Abstract
This paper questions and examines how the German people were able to adopt the Nazi ideology during World War II, which led to the extermination of millions of Jews. The paper addresses how historians and humans in general have been forced to grapple with this question in light of one of the most horrific chapters in world history, the Jewish Holocaust. According to the paper, it is difficult to imagine the motivations behind the soldiers and other German officials who participated in the methodical extermination of approximately six million of Europe's Jews.

From the Paper
"World War II ushered in conflict, murder, and suffering of a manner and magnitude never before seen in human history. Specifically what has troubled many contemporary historians, sociologists, and psychologists is the question of how so many otherwise ordinary, moral German citizens could; first, so broadly adopt the practice of violence; and second, could relish so fully in its practice. This is one of the primary questions historians and humans in general have been forced to grapple with in light of one of the most horrific chapters in world history--the Jewish Holocaust. Namely, it is difficult to imagine the motivations behind the..."

Tags:holocaust, jews, germans

Abstract
This paper considers the question of how so many otherwise ordinary, moral German citizens could; first, so broadly adopt the practice of violence; and second, could relish so fully in its practice. The paper notes that this question is one of the primary questions historians and humans in general have been forced to grapple with in light of one of the most horrific chapters in world history--the Jewish Holocaust. The paper further relates that it remains undeniable that something or someone drove these individuals to inflict pain and death of such massive proportions. The paper then goes on to discuss some of the explanations that are given in attempts to identify more general patterns, and more conclusive answers to the social and psychological phenomena responsible for human acts of malice.

From the Paper
"Another explanation that relies upon the notion of mandatory conformity is connected strongly with the mob mentality and the following of orders. Writers like Christopher R. Browning point to instances in which groups of Nazi officers initially felt ill-suited to the acts of violence they were ordered to commit, but eventually became quite accustomed to them. "Once entangled, people encounter a series of 'blinding factors' or 'cementing mechanisms' that make disobedience or refusal even more difficult." This approach takes into account the joy expressed by many Nazi executioners by attributing it to peer pressures, pressures from above, and routine exposure to bloodshed. Still, it seems difficult to argue that the majority of the Nazi's who perpetrated the Holocaust were simply "going with the flow," and had no ideological or moral association with the actions they took. This would be to deny that the forces that brought the Nazi's to power had any association with romantic visions of Germany's future--that deeply rooted emotional ties supported the Nazi's racial cause and dream."

Tags:sadists, cruelty, mob, mentality, peer, pressure

Abstract
The paper discusses the post-WWII debate on whether Nazi law could be "legal" with regard to obviously criminal/artibitrary law that some have said cannot be law as it negates the individual. The paper addresses German positivism versus the post-War natural law debate and argues that a policy that is immoral, unethical or has the purpose of extermination is still a law.

Tags:extermin law, hart/raz/fuller, debates

Abstract
This paper is focused on the progression of the anti-Semitic actions of the German people in the 1930?s and 40?s. It looks at the roots of hatred, the legislation that was passed that discriminated against the Jews, an overview of the Holocaust, and the war crimes trials at Nuremberg.

From the paper:

"Hitler harbored a hatred for the Jews that was unparalleled anywhere in the world. Where this hatred stemmed from is unclear, but it was very evident that Hitler blamed the Jews for all the problems in Germany and in his own life, and that he was sincere in his convictions. When he became Fuhrer his view was not only pushed upon the public, it became a nightmare for all the Jews in Germany, and later, for all the Jewish populations of Europe. Hitler sought not just to eliminate their power and influence, but to wipe out the people themselves. What makes it even more ghastly is that he felt that he was doing the world a favor by these actions, and that God had selected him for this mission of purification, which he called "the Final Solution". Using his unique speaking ability, Hitler preached that the Aryan race was the master race, and the inferior Jews were holding them back, spreading lies and evil in Germany. The story of the ordeal that the Jews in Europe endured includes the beginning of discrimination, the legislation passed against them, the concentration camps, the liberation of the camps, and the war criminals trial held in Nuremberg. All of these parts play key roles in trying to understand how this could happen and how it can be prevented from ever happening again."

