The Nazi Euthanasia Program
The Nazi Euthanasia Program
- Hitler created the "Euthanasia program" in 1939.
- The groups mission was secret.
- Hitler targeted children first.
- Parents were encouraged to send their mentally disabled children to "special hospitals."
- Soon the program included children up to 17 years old.
- Children were killed by starvation and lethal injections.
- The Euthanasia program has left a lasting impression on many German families
- Beginning January 1940, Hitler extended the program for adults.
- Adults were killed in gas chambers.
- After the war was over, 23 doctors were put on trial in Nuremberg.
- 16 were pronounced guilty and 7 were sentenced to death.
- According to Nazi records, the "euthanasia" effort claimed the lives of 70,273 mentally ill people.
- But, it is estimated that about 300,000 people were murdered by the program.
- The "Euthanasia program" was the first program of mass murder by the Nazis.
- Even parents of the mentally ill felt shame and embarrassment.
- Hitler and the Nazis created propaganda which showed mentally disabled people as a burden upon society.
- German citizens started to believe this.
- When people started to find out about what was really going on, Hitler ordered a halt to the program.
- However, the program continued until the end of the war.