Analysis of systematic murder of European Jews. "Intentionist" and "functionalist" explanations. Role of Nazi Party propaganda, European anti-Semitism.
1,575 words (approx. 6.3 pages), 7 sources, 2001, $ 55.95
From the Paper "The "Final Solution," or systematic murder of the European Jews, fit Adolf Hitler's ideology from the very beginning of his career, but it was not part of his plan for the Third Reich until circumstances made it possible. For more than two decades historians have debated the "intentionalist" and "functionalist" explanations of the Final Solution. Intentionalists hold that the direction of the Reich was primarily guided by Hitler's decisions which were "calculated or 'intended' to realize the goals of an ideologically derived 'program'" that he had followed since the 1920s. In this view, the death camps were the long-awaited culmination of Hitler's program. Functionalists, on the other hand, argue that the Final Solution was not part of a comprehensive plan, "rather, the Holocaust resulted from the failure or unfeasibility of increasingly radical plans to [expel]..."
Examines the participation by the average German and the government, Nazi propaganda, antisemitism, non-Jewish deaths, the role of Police, peer pressure, psychology of and religious issues.
3,600 words (approx. 14.4 pages), 4 sources, 1999, $ 127.95
Abstract The purpose of this research is to examine theories of how and why the Holocaust, or the mass murder of the civilian population of Jews (about six million) and non-Jewish civilians targeted for extinction by the Nazi regime (perhaps another six million) could have been perpetrated and supported by ordinary human beings as much as by the official state apparatus of programmatic evil.
From the Paper "The purpose of this research is to examine theories of how and why the Holocaust, or the mass murder of the civilian population of Jews (about six million) and non-Jewish civilians targeted for extinction by the Nazi regime (perhaps another six million) could have been perpetrated and supported by ordinary human beings as much as by the official state apparatus of programmatic evil. The plan of the research will be to set forth the explanations offered by Christopher R. Browning in Ordinary Men and Daniel Jonah Goldhagen in Ordinary Men and Hitler's Willing Executioners, respectively, and then to discuss which of the arguments make the most compelling case and whether and to what extent each argument suggests ways of interpreting the human condition and the prospect of future genocides.
As both Browning and Goldhagen argue, and as the evidence of the ..."
Abstract In all the literature, art, and film that have been devoted to describing and memorializing the horrors of the Holocaust over the years, few could be as different in tone as Elie Wiesel's horrific autobiography of his Auschwitz experience, "Night" and Art Spiegelman's comic-strip portrayal of the Jews and the Holocaust, "Maus". The paper shows that the only thing these two works have in common is the fact that the authors are attempting to encapsulate for readers the experience of the Holocaust. The attitudes, however, are markedly different, but no less moving for the reader. The paper shows that these two works serve to give readers interested in learning more about the Holocaust a wider perspective from which to study this horrific chapter in the history of the world.
From the Paper "Whereas Spiegelman's father survived by relying on his wits, skills, and strength, Wiesel survives more on his luck. He is more passive while Vladek is more active. Wiesel can do nothing but watch as his family is first forced into the ghetto and then forced to flee that and go to the concentration camp at Auschwitz. He could do nothing but watch as his family suffered horribly and died. This is not pointed out as a judgment on Wiesel's passivity. Rather, the point to be made here is that both men managed to survive; their approaches, however, were different. This isn?t all that surprising when one considers the differences between the two people to begin with. Vladek was a strong, adult man and able to deal a little better with the environment in which he found himself. Wiesel, on the other hand, was just a young boy and was coping with the situation in which he and his family found themselves as best he could."
Abstract Reviews concepts in book on the dangers of supressonism for Jews. Examines historical/religious absorption of Jews into the Christian realm (supersessionism). Nazi Germany. Conversion of Edith Stetin by the Caltholic Church; view of her martyrdom & its implications for the suffering of Jews during the Holocaust. Martyrdom of Death of the Maidens. Questions of identity & responsibility of Christians & Jews in light of the Shoah.
From the Paper "In Shoah: The Paradigmatic Genocide: Essays in Exegesis and Eisegesis, Zev Garber writes that Jews must protect themselves from supersessionism, or the historical/religious absorption into the Christian realm, as if the Jews were merely incomplete Christians. Supersessionism is a danger to both Christians who would even subconsciously espouse it, and who would be antisemitic in doing so, and to Jews whose religion could be weakened by the view. Supersessionism, inadvertently or not, is a force aligned with the forces which created Nazi Germany, although it comes disguised as a sign of Christian sympathy for the suffering of Jews.
