HIST 410N WEEK 3: WORLD WAR II AND THE HOLOCAUST DISCUSSION

WORLD WAR II AND THE HOLOCAUST DISCUSSION – The following statement was taken from a contemporary account of Germany in 1939: “Though the Fuhrer’s anti-Semitic program furnished the National Socialist party in the first instances with a nucleus and a rallying-cry, it was swept into office by two things with which the “Jewish Problem” did not have the slightest connection. On the one side was economic distress and the revulsion against Versailles: on the other, chicanery and intrigue…Hitler and his party promised the unhappy Germans a new heaven and a new earth, coupled with the persecution of the Jews. Unfortunately a new heaven and earth cannot be manufactured to order. But a persecution of the Jews can…” How do you interpret this contemporary account of the persecution of people who are Jewish? Elaborate.

Hello class, according to Hitler’s ideology that he explained in his book, Mein Kampf, the “Aryan race” was responsible for creating the world’s great civilizations while the Jews were responsible for undermining human progress. He also argued that German people needed living space or “lebensraum” in order to develop their potential. How does this vision explain the motivations for the Second World War and how the persecution of the Jews became such a central aspect of the Nazi program?

HIST 410N WEEK 3: WORLD WAR II AND THE HOLOCAUST DISCUSSION

Understanding the philosophy of Nazism may shed light on Hitler’s ideolody. According to Blum (2015), Adolf Hitler adapted the proponents of the racial theorists of the the 19th century.  White supremacy was the core concept of such theory. He believed that “human races were divided into culture-creating and culture destroying group”(Blum, 2015). The Nordic-Aryan-Germanic group were considered the masterpiece and the culture -creating race.  The Jews were considered the culture-destroying race.  This was one reason why Hitler wanted to wipe out the Jews, extended the Lebensraum and to create a new Germanic empire beyond the borders ensured with security and economic independence. As Hitler rose to power, he maintained an authoritarian rule in a solid hierarchical system.Hundreds of Jews were sent to death in concentration camps. To start territorial expansion, Germany defied the provision of the Treaty of Versailles. WWII commenced when Germany invaded Poland, France and other European countries including the Soviet Union, a quest to extend the living space. (Brower & Sanders, 2014).

Blum, G. P. (2015). Nazism. Salem Press Encyclopedia.

Brower, D., & Sanders, T. (2014). The world in the twentieth century:  From empires to nation, 7th ed. Hoboken, NJ: Pearsons.