preview

Assignment 1: The Atrocities Of Zyklon B

Decent Essays
Open Document

Assignment 1 – The Atrocities of Zyklon B Since the Holocaust, nearly 70 years ago, the world has watched as similar catastrophes have occurred in various continents across the globe. Few, however, have been as far-reaching in their affliction, targeted in their hate or as determined in the systematic approach to crimes against humanity. The gays, roma, mentally handicapped and physically disabled were all victims of the Nazi regime, and the way in which those deemed ‘inferior’ were exterminated took an (if possible) increasingly sadistic turn with the emergence of a dangerous new chemical weapon in 1941. The new asphyxiating agent, Zyklon B, was used wholly for pest control up until this point; after which it became a tool of mass annihilation …show more content…

The containers of Zyklon B, generic name Prussic Acid, contained pellets of “hydrocyanic acid that vaporize when exposed to air (Gavin 1).” For extermination, the prisoners (predominantly at Auschwitz) crowded into sealed chambers that the Nazi guards had disguised as showers and the Zyklon pellets were poured in through vents in the ceiling. The cyanide inside of the pellets once vaporized, left blue stains on the chamber walls which still can be seen today and when the gases that were given off from the vaporization were inhaled “the vapors combined with red blood cells, depriving the human body of vital oxygen, causing unconsciousness, and then death through oxygen starvation (Gavin 1).” This new human application of Zyklon B was first discovered when Commandant Hoess used a group of 500 Russian prisoners of war as an experimental group in August of 1941. Commandant Hoess realized Zyklon B was much more effective than the carbon monoxide that was already being used at Auschwitz and there was now heightened pressure as Heinrich Himmler had instructed Hoess to begin the extermination of the Jews at Auschwitz. The success of Hoess’s experiment led to the “purchases of Zyklon B by the S.S. [to increase] tremendously,” and the dividends of the product’s producer to benefit as …show more content…

The obvious illustration was the monetary gains that were accrued. The German Corporation for Pest Control was partially owned by I.G. Farben a chemical industry conglomerate and their dividends on its “Degesh investment for the years 1942, 1943, and 1944 were double those of 1940 and 1941 (Borkin 123).” The profits were a direct reflection of the newfound ‘prosperity’ at Auschwitz, but there was another way in which Degesch was ethically invested in Zyklon B. When Zyklon B was being produced as a pesticide it contained, by German law, an odor indicator to warn humans of its toxicity. The S.S. demanded with their high quantity order Zyklon B be produced without the odor indicator. Initially, Degesch was reluctant due to the fact that the odor indicator is what held the patent on Zyklon B and thus secured their monopoly, but eventually in the end the S.S. got their way. By removing the odor indicator it implies implicit participation in dooming the Jews at Auschwitz and solidified Zyklon B’s infamous role in Nazi

Get Access