The dangers of supersessionism are exemplified in the attitude of the Catholic Church to the converted Jew Edith Stein who was murdered by the Nazis. The Church has declared that..."
Abstract Analysis of Elie Wiesel's 1958 autobiographical account of his life during the Holocaust. Discusses the book as an exploration of personal identity. Centers on the ordeals Wiesel faced and how he lived through the horrors. His changed concept of God. Life in the concentration camp. Destruction of his family and his faith.
From the Paper "Introduction
Elie Wiesel's autobiographical account of his life through the period of the Holocaust, Night, is a terrifying account of the horrors of that period through the eyes of a child who sees his family killed and whose own spirit is sorely tested even these many years later as he looks back on these events. The book is powerful and affecting, and it also serves as a very strong portrayal of the entire era of which the Holocaust is a part. This book presents the real effects of history, not the changes in leadership and the movements of armies but the changes in the lives of real individuals who become the victims of other people's hatreds an ambitions. The book can also be seen as an exploration of personal identity and an attempt for one man to come to grips with the fact that he has survived..."
Abstract Historical paper on the little known accidental release of toxic mustard gas during WWII by the Americans. The paper examines in great deal the attack on Bari and discusses many of the battles before and after this attack. It questions whether the American's use of chemical agents was useful in achieving their goals and how this impacted the rest of World War Two.
From the Paper "During World War II, one of the main goals of the Nazis in Germany was to destroy as many "unwanted" populations as possible. To accomplish this, many of the ?unwanted,? including Jews, Gypsies, Disabled people and Homosexuals, were imprisoned in death camps. Finding quick and efficient ways of exterminating these people was a continuous challenge throughout the war. The gas chambers finally became the most efficient way, and the most common chemical used in the chambers was Zyklon B. However, Himmler, the Reichsfuhrer-SS, was never satisfied with the operation of the death camps, nor the success of Zyklon B. Himmler was constantly searching for more economical methods to exterminate large segments of the unwanted population, and ironically, an allied catastrophe in 1943 gave him an opportunity to test a toxic war gas. The Luftwaffe bombing of allied merchant ships in the harbor at Bari, Italy, on December 3, 1943, was one of the German Air Force's most successful missions of the entire war. Twenty five ships were sunk, instantly killing 2000 persons. It was the worst allied naval disaster except for Pearl Harbor; and it seriously delayed allied efforts to overrun Italy. But the real horror of the event and one of the best kept secrets of Word War II was the unleashing of 100 tons of poison gas! "
Tags: allies, chemical, gas, germany, himmler, mustard, nazis, war
Abstract This paper explores the concept of supersessionism, as it relates to the Jews and anti-Semitism in general. The writer defines supersessionism as the historical and/or religious absorption, of Jews in this case, into the Christian realm. The paper also explores the question of the identity and responsibility of Christians and Jews in light of the Holocaust and the issues of individual religious belief, history and culture.
From the Paper "The dangers of supersessionism are exemplified in the attitude of the Catholic Church to the converted Jew Edith Stein who was murdered by the Nazis. The Church has declared that it did not intend to usurp the suffering of the Jews by honoring Edith, but the act still causes distrust among Jews. At the same time, where there is conflict, there is the hope of ongoing dialogue, and Garber makes clear that the Catholic Church has tried to explain the meaning of its actions from its perspective, and Jewish leaders have shown appreciation for that. Both religions believe in God's redemption of human beings, but in different ways."
Abstract This paper briefly reviews the work by Bar-Zohar called "Beyond Hitler's Grasp". The paper begins by stating that Peshev's story, along with many others, was long forgotten but has been revived, and he has become a major heroic figure in Bulgaria. The writer explores the actions of the main character Peshev, in light of his Bulgarian nationality and background and the risks he faced in helping the Jews the way he did.
From the Paper "Dimiter Peshev was the vice president of the Bulgarian Parliament, and when he heard the rumors of the impending deportations of the Jews, he formed an action group in the town of Kustendil. He took his case to higher-ups, appearing before the minister of the interior to insist that the deportation orders be altered immediately. Peshev was particularly motivated by humanitarian concerns, but he also had political motivations because in the aftermath of the German failure at Stalingrad, it was believed that Bulgaria should not become involved in such a monstrous act because that would endanger her chances of disengaging from the German alliance when necessary."
