Holocaust Sources Questions

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GCSE history coursework

Q.1.  To what extent do the views expressed in source B support the information on the final solution contained in source A?

Ans.  Source B is an extract from the minutes of the Wamsee Conference. It was organised by Reinhard Heydrich, Deputy Leader of the SS and was attended by 15 members of Government. The meeting was called to discuss how they were going to solve the Jewish Question.

When reading Source B I got the impression that it was deliberately vague and ambiguous. Source A is a Map of Europe. It shows the location of Concentration Camps, Extermination Camps and sites of mass murder. In Source B it says: "Jews should be brought to the East" and in Source A we can see that most of the mass murders and Extermination Camps were in the East.

However in Source B it says that Eichmann was quoted as saying that the Meeting was much more "frank and open" this suggests that the Nazis censored the minutes to stop people finding out about the extermination of Jewish lives.

        

Q.2   Are similar sentiments of ruthlessness towards Jews implied in both Source C and D?

Ans.  Source C is an extract from a letter from a Police Sergeant to an acquaintance. Source D is an extract from a speech by Heinrich Himmler to the leaders of the SS. Source D is an important Source.

                In Source C the Jews are described as "materialists" and "Yids". The Police Officer is writing in a ruthless anti-Semitic way. We can see this from his descriptions of the Jews. In Source D Heinrich Himmler is talking in a ruthless tone towards the Jews. He implies that they should "never speak of it publicly". He uses language like "The Jewish people will be exterminated". In his speech Heinrich Himmler is critical of the lack of effort among the German people towards the hunting down of the Jews.

                Because Source C is a private source the language may be affected. The Police officer may be showing off "only a small percentage of the 24,000 Jews".   

Q.3a   What was the Nazi's aim in publishing Source E?

Ans.  Source E is a Primary Source. It is an "Official photograph showing warmly dressed Jews receiving cigarettes from a Camp Guard". The Nazis published this Source. This Source may have been released to assure Jews that the Nazis were looking after the ones in the Concentration Camps. From my background knowledge I know that this is not an accurate description of the treatment of Jews by the Nazis. This may prove that the Nazis used this picture for propaganda purposes as a way of covering up the truth so as to get the support of the German people.

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Q.3b Do sources F and G suggest that the Nazis were successful in their aim?

Ans. The Nazis aim was to use propaganda to lull the Jews into a false sense of security and to kill the rumours of the Jewish holocaust.

                Source F is a quote from "In Hitler's Germany" by b. Engelmann. It was written in 1988 so author's memory may be selective. The author ...

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