The genocide of the Jews in Europe by Nazi Germany during World War II is commonly referred to by the Greek word "Holocaust" and sometimes by the Hebrew word "Shoah." It was a crime against humanity of historic proportions, a crime that most people agree needs to be understood and studied. Perhaps the most difficult trials fell on the population of the former Soviet Union. This book on the history of the Holocaust was commissioned by the Swedish government as part of the Living History educational project to teach the Swedish people about the Holocaust, although Sweden was never occupied by German forces.