The long-term causes were from the Middle Ages up until 1939 when the Holocaust properly began. The longest-term cause was the medieval tradition of anti-Semitism. Anti-Semitism was existent long before the Nazi party and in the Middle Ages Jews were often treated as outcasts by European society. They had no real ‘homeland’, which made them different to other religions, and they travelled around as traders for some time. As Christianity spread Jews were often seen as the biblical “Christ-killers” which made much of the European community suspicious of them.
The British, Americans and the French had ruined and humiliated them. Those nations had power over most of their weapon industries. So the Germans’ needed someone to blame that wasn’t so powerful and wasn’t very big. The angry citizens and the politicians’ negotiation were to blame someone that couldn’t kill them and they needed a scapegoat. That scapegoat was the Jews.
In Bauer’s chapter on resistance, he provides detailed information about various kinds of resistance. He does state that “open resistance was extremely difficult” but regardless, resistance did occur. First, Bauer speaks about armed resistance. This form of resistance was very difficult also due to the fact that Jews were within the walls of Ghettos, and also because the Nazis were such a large group. Bauer provides passages from Jewish individuals stating that rebellion is the only way out.
Fault for the Holocaust The highest responsibility for the Holocaust is held by Hitler and those who worked with him, followed by the bystanders and the innocent. It was Hitler and his SS officers who manipulated and controlled millions of Jews. Allied countries were afraid of Hitler and the damage he could’ve done; the Jewish didn’t believe the stories being told by others. Hitler made millions believe that the Jews were filthy. The Jews were not the perfect image to Hitler, but it wasn’t just him.
There was an influx of Jewish people into Germany, therefore the anti-emetic actions grew larger, despite it already being apparent that the Kaiser was anti-Semitic himself, at the end of the19th century there was a wave of anti Semitic publications, the Kaiser is known to have read these books etc.., this causes great tensions, as clearly the population agrees with their Kaiser’s opinion causing anti-Semitism to rise. Another source of tension was the anti-Semitism being clear through the idea that no Jews were able to do more traditional career areas, such as government, the army and judiciary’, this meant the they had no choice but to become bankers and lawyers act, all high earning jobs, this caused some tension within the country as they were the higher earning majority,
He tried so desparately to create a total blonde-haired, blue eyed poplation and anyone who wasn’t of that demographic was to be executed. Purifying the world as a complete Aryan race was his idea of perfect. Hitler could not see a world with anyone but his “own” people and his main target were the Jewish people of the surrounding countries. Many countries that Germany asked for help were very hesitant to lend a helping hand so Adolf Hitler attempted to take over the world by himself. It is believed that Adolf Hitler had put a tremendous amount of blame on the Jewish population for the losses of World War I and embarrassment that wouled ensue Germany afterwards.
The Holocaust was the systematic genocide of Jews and other undesirables by the Nazis in German-occupied areas of Europe. Some Nazi practices were forcing Jews to live in concentration camps or ghettos, as well as murdering them in numerous ways. Policies included the Nuremburg Laws, which stripped the rights of Jews. Resistance against these activities did not necessarily involve violence; there were both violent and passive ways in which the Jews chose to resist Nazi policies and practices. Many Jewish people chose to use violent opposition as resistance to the actions of the Germans.
Hitler captured people in his speeches with his promises of a better Germany, but he also taught his hatred of Jews in the process. “It was Hitler’s belief that the Jews had too much money, land and the power of the press.” (library.thinkquest.org) Hitler caused mass hysteria against Jews by creating this frame of mind that they were the cause of all things bad just like Abigail and her posse did to Salem. Unfortunately, the people who are completely innocent in these cases get punished the most. In both the Salem witch trials and the Holocaust many people were killed who were not
According to Prager and Telushkin, this reason is tied directly to the hatred and exclusion the Jewish people have always experienced. There may be some truth in this, especially when compared to the already stated concept of the stranger, and the threat to order. Not only that, but there may be projection; people do not like that they themselves cannot live the life of higher quality that the Jewish people live, so they project what they feel about themselves onto them. This phenomenon is better illustrated using George Stanton’s 8 Stages of Genocide development that starts with groups being divided into us and them, leading to the genocide itself and the ultimate denial of such acts happening (Beaumont,
The twentieth century saw the rise in Arab terrorism, the civil uprisings of the 1960’s, and two world wars. Without a doubt, the greatest example of the evil and inhumanity of the twentieth century was the Holocaust of the Jewish people by the Nazis in Germany before and during World War II. Where to place the blame for the Holocaust is widely debated. Many people see it fit to blame Adolf Hitler for perpetrating the acts, while some will look elsewhere to assign blame. No matter who is to blame for the Holocaust, there is no question that the widespread destruction the Holocaust caused would not have been possible without the organization and leadership of Adolf Eichmann.