as the campaign has been in waiting mode. 

To that end, the campaign has multiple versions of signs printed featuring Harris’ name alongside the names of several of the finalists, the source said.

Harris brings new energy to Arizona Democrats, but faces challenges mending cracks in Biden’s 2020 coalition

Casa Grande, Arizona — It is 101 degrees, the desert sun in full force. Yet Pablo Correa and Jacob Dials are smiling as they go door to door, foot soldiers in a progressive army that suddenly has a bouncy spring in its step.

Correa said canvassers who were loyal to  President Joe Biden  are now excited by  Vice President Kamala Harris , seeing her as a candidate with more vigor, more diversity and, critically, more support.

However, not all voters feel that Harris represents any real change on the issues plaguing many Democrats.

Read more here about things are shaping up in Arizona.

Key things to know about Harris' top possible candidates for running mate

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly are reportedly among the top contenders to be Vice President Kamala Harris’ running mate.

She’s expected to make her decision ahead of a campaign rally in Philadelphia on Tuesday.

Here are key things to know about each of the possible candidates :

Josh Shapiro: Shapiro, who was previously the state’s attorney general, was elected in a landslide victory in 2022, defeating a 2020 election-denying far-right state senator to become the third Jewish governor elected in the crucial swing state. During a stop in Philadelphia last month, Harris called Shapiro a “great partner to the president and me.” The assassination attempt against former President Donald Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania, placed the governor in the spotlight. His response to the death of Corey Comperatore, the Trump supporter who was killed while shielding his wife and daughter, has especially been lauded.

Tim Walz: Walz spent more than two decades in the Army National Guard, which included a deployment overseas after the 9/11 attacks, working as an educator and coach, before shockingly defeating a six-term Republican incumbent congressman in 2006, a wave year for Democrats. Walz remained when the tide rolled out, reelected to the typically red district repeatedly  until he left to run for his current job in 2018 . (The seat quickly returned to GOP control after his departure.) Walz’s six years in charge of Minnesota have seen a remarkable series of political and social upheaval. First came the Covid-19 pandemic and then, in its midst, the murder of George Floyd by a White police officer, which set off global anti-racist demonstrations. Walz navigated it all – alongside more usual complaints over wasteful spending – well enough that, by the beginning of 2023, he was leading a Democratic trifecta in the state government.

Mark Kelly: Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly represents a state that Biden won by only 10,457 votes in 2020 and has  national name recognition  both as a former astronaut and the husband of former Rep. Gabby Giffords. He has been a reliable supporter of Democratic Party priorities while in office but has occasionally bucked his party, such as in 2023, when he  flatly called  the influx of undocumented migrants across the US southern border a “crisis.” If Kelly was elected to higher office, his seat  would remain  in Democratic hands as Gov. Katie Hobbs would be able to appoint his successor.

Vance will make a campaign stop in Philadelphia today, hours before Harris and running mate hold rally

Kamala Harris and  her running mate  will have company on the campaign trail this week as they tour key battleground states: Republican vice presidential nominee JD Vance.

The Ohio senator mate is bracketing the launch of the Democratic ticket with a series of events in the same cities and states as his opponents. 

Vance will make a campaign stop in Philadelphia on Tuesday afternoon, hours before Harris and her running mate hold their first in-person rally in the city that evening. On Wednesday, both Vance and the Harris campaign will hold events in the Detroit area and Eau Claire, Wisconsin. And on Thursday, Vance will appear in North Carolina, making stops in Raleigh – where the Democratic ticket is also campaigning – as well as in Oakboro, located east of Charlotte.

Vance’s tour comes as he  seeks to reintroduce himself  to the American public after his initial rollout as Donald Trump’s running mate was bogged down by his past comments disparaging women and elected officials who don’t have children. It also offers him a chance to divert attention away from Harris, who is embarking on a new phase of her two-week-old campaign and seeking to maintain momentum. 

The campaign stops headlined by Vance, however, won’t include Trump or match the scale of the events held by Harris and her running mate. The vice president’s campaign said this week her battleground tour would include a mix of intimate gatherings at family-owned restaurants and union halls, but also large rallies in arenas and college campuses.

Kamala Harris wins Democratic nomination for president

Vice President Kamala Harris has won the Democratic presidential nomination, the party announced Monday, making her the first Black woman and first Asian American to lead a major-party ticket.

The announcement came after the period for delegates to cast their digital ballots closed at 6 p.m. ET. 

Harris won 99% of the vote, according to the Democratic National Committee.

It’s been clear since shortly after President Joe Biden  ended his reelection campaign  and endorsed Harris that the vice president would be the only serious candidate for the nomination. She was the only candidate who had gathered enough delegate signatures to appear on the ballot, and the party had already declared on Friday that she had won enough votes to secure the nomination. 

Next, the results will be certified by the secretary of the convention, and Harris will officially accept the nomination. 

Harris can also now choose her running mate without the need for a separate vote. She is expected to reveal her choice today ahead of a planned campaign rally in Philadelphia.

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