Other contributors have said "Did the holocast start ww2?" is the same question as "Did the Holocaust cause World War 2?" If you believe that these are not asking the same thing and should be answered differently, click here

Did the Holocaust cause World War 2?

Answer:
No. The cause of World War 2 in Europe was German expansion by military force (aggression), not its treatment of Jews or dissidents. (Similarly, the cause of World War 2 in Asia and the Pacific was Japanese aggression).

Even though Nazi Germany began arresting political prisoners and forcing many "un-desireables" into concentration camps the Germans did not begin exterminating them until after WW2 began. Even after the war began, Germany kept the holocaust a secret to the outside world. As the truth began to leak out, many people did not believe it---most people had no clue until the truth was revealed by the news after the war and during the Nuremberg war crime trials.
The holocaust did not start World War 2, no one knew about the holocaust until the war was over.

___


When World War 2 started in 1939 the Holocaust in the sense of systematic mass killings of Jews hadn't even begun.
First answer by Custermen. Last edit by Custermen. Contributor trust: 804 [recommend contributor recommended]. Question popularity: 7 [recommend question].