If we were to define the Holocaust as starting with the organized, officially approved persecution, isolation, and dehumanization of the Jewish people under Adolf Hitler's leadership as Reich Chancellor on January 30, 1933, until the liberation of the final concentration camp, Belsen, on April 12, 1945, it is clear that Hitler played a vital role in the regime's progression.
By fueling nationalist sentiment, he was the one who sparked the Holocaust. This nationalist fervor was necessary for the Holocaust to happen and without it, the Nazi Party would have likely remained on the sidelines of German politics. However, many people eagerly embraced the message of the Fuhrer and responded passionately to his annual Nuremberg Rallies from 1923 to 1938. Hitler's words deeply influenced the German mind and ensured their cooperation as he implemented his policy of Gleichs
...chaltung, ultimately gaining complete control over all aspects of the Third Reich.
Hitler outsourced the regime's operations to SS officers and to a lesser extent, SA officers such as Reinhard Heydrich and Joseph Goebbels. He found them competent enough to carry out his worldview. These individuals were unscrupulous careerists who were a result of the 'Cult of the Fuhrer', which created an atmosphere of complete loyalty to Hitler's goals. Hitler's worldview was influenced by his time as a soldier during World War One.
Lying prostrate in a hospital in Pasewalk, Pomerania, Hitler learned of Germany's capitulation in November of 1918. This humiliating defeat fueled a deep hatred within him, as he sought to expiate his compatriots' failure. Hitler's worldview consisted of a three-part ideology, with a primary focus on Germany's dominance over Europe. The fina
part of his ideology centered around the genocide of Jews, and it was this aspect that fueled his pursuit of power.
As a fanatic, he felt it was crucial to express his opinions and rally his 'nation' together with his ideological beliefs. This motivated him to organize a series of rallies starting from 1921, aiming to promote the merits of the 'November Criminals'. His speech on August 8, 1921, in Salzburg is a prime example: "Don't underestimate the importance of eliminating carriers of racial tuberculosis in order to combat racial tuberculosis."
The Jewish contamination and poisoning of the nation will only cease when the Jew, who is the carrier, is expelled from our society. Adolf Hitler recognized the influence of rhetoric in advancing his ideology. The German Worker's Party, a precursor to the Nazi Party, emerged during a period of discontent and relied on this ongoing dissatisfaction. Its popularity peaked during Germany's hyperinflation in 1923 and the Great Depression in 1929. The number of votes increased significantly from 810,000 to 6,409,600 between 1928 and 1929. Ian Kershaw, a renowned Hitler biographer, highlighted the effectiveness of simplistic slogans that fueled anger, resentment, and hatred. Hitler couldn't afford to lose the support he had gained from his radical views. Consequently, his primary focus was to blame the Jews as the underlying cause of Germany's issues.
The future ambivalence towards the persecution of the Jews in Nazi Germany was set by Alfred Rosenberg, an early and influential member of the Nazi Party. He referred to anti-Semitism as the 'the unifying element of Reconstruction Germany'. However, after Hitler came into power, he changed his policies. Hitler's
priority was to establish complete control in his Third Reich before targeting the extermination of the Jews.
The Enabling Act of March 23, 1933 granted Hitler the power to suppress political opposition and implement drastic measures. This act allowed Hitler to remove any constraints and barriers that were previously unimaginable. The success of Hitler's regime depended on complete obedience, and he did not delegate authority until he was certain it would not undermine his own power.
According to Joachim Fest, a historian of Nazism, Adolf Hitler felt extremely reliant on the masses during this time and closely observed their reactions with worry. This is why he quickly suppressed the potentially corrupt SA leadership and utilized his creation, the SS. Additionally, on July 14, 1933, he even admonished Vice-Chancellor Von Papen for expressing concerns about his "Law for the Prevention of Hereditarily Diseased Offspring".
In this manner, he obtained compliance and based on these reasons, he would start assigning authority to SS bureaucrats once he secured economic stability. As the political apparatus of the Nazi party operated efficiently, Hitler started to strengthen the economic framework of his Reich. Hitler envisioned that his Reich would surpass the republic, resembling Otto I's Holy Roman Empire and Otto van Bismarck's post-unification Empire, thereby establishing it as the 'Third' Reich.
Under Hitler's leadership, Hermann Goering spearheaded Germany's economic recovery through his Four Year Plan. The plan promoted the ideas of Autarkie, which emphasized the need for the German economy to be self-sufficient, and rearmament. Additionally, between 1933 and 1936, employment in the construction sector alone increased from 666,000 to over 2,000,000. Hitler's ability to offer significant benefits
to technocrats like Gustav Krupp von Bohlen und Halbach, who held positions of power in both Krupp's Iron and Steel Concern and the Reich Association of German Industry, ensured their unwavering support for the Nazi cause.
