Many religious conflicts are based on intolerance; however, only a few of them will forever leave a mark on world history. If some of them can leave a mark on the world's past, others – like the homicide of the Semites – can leave a scar. The Holocaust, closely linked to World War II, was a devastating and systematic persecution of millions of Jews by the Nazi regime and its allies. Hitler, an anti-Semitic leader of the Nazis, believed that the Jewish race made the Aryan race impure. The Nazis did everything in their power to wipe out the followers of Judaism, while the Jews attempted to rebel, revolting against the government and uniting as one. Furthermore, the genocide included many social science factors that caused opposition between the Jews and the Nazis. The German economy and the Nuremberg Laws spurred the Holocaust; nevertheless, the majority of the Nazis' and Hitler's actions towards the Jews were due to the ethnicity of the victims. The German economy complicated the Nazis' financial situation due to events before the Holocaust. Due to the poor state of the economy, the funds collected flowed back to the Jews, causing more disagreement. The Treaty of Versailles from World War I said: “…Germany undertakes to compensate for all damage caused to the civilian population…and to its property…” which resulted in Germany falling into debt (Duffy). To compensate, the government resorted to citizens' money, but the Jews had to pay special taxes. This produced injustice among citizens and protesters, but the government executed or punished those who protested. Before the Holocaust, the German economy was in ruins due to World War I, and Hitler blamed the Jews (“Holocaust” 296). Hitler only...... middle of paper ......m/source/versailles231-247.htm>.Haugen, David M. and Susan Musser. The Holocaust. Farmington Hills, MI: Greenhaven, 2011. Print. Perspectives on Modern World History. “Holocaust”. The World Book Encyclopedia. 2007. Print. Soumerai, Eve N. and Carol D. Schulz. “The Changing Lives of the Jews.” Daily life during the Holocaust. Westport, CT: Greenwood, 1998. 57+. Print “The Taliban”. Gale Opposing viewpoints in context. Gale Cengage Learning, 2010. Web. November 6, 2011. “Who are the Taliban? » BBC. BBC News South Asia, October 1, 2010. Web. November 6. 2011. .