"Denying the Holocaust"

Paper Summary:

The paper points out the numerous strengths of Lipstadt's work, including her lucid writing style, her careful research, her ability to vividly contextualize Holocaust denial and her intellectual courage. The paper looks at the book's failings and maintains that the author lets her political sensibilities get in the way of her better judgment in the labelling of some groups as anti-Semites. The paper concludes that nonetheless, the book stands up well to criticism and should be read by any young student interested in learning about the historiography surrounding the Holocaust.

From the Paper:

"Lipstadt's book is compelling because she provides a rich context within which the average student of the Holocaust can understand why - and how - individuals can "get away" with denying an event that a huge collection of video, written, and oral history proves really did take place. For one thing, Lipstadt points out how the historiography of Holocaust denial is remarkably similar to, and really born of, a larger historical tradition that sought to exculpate Germany from allegations that it was wholly responsible for the beginnings of World War One. This historiography, championed most conspicuously by scholars like Harry Elmer Barnes, argued that the American public had been misled about the nature of German foreign policy and by apparently erroneous reports of German atrocities in the early stages of the Great War."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Lipstadt, Deborah E. Denying the Holocaust: The Growing Assault on Truth and Memory. New York: Penguin Books, 1993.

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• Argumentative Essay # 2122 : "The Holocaust and How it Affected its Victims"
• Essay # 138179 : "Holocaust Denial"
• Argumentative Essay # 65000 : "Holocaust Denial"

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