Holocaust: Why Did Nazi Germany Kill 6 Million Jews? - Essay Sample

Introduction

The term "Holocaust" is typically used to illustrate the murder of at least 6 million Jews by Nazi Germans and their collaborators (Fleming, 2017). The massacre happened during the 12 years between the Nazi party election in 1933 and the end of World War 11 in 1945 (Fleming, 2017). Although psychopathology and personality attribute such authoritarianism have been used to explain the motive behind the actions of Hitler and other figurative Nazi leader, the enduring question is that which situational forces may have compelled ordinary people to conform and obey the orders of the Nazi leadership (Recuber, 2015). In that regard, the paper will analyze how Hitler managed to drive an entire nation to participate in widespread genocide by using conformity and obedience.

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Milgram Obedience Experiment Reflects on Human Nature and Obedience

The classic Milgram obedience experiment depicted its reflection on major psychological theories. Behavioral psychology is one of the psychological theories revealed by Milgram's thorough examination that explains why people conform and obey orders. The behavioral psychology theory is based on the notion that behaviors are acquired through conditioning. Conditioning, in the aspect, as mentioned earlier, involves people's interaction with the surrounding.

According to (Burianek, 2018), individuals' reactions to environmental stimuli gradually shapes their actions. For instance, the Nazis used propaganda to enhance their appeal and support by the German citizens. The group spent an excessive sum of money on poster campaigns, leaflets, and newspapers with slogans that encouraged the German citizens to support the party. One famous motto is that the Germans were the "chosen people," and in that regard, those of Jewish heritage should be eradicated. Therefore, the use of populaces fear is one of the aspects that made Hitler and other Nazi leaders such a formidable threat, thus leading to the majority of the German population to conform to his ideological notions and subsequently to obey all his commands (Dambrun et al., 2014).

Additionally, the German nation was in a state of turmoil- both politically and economically. Hitler used the ultimate advantage to formulate a higher-powered army to eradicate the Jews and thus created more jobs for the German citizens, which ultimately led to the improved economy to the nation. In that perspective, the behavioral psychology theories illustrate that it is human nature for people to conform to orders, especially when they come from authoritative figures (Dambrun et al., 2014). In an experiment done by Milgram, indicated that people have an increased likelihood to obey in several situations compared to others. For example, obedience was noted to be significantly high when authoritative leaders gave out instruction as opposed to a volunteer. In that regard, the behavioral psychology theories explain why the German population was able to conform and obey Hitler and Nazi leaders to commit the evil act of killing the Jews.

Psychology Explanation Why People Obey

Agentic state theory is another psychological theory that illustrates why people tend to conform and obey authoritative leaders. The theory depicts that an individual will allow another person to dictate their actions and later pass their responsibility for the results of their behaviors to individuals who directed them. According to an experiment conducted by Milgram, it is human nature for people to conform and obey instructions given by authoritative figures. For instance, 65% of the experiments' participants did not stop giving shocks as authorized by the researcher. In that perspective, people tend to be in autonomous mode when taking responsibility for their behavior (Recuber, 2015). Still, they pass the responsibility to an authoritative leader when they are blamed for their actions. In the same manner, the Nazi soldiers shielded their actions by ascertaining that they were following orders that came from above. By this, it is easy to understand why the Germans conformed and obeyed the rules to eradicate the Jew population (Wijayabahu, 2016). Human beings have increased chances to commit an act provided they would not be blamed for it, and they can always shift the blame to authoritative figures.

Conclusion

It is human nature to conform and obey instructions, primarily when directed by authoritative figures. Hitler and other Nazi leaders managed to influence the German population to behave in a manner that confers to their ideologies and believes, thus varying their personal views concerning their societal norms. According to the Milgram experiment, in which participants had to shock others under authoritative instructions, it shows that it is human nature to do things when directed by authoritative figures compared to volunteers. In that regard, people's obedience to authority is manifested to the surrounding environment that they are raised in. The reason being is that they will follow others' are doing to avoid looking different even though they may have different opinions to the rest. Conformity and obedience are significantly high when an authoritative figure is present to give directions. Therefore, it explains why Hitler and other Nazi leaders managed to drive an entire nation to participate in widespread genocide by using conformity and obedience.

References

Burianek, J. (2018). Tom R. Tyler: Why People Obey the Law. AUC PHILOSOPHICA ET HISTORICA, 1996(2), 151-153. https://doi.org/10.14712/24647055.2018.69

Dambrun, M., Lepage, J., & Fayolle, S. (2014). Victims' Dehumanization and the Alteration of Other-Oriented Empathy within the Immersive Video Milgram Obedience Experiment. Psychology, 05(17), 1941-1953. https://doi.org/10.4236/psych.2014.517197

Fleming, M. (2017). Christian Gerlach. The Extermination of the European Jews. The American Historical Review, 122(3), 919-920. https://doi.org/10.1093/ahr/122.3.919

Recuber, T. (2015). From obedience to contagion: Discourses of power in Milgram, Zimbardo, and the Facebook experiment. Research Ethics, 12(1), 44-54. https://doi.org/10.1177/1747016115579533

Wijayabahu, K. (2016). Imposed Obedience versus Expressed Obedience: Rethinking on Transnational Legal Process. IAFOR Journal of the Social Sciences, 2(2). https://doi.org/10.22492/ijss.2.2.01