Tags:camps, concentration, crimes, genocide, hitler, holocaust, war, world

Abstract
This paper explains that "The Rape of Nanking: The Forgotten Holocaust of World War II " by Iris Chang describes events that happened four years before Pearl Harbor, when the Japanese forces destroyed everything in their way in their march to conquer the important areas of China, not so much for a military victory but to crush the state of mind of a people opposed to everything Japanese; the world has never condemned the Japanese nor has Japan apologized. The author points out that the book lacks objectivity and presents a one-dimensional view of both the Japanese "criminals" and the Chinese women victims. The paper relates that, from a historian's point of view, Chang does not delve into the Chinese government's role in allowing this massacre and other Japanese atrocities to happen.

From the Paper
"If there is one section of the book where the author spends an inordinate amount of space it is with the lack of responsiveness of the Japanese government to answer charges about the war crimes committed in Nanking. One can see from recent headlines that the Japanese seem loath to do anything about the atrocities committed during the War, including the "comfort women" important from the Philippines and Korea, and other atrocities for which the Japanese government expressed regret, but offered no reparation. She goes into great length about the silence of the soldiers themselves, the rise of many of these war criminals into public life and the private sector and the lack of reparations to the Chinese victims of this Rape of Nanking and other atrocities on the Chinese mainland. Unlike the Germans, for example, who continued to root out suspected Nazis who had taken government and industrial jobs, the Japanese smugly left them alone- as if to say "let bygones be bygones"."

Tags:world-consciousness, women, crush, destruction, governments

Abstract
This paper details the social and political policies targeting German homosexuals, beginning with its early criminalization in Germanic provinces before unification, with the majority of the discussion centered on the treatment of homosexuals during Hitler's Third Reich. Included is discussion of Paragraph 175, Ernst Roehm's homosexuality, the 'Night of Long Knives', medical experimentation on homosexuals, and the imprisonment of gays in Nazi concentration camps.

From the Paper
"It was Heinrich Himmler who would ultimately shape much of the Nazi's policy on dealing with the homosexual question. Himmler was the leader of the SS (Schutzstaffel), the elite guard of the Nazi party, and the chief architect of the concentration camp system begun in 1933 (Plant, 74). It was Himmler and Reinhard Heydrich who led Hitler to believe that a coup was being orchestrated by their rival Roehm, whose homosexuality Himmler abhorred. The result of this deception was the Night of the Long Knives in which Roehm and hundreds others connected to the SA were murdered in June of 1934 (Plant, 56). Himmler would later refer to the murder of Roehm as proof of the Nazi's willingness to rid Germany of homosexuals, "Two years ago...when it became necessary, we did not scruple to strike this plague with death, even within our own ranks" (Steakly)."

Tags:lesbians, weimar, third, reich

Abstract
This paper briefly compares and contrasts the perspectives on the Holocaust of Emil L. Fackenheim and Dietrich Bonhoeffer. Fackenheim's essay, taken from his book "God's Presence in History, Jewish Affirmations and Philosophical Reflections", is written from the perspective of a Jew who lived through the experiences of the Holocaust. Bonhoeffer's "Letters and Papers from Prison" is written by a member of the Christian community with an indirect, intellectual connection to the Holocaust.

From the Paper
"The study of the Holocaust is in part the study of history's treatment of the Jewish community. Jews have traditionally been subject to isolationism, and there are a large number of persons active in theological studies who suggest that this isolationism has been extended at times to take the form of aggressive persecution. This latter perception of Judaism often draws upon noteworthy events to make their case that Jews have suffered as a result of their adherence to their faith; the Holocaust is one event that is effective in illustrating these themes as it is a comparatively recent occurrence and the depth of crimes committed against the Jewish community during this time are both serious and numerous. This paper shall compare and contrast the perspectives of Emil L. Fackenheim and Dietrich Bonhoeffer."

Tags:holocaust, jew, christian

Abstract
This paper argues that Adolf Hitler had some alternative personal reasons for why he may have caused the largest mass killing in world history. Some reasons include his personal life and sexuality. This paper examines how these impacted Hitler's rise to power and motivation.

