World War Two (WW2) was one of the most brutal wars in world history and engulfed Europe along with many other powers from around the world. It could be used as an example of total war. The idea of total war is defined as ‘a war that is unrestricted in terms of the weapons used, the territory or combatants involved, or the objectives pursued, especially one in which the laws of war are disregarded.’ Further than this, ‘Total war’ also encapsulates the way in which war affects all aspects of life for those involved and the involvement of all areas of society and a country’s total commitment to destroying its perceived enemies. Under this definition, WW2 can be used as a fairly useful example. More specific aspects of this war which can demonstrate During WW2 there was a substantial amount of bombing taking place, which would have brought the war to the door step of those not involved in the military. In 1943 Britain had engaged in extensive bombings against Germany. For example in Hamburg 42,600 people had been killed and 755,000 were made homeless. Again, this shows an aspect of total war as it affected everyone. The scale of this kind of effect on people was not isolated to Germany, Britain France and Italy all experienced similar events. The mere idea of these kinds of attack motivated action by governments, such as the German governments pre-emptive evacuation of Berlin . Clearly the psychological effects of total war were manifesting themselves: The fear of un restricted attack commonly associated with the concept was now prevalent due to both the allies and the Axis Powers. With more specific reference to the London bombings, the dismay felt by both the British government and the populous at large can, in part, be seen as a contributing factor to the state of total war at the time; the acts of one party validated the others. ‘The London Blitz and all the devastation the Germans had wrought… had removed any moral qualms the British leadership had at pursuing the destruction of Germans’ city’s and killing its civilian population.’ These strikes were often an attempt of destroy factories and munitions In this way, Germanys attempt to destroy its internal perceived enemy, such as the Jewish people, could also be used to show the ideas behind total war. Not only were the Jewish effected, but also ‘churchmen and women, trade unionists, communists (and) homosexuals’. This shows that the concept of ‘total war’ applies to Germany in at least this way, as it was relentless in finding and killing these people. By the end of the war Nazis had killed 6 million Jews. It also shows how the rules pertaining to war had been ignored through WW2. This trend of disregarding the rules continued onto the battlefield. Mustard gas was often used against solders despite being banned by the Geneva convention in the intermittent years between world war one and world war
“The War Against The Jews” by Lucy Dawidowicz explores a very dark time in history and interprets it from her view. Through the use of other novels, she concurs and agrees to form her opinion. This essay will explore who Dawidowicz is, why she wrote the book, what the book is about, what other authors have explored with the same topic, and how I feel about the topic she wrote about. All in all, much research will be presented throughout the essay. In the end you will see how strongly I feel about the topic I chose. I believe that although Hitler terrorized the Jews, they continued to be stronger than ever, and tried to keep up their society.
At a time of loss, the German people needed a reason to rebuild their spirits. The Jews became a national target even though Hitler’s theory could not be proven. Even as a Jew, he accused the Jews people for Germany’s defeat in order to rally the people against a group of people Hitler despised. The story-telling of the Jews’ wickedness distracts the Germans from realizing the terror Holocaust. Millions of Jewish people died because Hitler said they caused the downfall of Germany. Innocent lives were taken. The death of millions mark the rise of Hitler. He sets the stage for the largest massacre in
Clausewitz emphasizes that “war is a branch of political activity, that it is in no sense autonomous” (Clausewitz, 605). This principle is especially applicable to the post-war period of World War II. The political struggle between the ideologies of democracy and communism would entail global focus for the next 50 years, and the events that brought about the defeat of Germany shaped the landscape of this political struggle.
In a speech on 30 January 1939, Hitler told the Reichstag that another war would mean the “total annihilation of the Jewish race in Europe”. It seemed clear that Hitler intended to massacre the Jews - but many historians dispute this. They believe that the Nazis seriously considered forcing all the Jews to emigrate, or to resettle in a ‘Jewish homeland’, and that the idea of physically exterminating the Jews only gradually took over as the war went on. At a certain point, it came to be the most practical solution to the ‘Jewish problem’.
that comes to mind is the scale of war. It was tremendous. I am going
After The Great depression and World War I, Germany was left in a fragile state. The economy was ruined, many people were unemployed and all hope was lost. The Nazis believed it wasn’t their own fault for the mess, but those who were inferior to the German people. These Nazi beliefs lead to and resulted in cruelty and suffering for the Jewish people. The Nazis wanted to purify Germany and put an end to all the inferior races, including Jews because they considered them a race. They set up concentration camps, where Jews and other inferior races were put into hard labor and murdered. They did this because Nazis believed that they were the only ones that belonged in Germany because they were pure Germans. This is the beginning of World War 2. The Nazi beliefs that led to and resulted in the cruelty and suffering of the Jewish people
World War II, global military conflict that, in terms of lives lost and material destruction, was the most devastating war in human history. It began in 1939 as a European conflict between Germany and an Anglo-French coalition but eventually widened to include most of the nations of the world. It ended in 1945, leaving a new world order dominated by the United States and the USSR.
