1935

Sept

Nuremberg Laws introduced in Nazi Germany institutionalising anti-Semitism

1938

Nov

Kristallnacht: thousands of Jews are imprisoned, attacked and killed; businesses
destroyed; synagogues burned

Life becomes progressively harder for the Jewish community

1939

Sept

Germany invades and defeats Poland
Britain and France declare war on the Reich

1940

May -
Jun

Germany invades Low Countries and France
The British Expeditionary Force is destroyed at Dunkirk, leading to Churchill’s resignation
Lord Halifax becomes Prime Minister and sues for peace with Hitler
France surrenders. Germany assumes control of its colonies, including Madagascar: a huge, remote island in the Indian Ocean
Himmler proposes shipping the entire Jewish population of Europe to the island
The German Foreign Office and subsequently the SS will take up the idea

1942

Jan

Wannsee Conference to decide the final fate of the Jews. The ‘Madagascar Plan’ is approved

Mar

Phillipp Bouhler appointed police-governor of the island. It will be run as a ghetto under the control of the SS

July

First ships set sail from ports of Trieste and Gotenhafen taking the Jews to their exile beneath the equator. 83,500 will have to be shipped each month for the next five years to meet the targets set at Wannsee

1947

Jan

Cyclone Eva batters Madagascar leaving half a million without shelter and vast tracts of land devastated. A typhoid epidemic breaks out. It is estimated that fifteen per cent of the population perish. Conditions continue to deteriorate

Mar

The Jews rise up in what will become known as the ‘Vanilla Rebellion’. It spreads across the entire island

Apr

Unable to contain the rebellion, Governor Bouhler is recalled to Germany.
His replacement is SS-Gruppenführer Odilo Globocnik who arrives in Madagascar with reinforcements and a fleet of helicopter gunships

July

Globocnik crushes the rebellion and regains control of the island

1948

May

Hitler finally declares Europe ‘Judenfrei’ – ‘Jew Free’

1952

Sept

Walter Hochburg, the SS governor of Kongo, launches a surprise attack on the British colony of Northern Rhodesia

Nov

When Hochburg’s forces are repelled he requisitions a fresh brigade from Madagascar, leaving the island insufficiently guarded

1953

Jan

A second Jewish rebellion begins on Madagascar