The Final Solution is a subject that has changed in its teaching since its occurrence, and will certainly be taught in a different fashion in fifty years’ time. As time passes and events fade from living memory, our outlook towards them changes. Some aspects of an event are emphasized more with the passing of time, and some are forgotten. What will be remembered about the Final Solution will be what places it in the context of World War II, and the events that lead up to it. In fifty years’ time, there will not be a single person left who was alive at the time of the Final Solution, let alone anyone who participated in it in any form. This lack of first person accounts or memories of these events will make them more detached from people’s minds than they are now. Fifty years after the events transpired, we find them sliding into the past already, as two generations have been born since then, and with each subsequent generation, feel more detached from the events then the previous generation. There will be no one remaining who cries that what they lived through must be remembered, so that it never happens again. It is a sequence of events that will be studied with increasing academic detachment, as it lapses more into the realm of history than of public consciousness and awareness. Much to Primo Levi’s chagrin, it is indeed slipping into the past, and definitely will have done so in fifty years’ time. The passage of time makes one apply events, no matter how closely related to a people or culture, less personally, and identify less with them. It is easy, even within living memory, to forget major events that have happened, let alone a hundred years after they occur, when no original survivors are left. In J’Accuse, Je... ... middle of paper ... ...died in great detail, whether they “didn’t know” it was happening, or if it was all planned from the beginning, and was part of why Hitler got voted in. In fifty years’ time, the teaching of the Final Solution will indeed be different that it is taught now. With no survivors on either side still living, the events will have passed entirely into the past, and it will not be an issue of coping with the events, of minimizing guilt or hatred, but of studying the past. Less personalization will occur, as each subsequent generation feels more and more detached from involvement with the events of the Final Solution. There will be no one left to explain themselves or the actions of their people. Only written records and amassed knowledge will remain, and the Final Solution will fall into the realm of History where research upon documents gives the only insight available.
Trouillot divides the book into three main sections, describing Sans Souci, the Haitian Revolution, ending with the discovery of America and the overarching themes of “race, colonialism, and slavery in the Americas” (Trouillot 83). These examples showcase powerful actors silencing events in the historical past. Trouillot demonstrates that silencing of past events have taken place and continue to this day. Silencing refers to the omission and erasure of historical events and also denies a historical event its proper importance in the historical record (Trouillot 66). For the most past, history is made up of gaps in the narrative of the past. What is taught in school and the general knowledge most have of history makes up a tiny percentage of the trauma and hardships actually faced in history. Trouillot maintains that humans, as actors in history, need awareness of the silences to better
What more is the point of learning and understanding human history than obtaining the knowledge and structure between what is right and what is wrong? We continuously believe that we as humans have the ability and intellect to learn from the lessons taught in our past in order to enrich our future. In comparison to the time frame that is human history the one hundred year period of time we discussed in the second halve of this semester is nothing but a slight blimp on the map that we have traversed. Yet, throughout our recent readings we can easily assimilate into the idea that although time may pass, and that we may attempt to learn from our history it is simply in human nature to repeat the mistakes that we have
It is evident that World War II still affects the world today, but are these repercussions the aftermath of a master plan for destruction? The Nazi Party and Hitler were the most significant characters for World War II and thus, they truly made history, however, they made it worse. Many different causes for this devastation have been concluded starting with the end of World War I and the harsh blameful Treaty of Versailles, the new found control in Germany, and the Great Depression; even though was most harmful in America, affected the world in its entirety. Are these the factors that led to the ‘Final Solution’, are these the problems that encouraged Hitler to seize the world? There were many elements prior to World War II leading to the annihilation of Jews, Hitler’s experiences in World War I greatly influenced his outlook on warfare and the Jewish, another predominate factor was the approval of building the camps and chambers in Germany, and lastly the documented intentions for the ‘Final Solution’.
The benefits that the bomb had on our society have been invaluable. Permitting the use of the atomic bomb was an atrocious mistake.In John Hersey's book, Hiroshima, he interviews a German priest serving in Japan. This priest, Father Kleinsorge, provides a first hand account of the immorality, justification, and consequences thereof; “The crux of the matter is whether total war in its present form is justifiable even when it s...
