The Holocaust was a very horrific time for the Jewish people of Europe and the world. Adolf Hitler, dictator of Germany at the time of the Holocaust and World War II, started the Holocaust which killed over 10 million people, including almost 6 million Jews. Adolf Hitler was very anti-Semitic, but Hitler alone could not have caused the Holocaust. Hitler was the driving force behind the obsessive and fanatical Nazi persecution and ultimately also the mass slaughter of the Jews and various other groups, though the details of implementation were left to the terror apparatus, headed by Heinrich Himmler and Reinhard Heydrich.
The rise of the Nazis is the main cause of the Holocaust. According to Kimel, the Nazis took advantage of the bad state of Germany, at the time in order to take control of the country. After World War I, German pride was hurt by the Versailles Treaty which, among other things, forced Germany to accept the blame for starting the First World War.
The Versailles Treaty also forced Germany to pay huge amounts of money to the Allies. Germany was forced to take loans from the United States in order to pay this money. Once the Great Depression started in the United States, the banks started demanding that Germany repay their loans, causing the German economy to suffer even more during this difficult period. The Nazis promised to make Germany a great country. This helped the Nazis take control of the government of Germany, as everybody wanted change in the government that would help rebuild their country.
The Holocaust obviously could not be carried out without at least some public support, so propaganda became an important part of Nazi politics. Josef Goebbels, Hitler’s minister of propaganda, became a well-known figure in Germany. (Causes of the Holocaust) Goebbels worked hard to convince the German public of the superiority of the Aryan race. Once propaganda was widespread in Germany, anti-Semitism became common. Hitler believed in racial anti-Semitism rather than religious anti-Semitism. Religious anti-Semitism was the hatred of Jews who would not convert to Christianity. Racial anti-Semitism was the hatred of anybody who could be traced back to a Jewish grandparent, even if he practiced Christianity..
Another problem that led to the execution of so many Jews in the Holocaust was that the other countries of the world were not trying to stop what was happening. The world powers simply stood by and watched. Some of the most powerful countries even signed contracts with Hitler saying that they would never go to war against Germany. (Causes of the Holocaust) Adolf Hitler wanted everything that he did to the Jews in Germany to be permanent. He wanted the world to continue to hate Jews after he was gone. Hitler thought that the only way to do this was to convince everybody that he was right. Hitler started the process of brainwashing by telling everybody how the destruction of the Jews would help them to live better.
There are quite a few causes of the Holocaust. Some of them were outside of the control of many people, while some of them could have been stopped. All of these causes could be repeated if we do not study the Holocaust. Anything that could happen fifty years ago could happen again now, today. In our time, anti-Semitism is on the rise once again, especially in Europe. Propaganda is at an extremely high point currently, and this propaganda could easily turn into brainwashing. If all of these discussed causes are repeated, there is a good chance that something resembling the Holocaust will occur once again. This could end up being fatal to the world. In this modern world, it is our job to prevent the Holocaust from happening again. Studying the Holocaust and learning about what happened is one way to prevent it from happening again, and that is very important!
Who is Responsible for the Holocaust
Many think that the Holocaust should be blamed on one person and one person only: Adolf Hitler. This is not the case, though. Numerous amounts of people are to be held accountable for the killings, from Hitler to the German citizens to members of other countries who aided in the terror or who ignored the facts when they were presented. A final party that should be held accountable, though, that many never think of, is those of us who learn, research, and study about the Holocaust, even today. The fact is, many are unaware that crimes against humanity like this one are still happening today.
It is because of the people who don’t hold that knowledge, and those who hold it but do nothing about it, that these things are still occurring in the present day. Perhaps it is because they don’t understand the reality of the Holocaust, or the present – day terrorism. It can’t be put into words, and perhaps we will never understand it, but if it could be put into a quotation, it would be this: “Six million. Behind each digit, starting with the number one, was a pair of eyes, a face, a living, vital human being” (Chaikin 135).
Holocaust Survivor
One of the many survivors was Simon Wiesenthal, who survived the Nazi death camps and began his career as a Nazi hunter.
Simon Wiesenthal was born on December 31, 1908 in Buczacz (Lvov Oblast, Ukraine) and died on September 20, 2005. Unfortunately, Wiesenthal’s father was murdered in World War One, which forced him and his family to vacate Lvov Oblast and arrive to Vienna. Simon Wiesenthal graduated from the Gymnasium in 1928, and was ambitious to apply for an admission at Polytechnic Institute, located in Lvov. Due to the discrimination towards Jewish students, his admission was rejected and he attended the Technical University of Prague instead, where he earned a degree in architectural engineering. Later on, in 1936, Simon married Cyla Mueller and worked in an architectural office. Everything went smoothly, until Germany and Russia signed an agreement to share Poland. At this time, the Russian army invaded Lvov and began the Red Purge of the Jewish merchants, factory owners and many other workers.
In addition, his stepfather was arrested and eventually died, and his stepbrother was shot. With no options available, Simon Wiesenthal worked as a mechanic in a factory. During the time where the Russians were banished by the Germans in 1941, a former employee of Wiesenthal helped him and his family escape from the Nazis. Unfortunately, the escape failed and he and his family were separated into labour concentration or death camps. In October 1943, Wiesenthal escaped the Ostbahn camp, but was recaptured at the Janowska camp. Actually, during the time in the Janowska camp, Wiesenthal could’ve been killed if the German Eastern Front hadn’t collapsed due to the Red Army. After many struggle, Wiesenthal finally escaped, weighing only 99 pounds and in a very fragile state. Simon Wiesenthal was not only an honorable survivor, but also a contributor the Holocaust, that happened in World War Two. After his horrible incident at the concentration camps, Wiesenthal’s health was back to normal and he began research on possible evidences to prove the Nazi’s atrocious behaviours toward the Jews.
Wiesenthal worked in many legal and corporate offices, to gain his status, along with conducting his research. After leaving the United States Army in 1947, Wiesenthal and other volunteers opened the Jewish Historical Documentation Centre, which assisted with the evidence for war crime trials. Yet, as the Cold War began, the association collapsed. All of the documents and research evidence were given away, except for one important document about Adolf Eichmann, who was the one that supervised the “Final Solution” technique during the war. Eichmann was never heard of after the war and he remained incognito. At last, in 1959, Germany informed that Eichmann was in Buenos Aires, and was found guilty for mass destruction of the Jews. This brought more and more successes to Wiesenthal. He later organized another Jewish Documentation Centre and hunted war criminals such as Karl Silberbauer, who arrested an innocent Jewish girl.
Wiesenthal also found ways to arrest commandants of certain concentration camps. He proved that not only can one survive such a severe incident, but also be able to stand up for civil rights, rather than doing absolutely nothing. People such as Simon Wiesenthal are great contributors to our community. Even though the Holocaust was finished, he felt the need to take action and punish those, who tortured innocent souls. The story behind any victim is always significant, because it gives an understanding of harsh situations and helps the new generation, be able to redevelop and not make the mistakes from the past. Also, when survivors share their stories, they attain a sense of relief and are able to forget their memories.
Order an Essay Now & Get These Features For Free:
Turnitin Report
Formatting
Title Page
Citation
Outline
