Research Paper on Holocaust: Systematic Murder, Persecution & Loss of Liberty

Introduction

The Holocaust was the bureaucratic, systematic state that sponsored murder and persecution of six million Jews by the Nazi collaborators and its regime. Guided by authoritarian and racist principles, the Nazis disregarded individual liberties that led to a society that exceeded religious and class differences. Jews were repeatedly humiliated and persecuted. The Nazis also exercised propaganda operations and began anti-Jewish decrees, which eliminated the liberties of Jewish citizens and fostered intense hatred of Jews. The German public and the anti-holocaust were bystanders and did nothing to rebuke the Nazi racial strategies. This happened because they were some Germans who were afraid to speak out, or they were frightened of the cruelty of the Nazis. Therefore, the Nazis portrayed the Jews as inferior, sub-human beings who were interested majorly in their communism and economic gain. People have questioned why there was no sufficient revolt and resistance by the Jewish. Historians such as Raul Hilberg have argued that the reaction pattern of the Jews was characterized by almost complete lack of resistance because the Jews lacked any military experience or organizational skills to stage efficient resistance. The Jewish were supposed to put up more of a fight, but the real question is how people achieved to collaborate and survive. However, Raul Hilberg's judgment has been challenged by some historians because there were uprisings and revolts, This paper dismisses the argument by Raul Hilberg that the reaction pattern of the Jews was characterized by almost complete lack of resistance based on the arguments by later historians.

Is your time best spent reading someone else’s essay? Get a 100% original essay FROM A CERTIFIED WRITER!

Save 25%

Raul Hilberg's Judgment

Historians such as Raul Hilberg consider that the Jewish did not mount efficient resistance despite the persecution and humiliation they faced in the hands of Nazi Germans. Raul Hilberg argues that the Jewish lacked leadership and coordination to defeat Nazi Germany, and that is why they suffered in the hands of their enemy. The Jews who were in death camps, city ghettos, and Eastern European villages were unable to resist because there were no means of resisting. Since they were also unarmed, they were unable to mount enough resistance. Raul Hilberg also describes that it is shocking that Jews did not mount an efficient resistance to their execution, yet most of them were among millions of Soviet POWs, and military men with leadership and organization. If these Jews could not gather themselves against the Germans, how could they have resisted without sufficient support? Therefore, any form of resistance and revolts were quickly and easily suppressed by the Nazi Germans. It is also unlikely to believe that in the death camps and Ghettos, the Jewish cooperated instead of fighting for their lives and of their families. Therefore, the Holocaust has shown that resistance among unarmed civilians may not be possible, but resistance cannot happen where it is impossible to resist. That is why historians have different views about the Jewish and the Holocaust. Without weapons, support, military training, and the presence of police and heavily armed Nazis, very few can resist. Cooperation was critical to ensure they lived another day.

Hayes argues that Jewish resistance is not popular among historians because they were not able to save enough of their people and kill enough number of the Nazi people. The Jewish resisted based on the circumstances, which destroyed their will, and makes it a critical lesson during the holocaust. Haye's view is statistical because Jewish resistance was consequential due to deprivation and the inability to save most of their people. Such indications show the futile resistance of the Jews. However, to claim the Jewish did not resist or it was insignificant is to say they did not matter whether they ever tried.

How the Jews staged Effective Resistance

Resistance in Ghettos and Nazi Camps

The fact is that the Jews resisted quite effectively and very vigorously using many vehicles. According to Bauer, Jewish resisted, and their efforts can be regarded as cumulative action, which was critical in defeating Nazi Germany. Trunk also considers that the Jews found ways to resist the Holocaust by struggling to preserve Jewish culture, going into hiding, and even launching armed uprisings.

Gutman argues that the Nazi resistance mainly occurred both inside and outside German territory and France. Other forms of resistance occurred in concentration camps, ghettos, and villages. Most Ghetto residences had organized unarmed fighters especially those who were young and heavy-bodied. Youth movements were developed underground to provide support. The major activists included Zionist youth movements such as Hehalutz, Hashomer Hatzair, and Dror. The underground organizations developed communication network, which helped connect one ghetto to another. The organizations also had couriers who bought and smuggled arms into ghettos.

Armed resistance in the Nazi camps and ghettos was due to desperation since most Jews were being killed. Jewish youth in the ghettos formed fighting organizations despite the political disagreements and divisions on tactics. However, many revolts broke in most Ghettos and Nazi camps. Besides, there were organized groups such as the Bialystok ghettos, Vilna, Minsk, and Warsaw that influenced people and instigated resistance against Germans. There were also partisan groups that were in the forest revolting against the Germans especially in Vernichtungs lager, Sobibor, and Auschwitz. The 1943 Warsaw ghetto uprising is a famous example of armed resistance during the Holocaust. There are also many examples of instances that depict the Jew's resistance against the Germans. The Treblinka Revolt is an excellent example of resistance that was staged by the Jews from Warsaw. The Jews smuggled grenades and knives and used propaganda stories against the Germans in Treblinka. The Jews captives in Sobibor were also armed with guns, knives, and hatchets in Sobibor to fight Nazi guards and free their people. At Auschwitz, the Jews used stolen explosives on German camps. Most people, such as Raul Hilberg seem unimpressed by their efforts and because only few inmates were able to survive the war.