Abstract This paper reviews the story of Stalag Luft III, more commonly known as "The Great Escape." The paper presents the events of that courageous escape in terms of the strategic and operational setting, tactical situation, threat of discovery by the Germans and finally the allied strategy. The paper then gives a detailed description of the actual escape event, in March 1944.
From the Paper ""The Great Escape" is remembered as one of the most significant events in the history of Allied POWs (Prisoners of War). It was 24th March 1944 when 76 captured Allied airmen at a German war camp named "Stalag Luft III" tried to escape by means of their own hand-dug tunnel that was over 300 feet long and about 30 feet deep down the ground level (Rafmuseum.on.ca). Stalag Luft got its name from "Stammlager Luft" that means "Permanent Camps for Airmen". As the name suggests, the prison facility was especially utilized to keep the enemy air crew whose planes were shot down."
Tags: hitler, stalag, luft, prison, airforce, allied, troops, nazi
Abstract This paper examines the book "Thanks to my Mother," by Schoschana Rabinovici, the story of one girl and her mother's survival of the Holocaust. Specifically it contains a critical review of the book, including a summary of the contents, a comparison to other studies from the class and a reaction to the reading. It looks at how what singles this story out from other Holocaust survival stories is the simple language the author uses to tell her story and the aura of hope that surrounds it. It discusses how it is a story of survival in its basest form. It shows how Susie's mother is undeniably wise and quick to understand their plight. She does just about anything necessary to shelter Susie, from lying about them being mother and daughter, to lying about Susie's age and sheltering her from the prying eyes of the Nazis so they would not discover she was just a child.
From the Paper "In 1943, Susie and her family leave the Vilnius ghetto; the entire ghetto is being liquidated. Most of her family is exterminated as soon as they leave the ghetto, but Susie and her mother make it out alive, and are sent to the concentration camp called "Kaiserwald." Incredibly, the concentration camp was a resort before the war. "Before the war Kaiserwald had been a holiday resort. Well-to-do families rented cottages and passed the warm-weather days here. There had been all kinds of colorful flowers here, wide lawns, rivers and beaches, and wonderful walking paths in the forests" (118). When the Jews arrived, the resort was gone, but they felt they had " left the worst behind us "(101), but they would soon discover this was of course not the case. They meet the "blitz maidens," SS women who wear "black, shiny boots" (102), and carry whips, which they use often. Four women have to sleep in one bed, and the food is barely edible. The days blend together into hours spent standing at roll call at 5 a.m. in any type of weather, to grueling hard labor building railroads, also in any weather, from rain to snow and wind."
Tags: vilnius, ghetto, concentration, camp, nazis, holocaust
Abstract This paper examines and describes the focus of National Socialism on anti-Semitism and the Nazis' hatred of the Jews. It addresses how the Nazis tried to prove that anti-Semitism responded to Germany's problems, how the Nazis justified the persecution of the Jews, and what Hitler's personal role was in all of this?
From the Paper "Anti-Semitism is probably one of the most infamous platforms of Hitler and his Nazis, and the Holocaust was its horrific instrument of destruction. While anti-Semitism was not the only plank in Hitler's Nazi platform, it was an important part of his theology, and appealed to the German people for a variety of reasons. Many authors are not surprised so many Germans found this view "admirable," as they were searching for a way to blame someone else for their failures, and Hitler's ideas were the perfect solution to their search. After the First World War, Germany was a defeated and depressed nation."
Tags: holocaust, nazi, platform, hatred, first, world, war, scapegoat, race, theory
Abstract This paper focuses on how the Nazis stripped Jews and other victims in the concentration camp of their individuality and personalities. Using Elie Wiesel's classic novel on the holocaust, "Night", the paper describes how the autobiographical protagonist is forced to become a number among millions of other victims. It traces this loss of selfhood from the first chapter when he has to live away from the rest of humanity in a ghetto and until the final chapter when he physically survives Auschwitz but feels his soul has been slaughtered in the process.
