Ib Extended Essay The Special Conditions And Situations In PreEssay -world War Ii Germany That Led To The Creation And Acceptance Of The Idea Of The Holocaust Essay - 1,044 words

... ught poverty and humiliation to Germany. These two events frustrated and angered German citizens, thus increasing internal strife. It was much easier for Germans to blame the Jews for the loss of the war than to accept responsibility themselves. The German citizens were then able to direct anger and hostility at the Jews because they were thought to be responsible for the loss of the Great War (Mazian 145-6). The severe economic strains due to World War I added to the internal strife.


Unemployment and inflation were only two strains that served to increase Germanys great number of problems. War reparations as specified in the Treaty of Versailles could not be paid as the main industrial areas of Germany had been taken away. Inflation, a result of the attempt to pay war reparations, severely crippled the population, especially the lower middle class. Unemployment rose to record levels and workers wages dropped incredibly, resulting in a decrease of buying power. There was disillusionment for soldiers upon their return from war and the ceded territory uprooted German citizens. All of these situations caused a great amount of internal strife and created vast amounts of hostility. This hostility could not be expressed in any facet of life so Germans eventually channeled it at the Jews who were already blamed for so many other problems (Mazian 146-53).


The serious economic and social problems, along with creating internal strife, created the need for an individual or group that would provide an answer to Germanys problems. Adolf Hitler proved to be the solution to these problems. When Hitler became Fuhrer in 1933, he had two goals uppermost in his mind. One was the acquisition of more land and the other was to destroy the Jewish population (Mazian 157). There was no question as to how Hitler viewed Jews. "I shall judge the depth of peoples love for their country by the degree of hatred which they show this rabble" (Mazian 156). Hitler despised Jews, and he had the essential ingredient for the realization of his goal for their annihilation; complete power over Germany and the German citizens.


With Hitler firmly in power sustained by popular support, the German citizens generally accepted his idea and his goals were attained (Mazian 157-63). Hitler himself was a special condition that proved to be essential to the acceptance and ultimate practice of genocide. The power that Hitler held was unquestionable. "... the leader is absolute and infallible. Only he is endowed with mystic qualities; only he knows what is best and how to achieve the ultimate good for his people" (Eisenberg 47). The National Socialist German Workers Party was governed by a fundamental law called Fuhrerprinzip, the leadership principle.


It said that "according to the [leadership] principle, each Fuhrer has the right to govern, administer, or decree, subject to no control of any kind and at his complete discretion, subject only to the orders he received from above" (Mazian 159). Because of Hitlers absolute power in Germany, anything he did could not be questioned nor criticized in any way. Therefore, his order to kill the Jews was not questioned and simply accepted. Hitler increased h ...................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

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Essay Tags: germany, holocaust, german reich, nazi party, deprivation

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