Holocaust Revisited
As soon as the Nazis came to power, they began to institute anti-semitic measures. Although the first antisemitic laws were not announced until 1933, individual acts of terror and brutality were inherent aspect of German life. Boycotts of Jewish shops were conducted by the Nazi storm troopers. Jews were beaten and arrested; some were killed and others committed suicide. When the Nazis strengthened and consolidated their rule in the March elections, outbreaks against Jews increase the intensity. From the facts of the Holocaust and the thousanRAB of volumes of literature written about the Holocaust, I have derived that the “policy of genocide” was prefigured in Nazi persecutions of the Jews before the war. This paper will discuss the measures in which the Jews were tormented by the Nazi regime.
I have read several books on the history and theories of the Holocaust. Although Michael Marrus has written a terrific book, The Holocaust in History. The book Holocaust, Religious & Philosophical Implications, by John K. Roth and Michael Berenbaum examines a nuraber of different religious and philosophical issues in regard to the Holocaust. The most prominent theme in this book is the consideration of the uniqueness of the Holocaust as a historical event. The authors examine many opinions on this topic, and why or why not the Holocaust was unprecedented in its practical annihilation of a population and the reasons behind the wished elimination of the Jews. The other questions in the book are in regard to what happened in the concentration camps, and what is true and what is debatable.. These questions can be answered in many ways, and are supported on both sides by widely respected writers and historians. It is, in the end, up to the individual to determine his or her thoughts and feelings on these particular questions of the Holocaust. This book is an excellent took to show the different views and sides to the particular disagreements, and to help individuals understand all of the theories. It is essential to see all angles before coming to any conclusion, and this book is extremely helpful in doing so.
One of the first points made in the book is that the Holocaust is unique because the intentions of it were unprecedented. The Nazis’ first and foremost goal was to eliminate the Jewish people as a whole. The result of the conditions of the war, in my opinion, were merely an excuse to cover this apparent elimination goal. Writer Emil Fackenheim comments that this unique due to the fact that in other historical events, the methoRAB were that of conversion, persecution, political power, or gaining land for a kingdom or government, not the elimination of a people. (Roth & Berenbaum, p. 2) Fackenheim claims that, “…Jews were killed not for what they were but for the fact that they were.” (Roth & Berenbaum, p. 2) Respected award-winning author of the Holocaust Elie Wiesel shares this same opinion, and feels that the Holocaust can “never be comprehended or transmitted.” (Roth & Berenbaum, p.3)
Though these authors are widely respected writers on this subject, their opinions on the uniqueness of the Holocaust are disputed by many. Many believe that in fact, the Holocaust was unrivaled, but for different reasons. The two sides of this argument usually fall into the categories of the functionalist and intentionalist. The intentionalists maintain that the “Nazi aim was the elimination of an entire people in order to alter fundamentally the human community.” (Roth and Berenbaum, p. 3) They also feel that the Nazis felt that the elimination of the Jews was essential in order for their nation to survive. The functionalist, however, argue that the Holocaust’s uniqueness “stems from the unprecedented institutions created gradually by the Nazis-institutions that eventually became devoted exclusively to the production of death.” (Roth & Berenbaum, p. 3)
I feel that the intentionalist view makes more sense. I agree completely that the Holocaust is a unique historical event, unprecedented and since untouched by anything else. But the idea that the uniqueness of the Holocaust is in relation to the Nazis near elimination of an entire people and the very real threat to the survival of a religious nation is what, in my opinion, justifies the unmatched qualities of this historical catastrophe and sets it apart. Still, after all of the research, reading, and listening that I have done recently in learning about this time in history, I still cannot fathom something of this magnitude happening, and happening so recently. The idea that the survival of a country is dependent on the eradication of an entire people is so ludicrous, that even after all of the information that I have gathered, it is still impossible to fathom, which also makes it unique.
