Final answer:
The Holocaust was deeply rooted in long-standing anti-Semitic prejudices which, under Nazi rule, evolved into a systematic campaign of genocide. The Nazis used propaganda, particularly by Joseph Goebbels, to dehumanize Jews and prepare the population for the eventual mass murders, showing the direct relationship between prejudice and oppression.
Step-by-step explanation:
The relationship between prejudice against Jewish people and their oppression during the Holocaust is intricately connected. Historical anti-Semitism laid the groundwork for the Holocaust, as entrenched prejudices against Jews in Europe evolved into lethal policy under the Nazis. Joseph Goebbels, the master of Nazi propaganda, played a crucial role in dehumanizing Jews and depicting them as a societal threat, which was a key factor in facilitating the widespread acceptance of the genocide.
Throughout European history, Jews faced anti-Semitism in various forms, which paved the way for the systematic genocide during the Holocaust. Beyond mere discrimination, the Nazis' propaganda machine cruelly portrayed Jews as sub-human and depicted them as vermin, as part of a calculated effort to desensitize the population to their subsequent mass murder.
As the Nazis expanded their control over Europe, these racist ideologies translated into the brutal and systematic elimination of Jews. Ghettos, forced labor, medical experimentation, death camps, and mass shootings - all were elements of the persecution that stemmed from deeply rooted anti-Semitic beliefs, eventually culminating in the atrocities of the Holocaust, including the extermination of six million Jews in Europe.