Passive and Active Resistence During Holocaust

346 Words2 Pages
Passive and active resistance both have a place and result. Outcome is influenced by the exact situation. Many Jews were passive at the start of the Holocaust because they were trying to work around a powerful and evil system. Most could not fathom the scale of evil and how far it was going to go. In the beginning, the victims did not know they were being pushed to their death. Wishful thinking mixed with fear can keep one passive. By the time the truth was realized, the Nazi Party had become more powerful and they had also refined their killing system. As the Nazi Party grew stronger, the victims were either dead or becoming weaker. The only way to have stopped the Nazis was with active resistance and with help from the larger forces of other countries. It is a shame it took all to long for any outside help to come. It is heartwarming to know that pieces of humanity still existed at this time and that some individuals willingly risked their lives to help save these people. I can the decision to fight back even though it usually resulted with death to themselves and others. This was the last choice most of the resistors ever made was when to die and to do it fighting. I can see all forms of resistance helpful with consideration to one’s position and opportunity. I would rather die fighting than live and die as the Holocaust victims did but I do not know what I would have done. Would I have believed my suffering was going to end and have followed their orders in hopes of living? Would I have been so worn out by the time the gas chambers were staring me in the face that I would have willingly crawled in? I cannot say. It is easier to judge what one should have done when the plot is known from beginning to end. However, this was not your normal “live and learn” situation. These people were living it, not reading about it in history
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