The Final Solution

Introduction

Hitler had made it very clear that he hated the Jews. His anti-Semitic views were developed in his youth and he blamed the Jews for Germany’s defeat in the First World War. In fact, one of the main policies of the Nazi’s was anti-Semitism. Hitler’s hatred of the Jews knew no bounds and used words like “deadly poison”, “vermin”, and “parasite” in his speeches and in his autobiography “Mein Kampff”, in which he portrayed them as a leering devil with infernal powers. Gradually, Hitler took more and more rights away from the Jews so that they could not have leading positions in the civil service, broadcasting, newspapers, education or entertainment. In 1934 all Jewish shops were marked with a yellow star or the word ‘Juden’ and in 1935, the Nuremburg Laws were passed which meant the Jews were no longer German citizens and they were forbidden to marry Germans/Aryans or have sexual relations with them.

This was all part of the gradual build up against the Jews and at first the Nazis had curbed their terror tactics against Jews in order not to offend local and world opinion.

Many Jews fled Germany but despite the constant prosecution, many stayed and soon people were told not to buy goods in Jewish shops, and all kinds of anti-Semitism slogans were openly displayed. Jews found it difficult to purchase necessary goods like food, clothing and medicine and those who complained were sent to concentration camps where conditions were horrible and where many died from brutality.

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The fiercest attack on Germany’s Jewish population came on “the night of broken glass” in November 1938 after a Jew shot a Nazi official. Nearly 10000 Jewish shops had their windows smashed and goods looted by the S.S. Jewish homes and synagogues were burnt and dozens of Jews killed and thousands arrested. The Jews were then fined 1 billion marks.

By 1939, the Nazi leaders had decided they would clear Germany of all Jews, by the ‘Final Solution’. The time had now come for the ‘final solution of the European Jewish problem. This “solution” came in the form of genocide and six concentration camps were converted to extermination camps.

In source 1, a primary source, we see that Heinrich Himmler, leader of the SS was in charge of the final solution as charged by Herman Goering, commander of the Luftwaffe. It states: “I hereby charge you (Himmler) with making all necessary preparations with regard to organisational, technical and financial matters for bringing about a final solution” so therefore the Nazis were left in charge of the matter.

The scope of the final solution spread throughout all Europe, where Jews were systematically rounded up and sent in rail trucks to the camps.

The largest concentration camp was Auschwitz in Poland where commandant in charge was Rudolph Hoss.

In source 2, also primary evidence, we see the reasons for this being the largest camp as Himmler, in conversation with Hoss, says, “I have earmarked Auschwitz for this purpose because of its good position as regards communication and because the area can easily be isolated and camouflaged.” This shows the planning and strategic methods used to carry out the final solution and the extent to which the Nazis were in charge and its importance. As the British Prime Minister, Churchill put it, “the most horrible single crime ever committed in the whole history of the world.”

These 6 camps where these crimes were committed were at Auschwitz, Treblinka, Sobibor, Belzec, Cehlmno and Majdanek and victims were not only German Jews, but Jews from all over Europe. In total, this genocide attempt meant the slaughter of over six million Jews.

Source 3, another primary source, is an extract from the minutes of the ‘Wansee Conference’, attended by 15 members of the German government and was organised by Reinhard Heydrich, one of the foremost Nazis involved in the Final Solution. This source shows the inhumanity and indifferent way in which the situation was handled. They are talked about like animals being “separated by sex” and those capable of work “will join labour gangs”. The final line just about sums up the plans of the German government. – “in the course of the final solution Europe will be combed from west to east”. This piece of primary evidence shows the scope and maliciousness of the final solution.

The next source, secondary evidence on this occasion, written by John D Claire, in a book entitled, ‘The Twentieth Century’. He writes about the extent of the final solution and the figures of deaths during these years. It explains also the reason for the name ‘holocaust’ due to the horrific burning of bodies of Jews at the ‘death camps’. He also writes about the attempt to exterminate the entire race of Jews and how it was described as the ‘Jewish problem’.

Source 5 is a map showing the location of camps and the number of Jews from each country murdered in the Final Solution. This shows the geographical scope and exactly how far it reached.

The main concentration camps were in Betsen and Dachau, and extermination camps were located in Treblinka, Sobiobor, Majdanek, Belzec, Chelmo and Auschwitz. The scope went well beyond Greater Germany and stretched throughout Europe as this source shows. The figures on the map show the estimated minimum number of Jews murdered from each country. With numbers reaching 3000000 in Poland and 365000 in Hungary, we can see the unbelievable impact the Final Solution had on Europe, with numbers similar to this throughout with a few exceptions, we are shown how the final solution’s attempt at genocide could almost have succeeded.

In conclusion, the final solution was the slaughter of millions of Jews, both inhumanely and unnecessarily.