Since the end of World War II and the emergence of knowledge about the
Holocaust, there have been questions regarding how the genocide of Jews could have occurred, what could have stopped it and what could be done in today’s world to stop current genocides in other nations. Scholars have researched these questions for years, but the debate is one that is never ending.
Bureaucratic tendencies are what created the conditions necessary for the
Holocaust. Many scholars, such as Zygmunt Bauman, believe that bureaucratic tendencies such as following procedure, impersonal nature and having a distinct hierarchy are what made the Holocaust possible. Bauman states that the Holocaust was an organizational feat achieved through a bureaucratic society and
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Bauman says that the choice for the physical extermination of the Jews was the product of bureaucratic organization (Bauman 17). He says that administration’s objective is to solve problems (Bauman 18). The mission in reference to the Nazi regime would be to come up with a Final Solution. Management by rules can be seen in the Nazi regime when combined with organization by specialty. There was the Einstatzgruppen, the SA, the SS, the German military who participated in following the orders and commands of the Führer, but there were also the doctors, nurses and bureaucratic office folk who participated in programs like T-4 and the paperwork that made the Nazi regime so efficient in their task. Higher up personnel like Adolf Eichmann worked hard to make sure that the killing process remained impersonal. Impersonality was such an important aspect; special care was devoted to developing technology that helped make the process more impersonal (Mitchell Lecture 4). Lastly, employment by qualifications is a clear part of Nazi ideology. Qualifications were imperative. Not only did you have to be dedicated to the Führer, you had to be a member of the superior Aryan race. Bureaucracy helped create the conditions needed for the Holocaust to …show more content…
Lemkin created this definition after realizing in 1933, the similarities between the Armenian genocide and what was occurring in Germany (Mitchell Lecture 12). One could argue that the Holocaust is unique and separate from all other genocides due to differences in death tolls, execution style, organization and so on, but all genocides are fundamentally the same. There is a belief that a group must be exterminated, and that belief is carried out even to the most extreme conditions.
When it is accepted that the Holocaust is not a unique event, the question
In the pre-war years, the Nazi Party wanted to find a solution to the “Jewish question” – meaning what to do with them (“Final Solution” Learning). On July 31, 1941, Heydrich submitted the “draft of the measures he proposed to undertake ‘to implement the desired final solution of the Jewish Question’” (“SS”). In the fall of 1941, the Nazi soldiers implemented the plan and began to effectuate it by experimental gassings in the Auschwitz extermination camp and then moving forth to surrounding camps (“Final Solution” Learning). Between then and 1945, the top SS soldiers continued to give the orders to torture, mass shoot, gas (especially in constructed extermination camps), enforce murderous labor, and other means (“Holocaust”). The ideas, which were thought of by Himmler, Eichmann, and Heydrich, are what allowed for this brutality to cause such a large scale genocide. Despite the eleven million
“Was German ‘Eliminationist Anti-Semitism” Responsible for the Holocaust?” is a fascinating and somewhat discouraging debate that explores the question of whether German anti-Semitism, instilled within citizens outside of the Nazi Party, played a vast role in the extermination of Jews during the Holocaust . Daniel Jonah Goldhagen, author of “The Paradigm Challenged,” believes that it did; and argues quite convincingly that ordinary German citizens were duplicitous either by their actions or inactions due to the deep-seeded nature of anti-Semitic sentiment in the country. On the other hand, Christopher R. Browning, who has extensively researched the Holocaust, argues that the arguments of Goldhagen leaves out significant dynamics which were prevalent throughout most of Western and Eastern Europe during this period of history.
Functionalism versus intentionalism is an ongoing historical debate about the origins of the Holocaust. The two questions that the debate centers around on are; was there a master plan by Adolf Hitler for the holocaust? The intentionalist argument is that there was a ‘master plan’, while functionalist’s ague that there was not. The second question is whether the initiative for the Holocaust and the Final Solution come from Adolf Hitler himself, or from lower ranks in the Third Reich. Both side agree that Hitler was the supreme leader, and was responsible for encouraging the anti-Semitism during the Holocaust, but intentionalists believe that the initiative for the final solution came from above, while functionalists argue that it came from the lower ranks within the bureaucracy.
While reading The Cunning of History by Richard L Rubenstein you can sense current things that the author applied Max Weber’s theory of bureaucracy to the Holocaust. Bureaucracy is a system in the government where state officials make most of the important decisions rather than by elected representatives. Bureaucracy is impersonal and fair. Max Weber argued that there are characteristics that modern bureaucracy functions in a current approach.
