The Holocaust of the Second World War

The Holocaust was a definitive event of the 20th century. During the Holocaust more than 6 million people of mixed background were exterminated for a variety of reasons revolving around the application of racial hygiene. The placement of the Holocaust in the time line of World War II combined with the logistical and bureaucratic considerations involved meant that the Holocaust was conducted like any other battle or war, albeit one conducted against a civilian population. The Holocaust employed the same manpower, technological resources and military hierarchy as any other battle front of World War II except where the goal of other battles was the acquisition of land or resources, the goal of the Holocaust was the extermination of populations and racial annihilation. The Holocaust was Hitler's second war, or a war within a war, where the objectives and tactics were different but the expected outcome was the same: to win. Hitler believed the “Aryan” race was besieged, and no doubt had little trouble reconciling the destruction of millions as a defensive actions in light of that belief.

While the exact beginning of the Holocaust is a matter of debate, it is a matter of fact that up until 1942 the German army had been unstoppable.1 The annexation of Austria and the invasions of Czechoslovakia, Poland, and France had been swift.2 Moreover, Operation Barbarossa had initially been a resounding success.3 Therefore, whether as a result of hubris or genuine lack of potential repercussions, by 1942 Hitler's “Final solution” was in full motion even though the official state sanctioned persecution of Jews had been effect since 1933.4 The persecution Jews was systematic, although few Jews realized the long term implications early exclusion poli...

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...able elements from the German sphere of influence, which ultimately meant the entire world. Jews everywhere, moreover, were marked for eventual destruction based on these goals for total domination.18 Hitler declared he had the right to destroy his own citizens that he felt was destructive based on the legalistic claims made by President Wilson's fourteen points following World War I which established a doctrine of political autonomy for previous imperial states.19 Racial theory was applied to various facets of antisemitic belief and established Jews as an underlying disruptive force in German society.20 In 1943, Germany was declared Judenfrei21, or free of Jews, a declaration which underscores the dual purpose of World War II for Nazi Germany: world domination and racial purity. In terms of Hitler's political and racial doctrine, the two end points were analogous.