Written by: Aashrab Khanal - 22001, Grade XII
Posted on: 20 April, 2022
A war is defined by the number of atrocities brought on by it. Remembering the times when men let themselves be overtaken by their dark shadows, sends shivers down our spines. Of the uncountable wars in the history of mankind, the Second World War stands among a few , differentiated by the volume of atrocities committed. The treatment of Jews in hand by the Third Reich is a clear example of our capability to practice the deepest part of our twisted psyche.
The rise of Hitler’s regime is connected to the downfall of the German Jewish population. After the First World War, Germany suffered in all forms mainly economic and also from the blame put on them for the war. In the post war period, the democratic system of Germany couldn’t bring about the proper change needed. The country was politically divided and radicalized by the rise of fringe ideologies. The economic turmoil pushed people to support either the Communists or the Nazis. The Nazis approached the German populace by providing a suitable scapegoat for their country’s problem mainly the Jews. This tactic proved effective as the Nazis soon became the ruling party. Their vision of a greater and purer Germany included the elimination of all Jews and so they began their crimes. In January 1933, Germany had 522,000 Jews and during the first six years of the Nazi rule, about half of these people are known to have left the country. The Nazi rule had brought fundamental change in social, economic, and communal aspects of Jewish life in Germany between 1933 and 1939. Six years of Nazi-sponsored legislation had marginalized the Jewish citizens, driving them out of livelihood. As of early 1939 less than 20% of the Jewish population had permanent employment. The Nazi unleashed their hatred in the fullest following the the aftermath of Kristallnacht in November 1938 when thousands of Jews wereimprisoned in concentration camps and their businesses were destroyed.
The Nazi’s atrocities against the Jewish populace didn’t stop in Germany but spread throughout the occupied places all over Europe. In total, 6 million Jews perished in the name of fulfilling the Third Reich’s Dreadful visions of the world. These types of atrocities are not just for documentation and discussion but a major aspect to understand the depths of our dark minds.
Source:[United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. “German Jews during the Holocaust.” Holocaust Encyclopedia. https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/introduction-to-the-holocaust. Accessed on (4/9/2022)]