As blatantly demonstrated in the past, Hitler had an undeniable hatred for the Jews. There were many forms of intentionalism displayed illustrating this hostility. These actions are believed to be in response to occurrences during World War I. In 1918, Hitler was stricken with mustard gas and partially blinded, while in the Hospital, Hitler was reached with the news of Germany’s withdrawal from the War. The armistice induced Hitler’s fury and lead to his Back Stabbing Theory. The Back Stabbing Myth was, to the anti-Semitic, a theory based on the belief that the German Army could have won World War I, but the civilians (Jews) called off the war; embarrassing the German Military. Soon followed was Hitler’s involvement in politics, h...
Synopsis – Hitler’s Willing Executioners is a work that may change our understanding of the Holocaust and of Germany during the Nazi period. Daniel Goldhagen has revisited a question that history has come to treat as settled, and his researches have led him to the inescapable conclusion that none of the established answers holds true. Drawing on materials either unexplored or neglected by previous scholars, Goldhagen presents new evidence to show that many beliefs about the killers are fallacies. They were not primarily SS men or Nazi Party members, but perfectly ordinary Germans from all walks of life, men who brutalized and murdered Jews both willingly and zealously. “They acted as they did because of a widespread, profound, unquestioned, and virulent anti-Semitism that led them to regard the Jews as a demonic enemy whose extermination was not only necessary but also just.”1 The author proposes to show that the phenomenon of German anti-Semitism was already deep-rooted and pervasive in German society before Hitler came to power, and that there was a widely shared view that the Jews ought to be eliminated in some way from German society. When Hitler chose mass extermination as the only final solution, he was easily able to enlist vast numbers of Germans to carry it out.
Historians generally refer to WWI as the first 'total war'. It was the first conflict in which modern industrialized societies mobilized their complete economic, technological and psychological resources in order to wage war. Unlike earlier wars, which involved relatively small numbers of soldiers on the battlefield, it affected many aspects of the lives of civilian populations and demanded enormous sacrifices and support from them. Mobilization of the home front was crucial to achieving military victory. Some of the main aspects of Total War include conscription of men into the armed services, increased government control of the economy and daily lives of citizens and subsequent loss of personal liberty. Control of the labor force, physical safety and security of civilian populations threatene...
“The generation of 1914” often refers to those who came of age during WWI, and because of the war were robbed of their youth. While this term is a useful expression of a collective experience of universal sacrifice and suffering during the war, the term “generation” fails to recognize the unique experiences of the different genders, races, and classes. Women, soldiers, both officers and enlisted, and colonial forces, like Senegalese soldiers, experienced and remembered the war differently from each other. Therefore, using a broad, general term like “ the generation of 1914,” discounts these individual and minority group experiences, which obscures a collective memory of WWI.
In the History of the world, human race, there have been many wars between different societies, Cultures, and Countries. Massive blood shed in many of these wars did not stop the coming of new conflicts of interest, peaking to battle. World War Two, one of the biggest war of history brought several countries to battle against each other (1939-1945). The catalyst of this war was one man whom discriminated against other cultures for no reason but to exterminate the Jewish race, known as Adolf Hitler.
World War II, known as the largest armed conflict in history, began in Europe in the 1930s and led to effect many people. The war resulted in not only the involvement of more countries than any other war but also introduced powerful, new, nuclear weapons that also contributed to the most deaths. As Hitler rose to power in 1933 the Holocaust began, his quest for the ‘perfect’ race resulted in the use of concentration camps, which would help to create the largest genocide of people in history.
The world was plunged into World War II in 1939 for many reasons. The reasons were Japan invading Manchuria, Mussolini's attack on Ethiopia, and when Hitler defies The Treaty of Versailles. Appeasement was one of the biggest things that lead to World War II.Appeasement was giving in to an aggressor to keep peace.It basically postponed the War from happening but did not stop the war from happening . The Most effective response to aggression at this time was collective security because it was using the appeasement to got the countries together and didn't benefit them.
War has been around for centuries. From the time modern civilizations began, war has played an integral part in human history. It shaped the world into the modern world we live in. War has been said to be a great motivator, for example, the Great Wall of China was built to fend off the attackers from the north. However, the negative aspects of war far outweighs any positive effects it might have. The destruction of civilizations, cities and countries, mass killings of men, woman and children alike, the disastrous effect it has on economy and the after effects of war can last for centuries.