The final stanza from Friedrich Schiller’s poem, “The Diver”: The breakers they hear and the breakers return, / proclaimed by a thundering sound; / they bend o’er the gulf with glances that yearn / and the waters are pouring in fast around; / though upwards and downwards they rush and they rave, / the youth is brought back by no kindly wave. (157-162) Viewing a tragedy such as the Holocaust with a lens of any other shade besides remorseful compassion is nearly impossible. Even harder is trying to imagine a group of victims other than the souls whose lives were ruined and then cut down during their prime because they were deemed unworthy by their own government. It’s easy to view these events from the comfortable distance of our own time period and point blame at the German military under the command of Adolph Hitler; those men and women who carried out his orders with unwavering loyalty. This essay is designed to take a step back to the beginning: before the Final Solution was put in place and millions of innocent people were slaughtered, before Kristallnacht when Jewish homes, hospitals, and schools were ransacked …show more content…
One of the first key events, which pit the people of Germany against each other, was the Nuremburg Laws. These laws were directly targeted at Jews, not as a religious group, but as a race of people. The defining characteristic of a Jew, to the Nazi Party, was whether someone “had three or four Jewish grandparents” (The Nuremburg Race Laws). The Nuremburg laws featured a strong framework that attacked Jews and prevented them from progression in Germany. For example, Jews were not allowed to practice law, medicine, or worship in public. Jews were not allowed to marry someone of Aryan descent. Jewish businesses were boycotted and eventually bought and re-sold to Aryan Germans. These laws are viewed as a crucial point for Hitler’s domination in
The events which have become to be known as The Holocaust have caused much debate and dispute among historians. Central to this varied dispute is the intentions and motives of the perpetrators, with a wide range of theories as to why such horrific events took place. The publication of Jonah Goldhagen’s controversial but bestselling book “Hitler’s Willing Executioners: Ordinary Germans and the Holocaust” in many ways saw the reigniting of the debate and a flurry of scholarly and public interest. Central to Goldhagen’s disputed argument is the presentation of the perpetrators of the Holocaust as ordinary Germans who largely, willingly took part in the atrocities because of deeply held and violently strong anti-Semitic beliefs. This in many
The Holocaust was the systematic killing and extermination of millions of Jews and other Europeans by the German Nazi state between 1939 and 1945. Innocent Europeans were forced from their homes into concentration camps, executed violently, and used for medical experiments. The Nazis believed their acts against this innocent society were justified when hate was the motivating factor. The Holocaust illustrates the consequences of prejudice, racism, and stereotyping on a society. It forces societies to examine the responsibility and role of citizenship, in addition to approaching the powerful ramifications of indifference and inaction. (Holden Congressional Record). Despite the adverse treatment of the Jews, there are lessons that can be learned from the Holocaust: The Nazi’s rise to power could have been prevented, the act of genocide was influenced by hate, and the remembrance of the Holocaust is of the utmost importance for humanity.
The Holocaust, yet another unpleasant time in history tainted with the blood and suffering of man. Human beings tortured, executed and starved for hatred and radical ideas. Yet with many tragedies there are survivors, those who refused to die on another man’s command. These victims showed enormous willpower, they overcame human degradation and tragedies that not only pushed their beliefs in god, but their trust in fellow people. It was people like Elie Wiesel author of “Night”, Eva Galler,Sima Gleichgevicht-Wasser, and Solomon Radasky that survived, whose’ mental and physical capabilities were pushed to limits that are difficult to conceive. Each individual experiences were different, but their survival tales not so far-reaching to where the fundamental themes of fear, family, religion and self-preservation played a part in surviving. Although some of these themes weren’t always so useful for survival.
In spite of the fact that it is a commonly known historical piece of the Holocaust, it’s authenticity has been questioned. Some conspiracies deny that it even happened at all. Through the analyzation of Hitler’s own violent anti-Semitism, powerful position, and ability to convey Nazi propaganda into action, one can see how he is the sole cause of the Holocaust.