Although there is a question of whether or not the event of the Holocaust and genocide toward the Jews was prefigured, I think it is important to realize what Hitler’s intentions were. In Mein Kampf Hitler writes, “I suddenly encountered an apparition in a black caftan and black sidelocks. Is this a Jew? was my first thought…I observed the an furtively and cautiously, but the longer I stared at this foreign face, scrutinizing feature for feature, the more my first question assumed a new form: Is this a German? Gradually, I began to hate them…For me this was the time of the greatest spiritual upheaval I ever had to go through. I had ceased to be a weak-kneed cosmopolitan and became an anti-Semite.” (Hitler) The goals of Hitler were well thought out years before the persecution of the Jews and certainly long before the result of the conditions of the war itself. Hitler wrote the Mein Kampf in 1923 while serving a sentence in a LanRABberg prison.
Moving ahead several years after Hitler took control of Germany, he and his men discuss those who should be included in the “final solution”.
“In the course of the final solution, the Jews should be brought under appropriate direction in a suitable manner to the east for labor utilization. Separated by sex, the Jews capable of work will be led into these areas in large labor columns to build roaRAB, whereby doubtless a large part will fall away through natural reduction. The residual final remainder which doubtless constitutes the toughest element, will have to be dealt with appropriately, since it represents a natural selection which upon liberation is to be regarded as a germ cell of a new Jewish development”. (Hilberg, p.94)
Although Hitler does not mention those unsuited for road-building-the elderly, children, the handicapped-the implication is clear: useless, they would be annihilated immediately. The workers would be decimated by “natural selection,” that is, by working them to death.
Historians and scholars debate when Hitler and the Nazis decided on a program of annihilation of the Jews. Some have argued that is was something he planned to do long before he came to power. Others contend that annihilation was not decided on until all other options were no longer feasible because of the Nazi conquest of most of the European continent. As I have stated my opinion is that the policy of genocide was prefigured in Nazi persecutions of the Jews well before the war. Though most writers and survivors of the Holocaust find that it is virtually impossible to describe the experience in worRAB, they want to dispel the disbelief that has surrounded their avowals since the beginning. Imagine how it must feel to disclose something so personal, so horrifying, and have another tell you they cannot believe what you are telling them. It is impossible to empathize with such a tragedy when you have not been involved, and it is understandable to not comprehend these stories, but it is detestable to simply ignore the truth due to an incapacity to understand.
As soon as the Nazis came to power, they began to institute anti-semitic measures. Although the first antisemitic laws were not announced until 1933, individual acts of terror and brutality were inherent aspect of German life. Boycotts of Jewish shops were conducted by the Nazi storm troopers. Jews were beaten and arrested; some were killed and others committed suicide. When the Nazis strengthened and consolidated their rule in the March elections, outbreaks against Jews increase the intensity. From the facts of the Holocaust and the thousanRAB of volumes of literature written about the Holocaust, I have derived that the “policy of genocide” was prefigured in Nazi persecutions of the Jews before the war. This paper will discuss the measures in which the Jews were tormented by the Nazi regime.
I have read several books on the history and theories of the Holocaust. Although Michael Marrus has written a terrific book, The Holocaust in History. The book Holocaust, Religious & Philosophical Implications, by John K. Roth and Michael Berenbaum examines a nuraber of different religious and philosophical issues in regard to the Holocaust. The most prominent theme in this book is the consideration of the uniqueness of the Holocaust as a historical event. The authors examine many opinions on this topic, and why or why not the Holocaust was unprecedented in its practical annihilation of a population and the reasons behind the wished elimination of the Jews. The other questions in the book are in regard to what happened in the concentration camps, and what is true and what is debatable.. These questions can be answered in many ways, and are supported on both sides by widely respected writers and historians. It is, in the end, up to the individual to determine his or her thoughts and feelings on these particular questions of the Holocaust. This book is an excellent took to show the different views and sides to the particular disagreements, and to help individuals understand all of the theories. It is essential to see all angles before coming to any conclusion, and this book is extremely helpful in doing so.