The Holocaust is known as one of the most devastating, or perhaps even the most devastating incident in human history. On paper, the dizzying statistics are hard to believe. The mass executions, the terrible conditions, the ruthlessness, and the passivity of the majority of witnesses to the traumatic events all seem like a giant, twisted story blown out of proportion to scare children. But the stories are true, the terror really happened, and ordinary citizens were convinced into doing savage deeds against innocent people. How, one must ask? How could anyone be so pitiless towards their neighbors, their friends? In a time of desperation, when a country was on its knees to the rest of the world, one man not only united Germans against a
The Holocaust was a time where millions of Jews were killed, and for what reason: their religion. Over time, the Holocaust has been taught throughout the world as a learning experience about the horrendous incident that occurred .The word "Holocaust" is from Greek, which means "sacrifice by fire”. The people who were responsible for such a horrendous event in history had to have the power and the ability to do something so appalling. The two most responsible for the Holocaust were Adolf Hitler who was the mastermind that guided the Holocaust, and the Top SS who were equally responsible because they fulfilled Hitler’s ghastly mission and goals for the Holocaust. In this essay i will prove that the two most responsible for the horrible event
He made us aware on how so many individuals knowingly participated in the atrocious acts of violence against humanity and without much hesitance. He provided us the formula and a clear explanation on Max Weber views and how it was all possible for the bureaucratic domination of Germany, and the consequences of such power. Max Weber “was convinced that political domination would rest with whoever controlled the bureaucratic apparatus because of its indisputable superiority as an instrument for the organization of human action”. (Rubenstein, 23) Nazi Germany mastered the use of power and the management principles, this can be observed in Hitler’s organization of the concentration camps. Hitler replaced the existence camps with a more impersonal, systematized terror” camps. (Rubenstein, 24) Hitler and Nazi Germany established order in the camps, by applying bureaucracy principles. They established specialization, providing a meaning of set task and responsibilities each office and individual will handle and follow, making their job simpler and more efficient in following directions. They appointed individuals to ensure the written rules and regulations installed were being followed. This assured that individuals knew their responsibilities and made it easier for their assigned task to be completed. This also created recordkeeping of the rules, procedures and disciplinary actions.
The Holocaust was a time period in which Adolf Hitler was the dictator of Nazi Germany. He prosecuted many Jews because he believed they were the reason World War 1 started, causing the death of 100,000 German soldiers. Because of this, he made sure nearly every Jew was put into concentration camps or killed. Adolf Hitler was a man who wanted everything his way, and because of this he killed innocent people. The Holocaust was an unfair period for the Jews. The Jews were killed because of who they were, and the citizens didn’t try to do anything to help them
The Holocaust was one of the largest genocides in the history of the world. An estimated amount of over 11 million people were killed over that Dark Age in human history. All caused by the horrid visions of one man Adolf Hitler. The Holocaust to me is proof that widespread chaos can be caused by ill set speeches. Adolf was said to be one of the best speakers of his age. He convinced hundreds of thousands of German people that his cause was noble and just. This in the end, resulted in grave and despicable darkness for the people of the Jewish religion.
Of the many items that help enhance the horror of the Nazi Holocaust, one of the most notable is what it had of systematic and bureaucratic. Not only killing people, which would have had already been enough, but precisely being made in a quiet and civilized way. It is not strange the image of the Nazi leader quoting his favorite poet while sending to death hundreds of people, belying the myth that culture and education make people better. The Holocaust was primarily an act performed with such rationality that could only become insane. It almost seems that it could have been avoided by appealing to the same reason as well served to run it.
Many religious conflicts are built from bigotry; however, only few will forever have an imprint on the world’s history. While some may leave a smear on the world’s past, some – like the homicide of Semitic people – may leave a scar. The Holocaust, closely tied to World War II, was a devastating and systematic persecution of millions of Jews by the Nazi regime and allies. Hitler, an anti-Semitic leader of the Nazis, believed that the Jewish race made the Aryan race impure. The Nazis did all in their power to annihilate the followers of Judaism, while the Jews attempted to rebel, rioted against the government, and united as one. Furthermore, the genocide had many social science factors that caused the opposition between the Jews and Nazis.
The Holocaust was one of the twentieth century's greatest tragedies that were made possible by anti-Semitism, the indifference of other nations, isolationism politics, and outright fear.
The Holocaust was one of the most shocking events in history that had in impact on everyone. It was not only the extermination of Jews, but also everyone who was not considered perfect. It was a terrible time to live in Germany, especially being a Jew. Since the Holocaust occurred somewhat recently, in history’s perspective, there are many primary sources and documents that explain and identify the situation of Germany in the 1900’s. Hitler is primarily responsible for the atrocities that occurred in Germany as well as key factors such as his rise to power, heavy propaganda, and the hatred towards Jews.
The holocaust was a bleak and unrecoverable part of the history of the twentieth century that will always be remembered. Millions died for no reason except for one man’s madness. Although many people know why this war happened many don’t know when and what events lead up to this: the way Hitler came into power, or when the first concentration camp was established, and what city it was in, why Jews were hated so much by Hitler, and why the rest of the country also hated them as well as, and what the chronology of the Holocaust. These are some of the things I will explain in my paper.
The Holocaust is most well-known for the organized and inhumane extermination of more than six million Jews. The death total of the Jews is this most staggering; however, other groups such as Gypsies, Poles, Russians, political groups, Jehovah’s witnesses, and homosexuals were targeted as well (Holocaust Encyclopedia: Introduction to the Holocaust). The initial idea of persecuting select groups of people began with Adolf Hitler’s rise to power in Germany. In January 1930, Hitler became the Chancellor of Germany after winning over its people with powerful and moving speeches. From this point forward, it was a goal for both Hitler and his Nazi Party to rid the world of deemed “inferior” groups of people (Holocaust Encyclopedia: Timeline