Students will study telegrams, radio intercepts and reports received by the Foreign Office between 1938 and 1944. They will learn about how the events in Nazi occupied territories unfolded and the subsequent reactions of the British government. Working alongside a timeline, students will examine the extent to which Britain was aware of the events of the Holocaust.
The session begins with a look at the events happening in Nazi-occupied Europe leading up to the outbreak of theWorld War. A study of reports on Kristallnacht sent from British embassies in Berlin and Vienna and the subsequent programme of the Kindertransports will be followed by an examination of reactions by the Foreign Office to the Riegner telegram - information sent to Britain about the Nazi plan to settle the "Jewish question".
Throughout the session students will be encouraged to think about the position British officials were in at various stages during the war. In response to the sources, there will be opportunities to discuss whether some of the atrocities which took place could have been avoided by the intervention of the Allies.
This session is suitable for Year 9 upwards, and requires students to have some prior knowledge of the Holocaust.
Session options
This session can be delivered as a
Workshop
Videoconference