Selected Partisan Activities in Europe

The large numbers of Jews also joined the armed forces of the Allies and fought as supporters behind German lines. For example, Jews were part of the Soviet army, and their fighting strength in the combat was recognized by the USSR. The Jewish engineers were also part of the development of the Soviet military industry and were critical in building weapons that the Soviet army depended on 1941 war. The significant weapons involve the Katyusha rocket launcher, the La-5 fighter plane, and T-34 medium tank that was considered the best tank during war. The Soviets used the arms during the war, and it helped them survive the battle.

The Jews staged active and effective resistance through their influence in the US. The United States was pro-German, anti-British, and isolationist in 1930s. This included the Scandinavian, Irish, Italian, and German Americans. However, the individuals who were pro-British were the white Anglo-Saxon Protestant (WASP). With the help of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, the WASPs, the Jews, British intelligence, and US administration developed an alliance that led to the lend-lease aid to the USSR and Britain. The Jewish soldiers during war fought along the US soldiers. This played a critical role in maintaining the morale of the Jewish at home and organizing efforts to resist the Nazi Germans. The Jewish also developed the atomic bomb that was used by the US leading to the end of war. Extermination had been declared by Hitler at the time aimed to destroy the Jewish. Therefore, the completion of the atomic bomb by the Jewish scientist influenced their power against the Nazi Germans, which helped them stage an effective resistance.

The Jewish in the Soviet Union were critical in the realm of espionage and intelligence. The major spies in the Soviet Union, such as the Red Orchestra were the Jews who had gone through schooling and training by the Soviet intelligence services. Also, in the US, the Jewish were part of the cryptanalyst team. William Friedman was considered the most critical cryptanalyst in the US, and his Jews group or team signaled intelligence service. These Jewish helped the British with the efforts of cryptanalysis. For example, the British Special Operations Executive (SOE) recruited the Jewish in their forces to help most German-occupied territories. This included the territories occupied by the Nazis, which the famous Jewish Brigade fought heroically.

The Jewish also played a critical role in most anti-Nazi resistant movements by the Europeans. The French, Danes, and Norwegians developed campaigns to oppose the Nazi Germans. The Norwegians helped to demolish Germans water plants, and Danes helped to smuggle most Jews refugees to other regions. The Dane and Norwegians movements posed little problem to the Nazis, but the French were resisted vigorously, mainly in German military production. All the campaigns by the French, Danes, and Norwegians were much supported by the Jews. The Jews also helped to lead the resistance movements that acted to weaken and sabotage German supply lines.

Based on these arguments, the Jews resisted forcefully and played a critical responsibility in defeating the Nazi Germans. The Allies could not have defeated the Germans without the help of the Jews. Adolf Hitler died in 1945, signaling the defeat of the Nazis. This means that both the Allies and Jews had won. Those people who do not recognize the Jews as victorious are biased. More than 8 million Jews had died, and the survivors were welcomed as refugees in different territories. However, the Nazi survivors had to seek asylum and seek humanitarian assistance.

Conclusion

Jewish resistance is not popular among historians because they were not able to save enough of their people and kill enough number of the Nazi people. Hilberg's opinion is biased because people often resist in instances of persecution or humiliation. The fact is that the Jews resisted quite effectively and very vigorously using many vehicles. Jewish used the cumulative action, which eventually defeated Nazi Germans. The primary resistance happened in concentration camps, ghettos, and villages through organized underground fighters. Youth movements were also developed provide support and provide communication networks, which helped connect and mobilize the Jews. Major revolts occurred in Vernichtungs lager, Sobibor, and Auschwitz. The major apprising s and revolts included the Warsaw ghetto uprising, Treblinka Revolt, Sobibor revolt, and Auschwitz revolt. Most Jews also joined the armed forces of the Allies and fought as supporters behind German lines to help stage resistance and sabotage German supply lines. Therefore, the Jews resisted forcefully and played a critical responsibility in defeating the Nazi Germans. However, historians such as Raul Hilberg seem unimpressed by their efforts and because only few inmates were able to survive the war.

Bibliography

Arendt, Hannah. "Eichmann in Jerusalem: A report on the banality of evil." Genocide: An Anthropological Reader (2002): 91-109. https://www.columbusschoolforgirls.org/uploaded/ACADEMIC_FILES/Summer_Reading/Eichmann_in_Jersusalem.pdf

Bauer, Yehuda. Rethinking the Holocaust. Yale University Press, 2002.

Gutman, Yisrael. "Reflections on Jewish Resistance under the Nazi German

Occupation." Studies in Contemporary Jewry 18 (2002): 109. https://doi.org/10.1993/his/dcx016Trunk, Isaiah. "Note: Why Was There No Armed Resistance Against the Nazis in the Lodz...