The Holocaust was the result of Hitlers long held grand design to pursue a programme of annihilation against the Jews. Discuss with reference to the sources.

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“The Holocaust was the result of Hitler’s long held grand design to pursue a programme of annihilation against the Jews.”

The Holocaust is the name given to describe the systematic and deliberate attempt to exterminate the Jewish people during the Second World War, orchestrated by the Nazi Germans but perpetrated with the active or passive help the majority of the European population. The mass genocide of over 6million Jews, gypsies, Slavs and other minority groups is arguably the most monumental yet nefarious tragedies in western antiquity, an inextirpable event permanently engrained in the history of the western world.

Almost inevitably the Holocaust has become an area of intense historical interest and debate amongst intellectuals and historians alike. A major issue in contemporary Holocaust studies is the question of structuralism versus intentionalism. These terms were coined by the British Marxist historian Timothy Mason in a 1981 article to describe two schools of thought about the origins of the Holocaust. These two antipodal interpretations led to the development of a third, middle ground, school of thought; the Consensus interpretation emerged in the late 1980’s. By analysing a broad spectrum of sources, I hope to present a clear and effective assessment of this controversial debate.

Intentionalists hold that the Holocaust was the result of a long-term master plan on the part of Hitler, Hitler being the driving force behind tragedy. The intentionalist view was the first to arise, flourishing post war in the late 1950’s and early 1960’s. Intentionalists like Lucy Dawidowicz (1981) and Daniel Goldhagen (1997) argue that the Holocaust was planned by Hitler from the very beginning of his political career, at very least from the early 1920’s.

Structuralists stress that the Nazi anti-Semitic policy was constantly evolving in ever more radical directions developing through the increasing radicalization of the Nazi regime and the influence the Second World War; The Holocaust was the end product. The perception is that Hitler’s ideas were not very coherent; he was much more of an opportunist. Structuralists like Hans Mommsen (1991) and Martin Broszat (1981) hold that the Holocaust was started in 1941-1942 as a result of the failure of the Nazi deportation policy and the impending military losses in Russia.  Structuralists draw on the ‘intuitional anarchy’ of Nazi regime and 'leadership chaos’.

In contrast, the most recent view, that of the Consensus school of thought is an amalgamation of both Intentionalist and Structuralist theories. Consensus historians contend that the holocaust was a consequence of the coalescence of Nazi racial policy and a response to the circumstances induced by the war. This view is argued by the historian Ian Kershaw. Kershaw argues that a combination of Hitler’s fanatical racial ideology and other external factors leas to the attempted annihilation of the Jewish population.

The statement illustrates the main contention of the intentionalist view. This view was the first to arise, originating during the years following the Second World War. It must be noted that for the people living at this time, the carnage of the war was a very real memory, and consequently, it is fair to contest that these people may have lacked the emotional distance required to make rational interpretations of evidence and unbiased conclusions.; during a period of widespread acrimony towards Germany, it is likely that exaggeration and use of limited evidence greatly influenced the formation of this interpretation.  Intentionalism can be seen as almost a reactionary view. German people needed to place blame, and thus, it was easier to place blame upon individuals than  to condemn an entire nation; the Nuremburg trails unsuccessfully attempted to prosecute the main perpetrators, key individuals rather than Germany as a nation, a demonstration of this idea. Nazi Propaganda depicted Hitler as a strong leader, in control and solely responsible for all the successes of the Third Reich. It was therefore natural for people of this time to reverse this ideology and consequently blame Hitler, the strong dictator, for the atrocity.

Intentionalists not only stress Hitler’s anti-Semitic speeches and literature as a basis of annihilation but also emphasize the role of pre-existing anti-Semitism in German and European society.  Daniel Goldhagen argues that ordinary Germans were willing participants in the Holocaust, which he claims had its roots in a deep eliminationist German anti-Semitism. Most other historians have disagreed with Goldhagen's thesis, arguing that while anti-Semitism undeniably existed in Germany, Goldhagen's idea of a uniquely German "eliminationist" anti-Semitism is untenable. Historian Raul Hilberg wrote "The Nazis did not discard the past, they built on it. They did not begin a development. They completed it."  Social divisions in the Middle Ages fuelled xenophobia and the Jews were held responsible for the persecution and death of Jesus Christ amongst other catastrophes.

OWN SOURCE 1

Anti-Semitism - Pope Gregory IX orders the Talmud to be burned A.D. 1239 after a disputation*. Panel - Pedro Berruguete, 15th century. Note the non-heretical book floating above the fire

The image above was painted in the 15th Century by the Spanish painter Pedro Berruguete. Although the image was painted some time after the even occurred such prints were popular tin the 15th century and the image clearly justifies the existence of strong anti-Semitism pre-Nazi Germany and in the Middle Ages. The image depicts the burning of the talmond following a public debate between a Christian priest and a leader of the Jewish community. The debate was meant to "prove" the correctness of the Christian faith. At the conclusion of the debate, s were killed or subjected to mass conversion, or Jewish books such as the Talmud were burned.

OWN SOURCE 2

On January 9, 1349, nearly the entire Jewish population of Basel was massacred (burnt alive) by the townspeople. Woodcut, 1493

At the end of the 14th century in Europe, scores were dying from the Black Plague and the people of the time did not understand why. That was until they found a scape goat; local leaders of modern Switzerland, France and Germany accused Jews of poisoning wells and as a result (as depicted above) many were burnt alive. The Jews had garnered a status as a sort of universal scapegoat, starting with their supposed culpability in the crucifixion of Christ; Hitler later aroused anti-Semitism by attributing Germany’s defeat in the First World War to the Jews.

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It is safe to assume that anti-Semitism was not a purely German phenomenon, but was deep rooted in European society long before the Nazi consolidation of power in Germany. The founder of the protestant church Martin Luther is renowned for his strong anti-Semitic ethos. His attitudes reflected a theological and cultural tradition which saw Jews as a rejected people guilty of the murder of Christ. He wrote about exiling Jews from Germany and preached “be on your guard against the , knowing that wherever they have their synagogues, nothing is found but a den of devils”.  Much of Luther’s writing ...

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