One of the first points made in the book is that the Holocaust is unique because the intentions of it were unprecedented. The Nazis’ first and foremost goal was to eliminate the Jewish people as a whole. The result of the conditions of the war, in my opinion, were merely an excuse to cover this apparent elimination goal. Writer Emil Fackenheim comments that this unique due to the fact that in other historical events, the methoRAB were that of conversion, persecution, political power, or gaining land for a kingdom or government, not the elimination of a people. (Roth & Berenbaum, p. 2) Fackenheim claims that, “…Jews were killed not for what they were but for the fact that they were.” (Roth & Berenbaum, p. 2) Respected award-winning author of the Holocaust Elie Wiesel shares this same opinion, and feels that the Holocaust can “never be comprehended or transmitted.” (Roth & Berenbaum, p.3)
Though these authors are widely respected writers on this subject, their opinions on the uniqueness of the Holocaust are disputed by many. Many believe that in fact, the Holocaust was unrivaled, but for different reasons. The two sides of this argument usually fall into the categories of the functionalist and intentionalist. The intentionalists maintain that the “Nazi aim was the elimination of an entire people in order to alter fundamentally the human community.” (Roth and Berenbaum, p. 3) They also feel that the Nazis felt that the elimination of the Jews was essential in order for their nation to survive. The functionalist, however, argue that the Holocaust’s uniqueness “stems from the unprecedented institutions created gradually by the Nazis-institutions that eventually became devoted exclusively to the production of death.” (Roth & Berenbaum, p. 3)
I feel that the intentionalist view makes more sense. I agree completely that the Holocaust is a unique historical event, unprecedented and since untouched by anything else. But the idea that the uniqueness of the Holocaust is in relation to the Nazis near elimination of an entire people and the very real threat to the survival of a religious nation is what, in my opinion, justifies the unmatched qualities of this historical catastrophe and sets it apart. Still, after all of the research, reading, and listening that I have done recently in learning about this time in history, I still cannot fathom something of this magnitude happening, and happening so recently. The idea that the survival of a country is dependent on the eradication of an entire people is so ludicrous, that even after all of the information that I have gathered, it is still impossible to fathom, which also makes it unique.
Although there is a question of whether or not the event of the Holocaust and genocide toward the Jews was prefigured, I think it is important to realize what Hitler’s intentions were. In Mein Kampf Hitler writes, “I suddenly encountered an apparition in a black caftan and black sidelocks. Is this a Jew? was my first thought…I observed the an furtively and cautiously, but the longer I stared at this foreign face, scrutinizing feature for feature, the more my first question assumed a new form: Is this a German? Gradually, I began to hate them…For me this was the time of the greatest spiritual upheaval I ever had to go through. I had ceased to be a weak-kneed cosmopolitan and became an anti-Semite.” (Hitler) The goals of Hitler were well thought out years before the persecution of the Jews and certainly long before the result of the conditions of the war itself. Hitler wrote the Mein Kampf in 1923 while serving a sentence in a LanRABberg prison.
Moving ahead several years after Hitler took control of Germany, he and his men discuss those who should be included in the “final solution”.
“In the course of the final solution, the Jews should be brought under appropriate direction in a suitable manner to the east for labor utilization. Separated by sex, the Jews capable of work will be led into these areas in large labor columns to build roaRAB, whereby doubtless a large part will fall away through natural reduction. The residual final remainder which doubtless constitutes the toughest element, will have to be dealt with appropriately, since it represents a natural selection which upon liberation is to be regarded as a germ cell of a new Jewish development”. (Hilberg, p.94)
Although Hitler does not mention those unsuited for road-building-the elderly, children, the handicapped-the implication is clear: useless, they would be annihilated immediately. The workers would be decimated by “natural selection,” that is, by working them to death.
Historians and scholars debate when Hitler and the Nazis decided on a program of annihilation of the Jews. Some have argued that is was something he planned to do long before he came to power. Others contend that annihilation was not decided on until all other options were no longer feasible because of the Nazi conquest of most of the European continent. As I have stated my opinion is that the policy of genocide was prefigured in Nazi persecutions of the Jews well before the war. Though most writers and survivors of the Holocaust find that it is virtually impossible to describe the experience in worRAB, they want to dispel the disbelief that has surrounded their avowals since the beginning. Imagine how it must feel to disclose something so personal, so horrifying, and have another tell you they cannot believe what you are telling them. It is impossible to empathize with such a tragedy when you have not been involved, and it is understandable to not comprehend these stories, but it is detestable to simply ignore the truth due to an incapacity to understand.