The Holocaust took place during the late 1930s to the early 1940s, a time when many external and internal factors were affecting Germany and its people (Hill 1). Nevertheless Nazi leaders and common Germans killed almost two thirds of an estimated nine million Jewish people (Hill 2). One of the most puzzling questions about the Holocaust is why did common Germans take part? It is difficult to formulate an exact answer to the question because it deals with a whole nation, but many historians have hypothesized explanations related to the German’s unwilling and willing participation (Goldhagen 375).
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.
A common misconception about the Holocaust is that the world was naïve of the atrocities happening under the Nazi’s rule. The horrors of the Holocaust were not left undocumented. Unfortunately, many saw these malicious acts as insignificant to the global population; people only start sympathizing when the hindrance affects them. Hitler, with the help of his many allies, achieved to murder millions of innocent men, women, and children. After spending this semester studying the Holocaust, I have realized that the Nazis’ greatest ally was neither an individual nor a country; Hitler’s greatest ally was indifference.
By comparing, analyzing and questioning the validity of Maus I and II, Night, Night and Fog, nonfictional historical accounts and a poem, called Already Embraced by the Arm of Heavenly Solace, found in Europe in the Contemporary World, Schindler’s List and the Return to Auschwitz we may determine to what degree these sources serve to advance humanity’s understanding of the holocaust. The holocaust can be explained as the historical event in which the Nazi’s, who came to power in Germany in January 1933, and its collaborators murdered and persecuted approximately six million Jews. This came about because of the German belief that they were “racially superior” and the Jews were an alien threat to the German state. For humanity to advance in
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
During the duration of World War II, the Jewish people of Europe were subjected to such inhumane actions at the hands of the Nazi party. Ellie Wiesel, in his memoir Night, describe this demoralizing treatment in great detail. As the reader delves deeper into Wiesel’s experiences, the dehumanization of the Jewish people becomes greater and greater. First, they were stripped of their possessions, then their names, and finally their dignity, and though the Nazi tried to finally stripped them of their humanity, they were unsuccessful.
“Introduction to the Holocaust.” United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, 27 Apr. 2017, www.ushmm.org/wlc/en/article.php?ModuleId=10005143. Accessed 11 May 2017.
The Holocaust is widely known as one of the most horrendous and disturbing events in history that the world has seen; over six million lives were lost, in fact the total number of deceased during the Holocaust has never been determined. The footage of concentration camps and gas chambers left the world in utter shock, but photos and retellings of the events cannot compare to being a victim of the Holocaust and living through the horror that the rest of the world regarded in the safety of their homes. Elie Wiesel recognized the indifference that the
Adolf Hitler is very much known for his barbaric deed and responsibility of the Holocaust-- possibly the most disturbing and most horrifying event to be recorded in history. The holocaust systematically killed over six million Jewish people, including over 1.5 million children that were victimized through a number of arguments that many believed was the cause for the destruction. It is difficult to conclude an overriding reason why the holocaust happened, although it is argued, however, that the imminent effect of the psychological state of mind of Hitler, along with the German citizens at the time, had a massive effect on what happened and what could have been prevented. Hitler’s anger and the country’s general
My goal with my research is to look into the resistance of both the Jewish people and the others in European society who assisted in Jewish escapes. The perceived image of the Jews during the Holocaust is of “lambs to the slaughter.” The pictured painted of the rest of European society is one of either knowing accomplices or silent spectators. The Jewish people had many forms of resistance, some small and some large. While many of their neighbors were silent spectators, but many people were actively resisting the tyrannical Nazi government by assisting Jewish escapes. Each of these individuals risked their lives and the lives of their families and friends to aid these hunted individuals. They all deserve to have their stories heard and honored. In a time of complete chaos and destruction many people would not have the ability or fortitude to save the life of another person. The people that I will discuss in this paper were not only able to take that step, but put themselves and their families in real and eminent danger for the life, at times, of a complete stranger.
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.