1940s: Many Jews are deported from Germany to camps in the east, many to the camp called Auschwitz in Poland. In January of 1945, the death camp at Auschwitz is liberated by the Russian army. The Russians are so horrified by what they see at the camp that they shoot many of the German guards on the spot. The actual number of those murdered at Auschwitz is unknown and is estimated to be between one and two million people.

Today: After World War II, Auschwitz is destroyed. In its place, a memorial and museum are constructed. In recent years, an attempt to build a Christian religious sanctuary there results in protests from Jews who feel that only the memorial belongs on the land; eventually the project for the sanctuary is abandoned.

1940s: In April 1945, the allied forces circle Berlin, beginning a siege that lasts less...