Final answer:
The causes of World War II revolved around the Treaty of Versailles and the rise of the Nazi Party. Hitler's policies towards Jews introduced a series of oppressive laws culminating in the Holocaust.
The international and American response to the Holocaust was tepid due to restrictive immigration policies and prevailing attitudes of the time.
Step-by-step explanation:
Causes of World War II
The causes of World War II can be traced back to the aftermath of World War I and the punitive measures placed upon Germany by the Treaty of Versailles.
The economic hardship and the rise of Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party's aggressive expansionist policies played critical roles in setting the stage for World War II. Hitler's non-compliance with the treaty, alongside the policy of appeasement by the Western powers, allowed Germany to rearm and pursue territorial expansion. As the Nazi regime annexed surrounding territories, tensions mounted leading to the outbreak of war.
Hitler's Policies Toward Jews Before World War II
From 1933 to 1936, over 1400 anti-Jewish laws were passed in Germany, significantly impacting the economic, social, political, and religious spheres of Jewish life.
This legal discrimination set the stage for the subsequent atrocities of the Holocaust. Three events that drastically altered the Jewish experience included the 1935 Nuremberg Laws, which stripped Jews of their citizenship; the 1938 state-sponsored pogrom known as Kristallnacht; and the gradual exclusion of Jews from public life.
International Response to the Holocaust
During World War II, American response to the Holocaust was minimal as U.S. immigration policies were restrictive, influenced by the Great Depression and prevalent anti-Semitic sentiments.
It was not until the Allies liberated the concentration and extermination camps that the full magnitude of the genocide became undeniable. This inaction is a subject of regret and remains a significant topic of historical inquiry.