From the Paper "The camps not only succeeded in stripping away the outward social signs of personhood, they also succeeded in stripping away the inner sanctums of humanity. In the camps, the individuals slowly change from being objectified humans to actually becoming like beasts. They are described as eventually behaving like ?wild beasts of prey, with animal hatred in their eyes; an extraordinary vitality had seized them, sharpening their teeth and nails.? (Chapter 7) The inmates no longer care about the trappings of morality and civilization. When pressed, they become even more brutal than the guards themselves. For example, in Chapter 7 one boy kills his own father over a scrap of bread. This change from civilized beings into brutal monsters begins as early as Chapter Two. Here the captives have not even been taken all the way to the death camps when the first blood is spilt among them."
Abstract This paper provides a brief description of Adolph Hitler, describes Hitler's beliefs and objectives as the leader of the Third Reich, offers a timeline of events of WWII, and concludes with a brief discussion of the consequences of WWII.
From the Paper "Hitler believed that the German man, with his blonde hair, blue eyes, and tall stature was superior to other races. He named this race the Aryan race, and claimed they were the master race above all other races. So, if the Aryan race was superior to all other races, then there must be inferior, or subhuman races. These races must include the Jews, Czechs, Poles, and Russians. His focus was on the Jew, because as he dictated for his book, ?The mightiest counterpart to the Aryan is represented by the Jew.? He believed that the Jews were conspiring to keep the master race from assuming their "rightful place", by tainting the racial and cultural superiority. As an interesting side note, Hitler himself was short, had dark hair and dark eyes."
Tags: 3rd, aryans, depression, events, great, hitler, jews, reasons, reich, timeline, war, world
Abstract This paper discusses how William Styron's novel "Sophie's Choice" presents an almost unimaginably terrible moral dilemma to the reader. It looks at how in the novel, the character Sophie and her two children are taken to the Nazi death camp Auschwitz-Birkenau during the Nazi purge of the Jews and how in order to be spared, Sophie must choose the life of one of her children over the other. It analyzes the several ways that one can ultimately view Sophie's decision to save Jan, her elder boy, such as using a Kantian, a utilitarian, or a relativist moral perspective. It also evaluates how Sophie's decision, for Styron, ultimately serves as a theological proof, a proof that, by extension, serves to show that Styron believes in an inherent meaning to morality very much in the same manner that Kant does.
From the Paper "From the example of the terrible choice that Sophie is forced to make, one might ultimately conclude that Styron, then, accepts a relativist position on morality. Almost anyone would have to reject Kantian values in this application?by applying the categorical imperative Sophie would have almost certainly lost both of her children, and how could anyone call a mother immoral for being unwilling to sacrifice both of her children to the "higher cause" of an abstract ethical system? Making such a choice would seem terrible, cruel, and inhuman, so we can say of the Kantian analyzing Sophie's situation that, if he is willing call her unethical, he may be "theoretically" correct, but he has no heart. Utilitarianism seems similarly flawed, and Sophie's good faith efforts to save one of her children probably did not work?regardless she is at best uncertain as to her son's survival and doubts of it."
Abstract This paper looks at how Freud's "Civilization and its Discontents" offers unique insights into the psychoanalytic workings of the human mind which may help to explain how many of the atrocities which face the characters in Elie Wiesel's "Night" could be rationalized by these characters' oppressors. The essay also focuses on analyzing Eliezer's relationship with his friends and ailing father throughout the novel as well as looking at events of the Holocaust as a whole.
From the Paper "This statement, written by Freud years before the Nazi party began separating Jews and other undesirables from their community, describes one of the most important aspects of Human nature that allowed the Nazi movement to be so effective and appealing to those involved. Aggression is one of man's most natural instincts that must be fulfilled if Humans are to stay in an emotionally balanced state. Civilization however, impedes upon this urge toward hostility. The Nazis understood this, and in turn realized the necessity of clearly identifying a separate faction for the Aryans to project their anger and enmity toward without being shunned by society. The trick in this becomes identifying this separate party of outcasts and displaying them such that the population will accept them as the others. The first step in this process is presenting the ideas to the public as to why these people ought to be their antagonists. Hitler's oratory skills seemed to have a knack for accomplishing this. As in Sighet, another primary step was forcing these pariahs to wear arm bands, visually separating them from the insiders. Now, not only are the ideas implanted within the Aryans but they are also able to see each and every person who they are encouraged to direct their aggression toward. In doing this, the Nazis have tailored society to aid the id in that the superego is now believing that this aggression is acceptable and the ego is free act on it without opposition. The hostility immediately began to flow and the entire process began to progress."
