Holocoust
Historically, the word holocaust meant a religious rite in which an offering was completely consumed by fire. In current times, however, the word holocaust has taken on a darker more tragic meaning and refers to more than a religious sacrifice. During World War II, a fire raged throughout Eastern Europe. Guns, bombs, and military groups did not ignite this fire. This fire burned fervently in the hearts of men -- sparked by centuries-old prejudice. One man, Adolf Hitler, took this flicker of hatred and fanned the flames. Hitler energized and stoked the embers, spreading them throughout Eastern Europe causing widespread destruction in the pursuit of a perfect Aryan nation. Although ...
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incendiary path.
After World War I, the social climate in Germany was dismal. The German people were humiliated by their country's defeat and by the terms of the Treaty of Versailles. The economic depression that resulted left millions of individuals out of work. The German government was weak, and the people sought new leadership. These conditions provided an opportune setting for a new leader, Adolf Hitler, and his party, the National Socialist German Workers Party. Hitler, manic and charismatic, was able to fan the flames of an ancient hatred into a wild and out of control conflagration (Altman 12).
As with most hatred and prejudices, the animosity that fueled the Holocaust started with antilocution, verbal abuse. As soon as Hitler was named chancellor, he persuaded the cabinet to declare a state of emergency allowing him to end all personal freedom. Among the rights lost were freedom of press, freedom of speech, and freedom of assembly. He then voiced his beliefs in the ...
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and newspapers became Nazi propaganda tools to spread lies about the Jew. Schools taught that the Aryans were the most intelligent race. Pictures were displayed showing the sizes of different brains and always depicted the Aryan brain as the largest. Furthermore, the people were told it was a sin against the German people, their ancestors, and the Aryans' future to associate with the Jews. The Nazi Party distributed leaflets urging pure Germans to keep their distance from the Jews and to shun the Star of David with great disdain (Shulman 35).
The large-scale avoidance of the impure Germans made German society more receptive to legalized discrimination. The government was ...
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Holocoust. (2006, September 19). Retrieved December 22, 2024, from http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Holocoust/52644
"Holocoust." Essayworld.com. Essayworld.com, 19 Sep. 2006. Web. 22 Dec. 2024. <http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Holocoust/52644>
"Holocoust." Essayworld.com. September 19, 2006. Accessed December 22, 2024. http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Holocoust/52644.
"Holocoust." Essayworld.com. September 19, 2006. Accessed December 22, 2024. http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Holocoust/52644.
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