If you have been in a History class you have probably heard of an event that happened after World War Two called the Nuremberg Trials. These trials were conducted by the United States. Supreme Court Justice Robert Jackson was appointed to lead the trials (Berenbaum). During these trials they charged with Crimes against the Peace, War crimes and Crimes against Humanity (Berenbaum). Many major Nazi leaders committed suicide before officials could hang them or before even being caught. The famous Doctor Goebbels killed his children then him and his wife committed suicide (Berenbaum). Only twelve out of the twenty-two who stood trial were hanged, twelve, while the rest just got prison time. Besides major Nazi officials, Physicians were put on trial, the people who were part of the mobile killing squads, Concentration camp officials, Judges and Executives who sold concentration camps Zyklon B. You can expect that they had many excuses, but m...
The Final Solution to the Jewish question resulted in indisputably the worst genocide the world has ever seen. Historians have been debating for years on its origins. The two schools of thoughts disagree on when the blueprint was designed and who enforced it in 1942. Lucy Dawidowicz and Richard Breitman agree with the Intentionalist school of thought. They both agree that Hitler had intended to eliminate the Jews from the world and enforced it by 1939. Christopher Browning agrees with the Functionalist point of view. He believes that the final solution was a reaction to this situation is Russia. Bauer is able to bring both schools of thoughts together. Whatever side people choose, this debate will never end unless concrete evidence is found. For now both schools of thought will continue to try to understand this topic better.
Even though half of a century separates us from the unforgettable event, it left horrible memories especially in those who saw, felt and experienced World War II which was waged on land, on sea, and in the air all over the earth for approximately six years. Whether it’s a battle, hospital, or holocaust, there are so many stories from the survivors, who can teach us not only about the profession of arms, but also about military preparations, global strategies and combined operations in the coalition war against fascism.
Haugen, David M., and Susan Musser. The Holocaust. Farmington Hills, MI: Greenhaven, 2011. Print. Perspectives on Modern World History.
The Holocaust was a very impressionable period of time. It not only got media attention during that time, but movies, books, websites, and other forms of media still remember the Holocaust. In Richard Brietman’s article, “Lasting Effects of the Holocaust,” he reviews two books and one movie that were created to reflect the Holocaust (BREITMAN 11). He notes that the two books are very realistic and give historical facts and references to display the evils that were happening in concentration camps during the Holocaust. This shows that the atrocities that were committed during the Holocaust have not been forgotten. Through historical writings and records, the harshness and evil that created the Holocaust will live through centuries, so that it may not be repeated again (BREITMAN 14).
“99 subhuman Jews in the row, 99 subhuman Jews! Shoot one down, kick it around, 98 subhuman Jews in the row!” ~ Concentration camp worker during the holocaust. How could you begin to describe what’s always said to be such a horrible and tragic event? The Holocaust or Final Solution only seems as bad equal to the amount the person describing it values human life. To answer all of the topics presented to me I will be discussing the following; What is meant by “The Holocaust” or “Final Solution”, Why the Jewish were dehumanized, The choices made during the Holocaust, and My personal view on events that took place during the holocaust.
As the second cold war came to an end, the real truth about the Jewish Holocaust...
The capture and trial of Adolf Eichmann, which evoked legal and moral controversy across all nations, ended in his hanging over four decades ago. The verdict dealing with Eichmann's involvement with the Final Solution has never been in question; this aspect was an open-and-shut case which was put to death with Eichmann in 1962. The deliberation surrounding the issues of Eichmann's motives, however, are still in question, bringing forth in-depth analyses of the aspects of evil.
“And so he remained for more than half an hour, lingering between life and death, writhing before our eyes.” If the Nazis were ok with “hanging a child in front of thousands of onlookers”, who knew what they were capable of?
In L'aventure ambiguë, the colonization of Senegal by the French have led to different and often conflicting views from different characters, clashes of different cultures and practices of religion, as well as the education that was provided by the Diallobé and from the new foreign schools. These few examples are useful in explaining the term victim', i.e. what he is a victim of, and later on how these forces may have influenced him over the course of the story. To simplify this essay, my essay will be focused mainly on Westernisation' and 'Africanism', as I believe that all these factors come under those headings.
Today - half a century after the conclusion of the Second World War - it would be fair to expect a less emotional environment, one in which historians, researchers and writers were free to examine the actual causes of the war as well as the atrocities committed by both sides in the conflict. However, those and other topics are more forbidden than ever with the greatest taboo surrounding analysis of the fate of Europe's Jews and others in what has come to be known as the Holocaust.