I cannot think of a darker story than that of the treatment of the Jews under the jurisdiction in throughout duration of the third Reich. Knowing the result, organized and systematic genocide on an unprecedented level, it doesn’t seem possible to draw a logical progression to the final result from the general European anti-Semitism. Robert Gellately, in an engaging article, poses a convincing argument in which he illustrates a Nazi Germany in which the mass of the population made possible the enforcement of anti-Jewish legislation that eventually metastasized into the holocaust.
The forced mass conformity of the third Reich undoubtedly played a role in the development of the holocaust. After the enactment of the Nuremburg Laws, the first wave of the mass loss of rights for the Jewish community, Gellately reports that a German citizen felt that most Germans “go back and forth or have contradictory opinions” about the treatment of the Jews in Germany. This response doesn’t seem to be that unnatural. The Germans, while living in a society that was no stranger to anti-semitism, were a Christian nation, and, as Gellately points out, many Christian leaders attempted to use their influence to ease the difficulties of the Jewish burden. Unfortunately, this initial humane urge was quickly diminished by the top down surge of hate.
By 1938, 75 to 80 percent of all Jewish businesses operating in 1933 were liquidated, thus stripping Jews en masse of their livelihoods. This was only the beginning as the first mass deportation to a concentration camp occurred in the same year, starting a disastrous trend. As these blatant civil injustices progressed into outright seizure and murder, German citizens seemed to turn their head.
Dr. Goebbels and his ministry of propaganda played a key role in the development of a murderous psyche. Owning all facets of German media, the Nazi propaganda machine effectively convinced the German public that, among other social atrocities, the Jews were solely responsible for the second world War. Gallately states, “Many people in Germany apparently agreed that the Jews started the war, at least if official surveys from that period can be believed.” The vulnerable German public, which anti-Semitic tendencies, had fallen prey to the intended trap of the Nazi leaders.
As the “final solution” was put into practice, Germans were repeatedly informed of the mass deportations of Jewish people. They were not informed of the fate of these persons, and, from all indications, were not concerned. The turning of a populations’ head to genocide, even under the veil of ignorance, is simply not excusable. This theme is implicit throughout Gellately’s argument as he asserts that most of the people giving away information about to the Nazi’s were not politically motivated, but in fact fell victim to more sinister personal reasons. Studies will continue on this subject, but in light of Gellately’s article, and in line with reasons, it seems that to some degree the blood of millions of innocent Jews have has to be dispersed among the general German public.
The Holocaust has always saddened me deeply. It's a reflection of the purest of evil that humans are capapble of, and I don't like it one bit. It scares me, frankly. Persons that would consider themselves good, honest people allowed this to happen, and most did absolutely nothing to stop it. It's a poor reflection on the human race, and I hope to never see something like this in my lifetime, or for it to ever happen again. I can't wrap my mind around the fact that people would just stand by and let their former friends and neighbors be hauled away to death camps, never to return. It just baffles me.
ReplyDeleteIt's difficult to say to what degree the German populace was complicit in the Holocaust. It's pretty clear that most Germans to a degree were familiar with what was going on and many weren't overly concerned. I do question though to what degree they really connected with what was going on though. It's one thing to see people doing labor and have their activities restricted especially if they were not actively enforcing the laws. They may not have even cared.
ReplyDeleteWhat many didn't do though was actively witness what was going on after. It's one thing to hear about what was going on and another to actually witness it or worse participate in it.
Judging the guilt or complicity of 'average' Germans in the Holocaust remains a challenging endeavor. The more research that comes out, the more complicated the question seems to become. Obviously, Germans knew something bad was happening to the Jews, hence those who tried to protect, hide or shield Jews from deportation but exactly what the average German knew and (more importantly) when they knew it, remains a subject of debate. It is also important to remember that such a crime had not yet been perpetrated to such an extent, that we all live and reason in a post-Auschwitz world in a way that Germans in 30s and 40s did not. Regardless, historical research has certainly proven without a doubt that most Germans were much less innocent and much more complicit than they originally claimed.
ReplyDeleteI think even though the German people were not directly informed of the Jews fate, many speculated what was likely to happen to them. This post makes me think of the two historical opinions we read regarding the members of Reserve Battalion 101. My brain starts to hurt if I make too great of an effort to convince myself whether it was the Nazis or the German people. Still, despite the mass historical evidence supports otherwise, I believe the truth about the German people's motives lies somewhere in a gray area, rather than a black or white one.
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