From the paper:

"Due to Adolf Hitler?s embarrassing family roots, stern, emotion filled upbringing, and his inner turmoil in dealing with his sexuality he had built up guilt, aggression, frustration, and self loathing which as result caused the holocaust. The context of this paper will discuss how his family roots were considered embarrassing, how they came to be, and how in turn it caused him to feel disgusted with himself and what he was which caused aggressive and malevolent behavior. Also it shall speak of what consists of a strict upbringing, what certain events and regular happenings occurred in this childhood, and finally what in this rigid upbringing could cause a man to have this inner anger build to lead way to cause such death and destruction. And lastly, the paper will speak of Adolf Hitler?s sexuality and how his homosexuality or sexuality, which was kept hidden, as it was not proper for men to like men during his time and was gravely frowned upon, caused such guilt and pain within himself to lead to this horrifying event we call the holocaust."

Tags:adolf, hitler, holocaust, ii, war, world, personal, distress, aggression, frustration, family, sexuality

Abstract
This paper breaches the subject of the Schutzstaffels (SS), Hitler's army that carried out the Holocaust. With excerpts and examples, the paper strives to illustrate that most moral, decent people are capable of criminal acts, under a certain set of circumstances. The paper notes that when many of the top SS officers were prosecuted and asked why they carried out such brutal actions, they simply replied that they were under orders - the same answer that many soldiers around the world, including those of the United States, have given over the years to justify their actions. After discussing the psychological damage sustained by many of the SS, the paper concludes that the SS did not fancy a war but rather were dragged along by the decisions of their government.

From the Paper
"After seeing the aftermath of the Holocaust, the SS officers began doubting Hitler's reasoning. The young boys who joined the SS did not know what tasks they would have to perform, only that what they were doing was supposedly helping their country. Explaining the behaviors of a frosh SS officers, a SS explained, "[at first] they often refused to perform the task given, and would ask questions" ("Secrets of Nazis" , par 3). The SS had a conscience, but were led to believe that their actions were helping their country, family, and peers. However, while Germany was the supreme military power at this time, they were being defeated by the Allied powers. The young SS were perplexed at the reasonings of their government considering they were being defeated; "I was loyal to Hitler and Nazi's, but I could not understand why so many people had to die a brutal death." ("Secrets of Nazis" , par.2). They were trained to block out all feelings of guilt, sorrow and curiosity. In the world of the SS there was no room for questions to be asked, only for orders to be followed, yet still uncertainty and curiosity tantalized them, no matter how hard they tried to be the good Nazis they were trained to be. Some of the SS tried in many ways to help the prisoners even though their forces were no match for the mighty German force along with the German population, who at the time fully supported their government while clueless about what was truly taking place in their country; "They tried to free the Jews because they could no longer kill, they were willing to die even if it was against their governments' wants and was seen as a betrayal to their country" ("Secrets of Nazis" , par.7). They realized that what they were doing was inhumane and wrong. They stopped viewing Hitler as a masterminded militarist, and started to view him as the paranoid and cold hearted human being that he was. No matter how hard they tried to rationalize the reasonings of their government, they recognized that their actions were not helping their country but rather hurting millions of human beings."

Abstract
The writer examines the film "Triumph of the Spirit" and more closely the filmmaker "Leni Riefenstahl". The paper attempts to analyze whether Leni's participation in the production of this movie assisted and promoted Hitler's ideas and actions, and by doing so, placed her in the role or war criminal, not just film maker. The writer uses direct quotes from the time as well as historical stories to explore her involvement in Hitler's campaign and her subsequent guilt or innocence.

From the Paper
"Consider first the nature of the film itself. The documentary Triumph of the Will, directed by Leni Riefenstahl, presents the Nazi era through a particular prism showing it as heroic, elevating, and inspiring. The film is actually less overt about the propaganda elements than one might expect, with Riefenstahl hiding them in elegiac and poetic images whose effect is to elevate the Nazi party and its leader. The occasion was the Nuremberg rally in 1935 at which Hitler made a rousing speech that solidified his political power over the people. The film is not objective at all, and while the subject matter may be considered frightening and horrible, the techniques used by Riefenstahl in shaping the footage remain among the prime examples of documentary film-making. As propaganda, the film is extremely effective."

Tags:holocaust, germany, propaganda, war, crimes, documentary