Even Fritz Thyssen, a morally upright man, willingly complied between 1932 and 1935. His defection to Switzerland in 1939 was insignificant because, by then, Hitler had the determination to fulfill his plans. The revival of the previously stagnant economy boosted confidence in the regime's effectiveness and solidified the perception of Hitler's invincibility.
According to Kershaw, the economic drive created by the Nazi Four-Year Plan had its own dynamic and directly contributed to Hitler's ideological imperative. This dynamic was the deciding factor in Hitler's willingness to delegate his power. In a speech made in 1934, Werner Willikens, State Secretary in the Prussian Agriculture Ministry, captured the ethic of Hitler's Reich, stating that the Fuhrer could only with great difficulty order everything he intended to carry out from above.
So far, in the new Germany, everyone has excelled in their respective roles by working towards the Fuhrer. Economic recovery and a demonstration of his ability were crucial to the push for radicalization. Hitler's subordinates knew that the only way to succeed was to fully support his ambitions.
In a prophetic manner, Willikens' prediction was validated by the unfolding events of Kristallnacht. Joseph Goebbels, who had fallen out of favor with the Fuhrer due to the incompetence of his propaganda campaign during the Sudeten Crisis and his involvement with Czech actress Lida Baarova, rumored to have Jewish ancestry, sought to appease Hitler and repair his tarnished reputation. Thus, Goebbels sparked
a series of violent attacks by delivering a speech stating that while the party should not organize or plan demonstrations, they should not hinder those that spontaneously arise.
Hitler’s response to Kristallnacht was recorded in Goebbels’ diary, where he stated that he believed no restraints were necessary because he wanted the Jews to feel the people's fury. Despite Hitler's apparent surprise, it is unlikely that Kristallnacht was truly unexpected. Goebbels actually manufactured this 'spontaneous' public outburst in an attempt to regain favor with Hitler. The Night of Broken Glass marked the beginning of the third and final stage of the Holocaust.
Despite underestimating his own influence on the popular mind-set, Hitler's remark did not fully capture the profound effect of the Cult of the Fuhrer. As noted by Kershaw, this influence extended beyond the SS. Everyday citizens metaphorically became part of the Cult, denouncing their neighbors to the Gestapo and using personal grievances to their advantage through political slurs. Businesses also exploited anti-Jewish laws to eliminate competitors. Additionally, many individuals indirectly supported the Fuhrer's agenda through minor acts of cooperation with the regime, often at the expense of others. Ultimately, the quiescence or even acquiescence of the people was crucial for the Holocaust to occur.
Recognizing the potential personal financial benefits, the Germans realized that allowing the decline of the once influential Jewish community would be advantageous. Though it is not suggested that they actively sought to exterminate Jews, the prevailing atmosphere of agreement certainly aided Hitler's goals and may have been necessary. Despite some things being out of his control, Hitler retained a level of authority
and was willing to intervene as necessary. In 1936, during the Berlin Olympics, he expressed concern over Goebbels' handling of Jewish propaganda. As a result, the widespread "Jews Not Welcome" signs typically found throughout Germany were removed, and even the deeply anti-Semitic newspaper Der Sturmer was taken off newsstands at his request.
The text exemplifies how meticulously he constructed his public persona and designed his 'Final Solution'. Merely three years later, on January 30, 1939, he orchestrated anti-Semitic reform with great effort: 'Today, I wish to prophesize once more: if international finance Jewry, both within and outside of Europe, manages to instigate another world war, the outcome will not be the takeover of the Earth by Bolshevism and subsequently the triumph of Jewry. Instead, it will result in the complete destruction of the Jewish population in Europe'.
In 1939, Hitler's T4 Aktion made it clear that he intended to destroy the Jewish race in Europe. At the same time, his aggressive foreign policy demonstrated his willingness to provoke a world war. By annexing Poland in September 1939, Hitler further solidified his plan, as it brought more Jews under his control and aligned with his vision of German hegemony over Europe.
The Imperium formed after the invasion of Poland had a multitude of bureaucracies, politicians, and professions that aimed to please Hitler. It was during this time that the Einsatzgruppen emerged as splinter groups of the Wehrmacht. Together with the SS, they formed makeshift death squads to hunt down Jews. One notable example occurred in mid-1941 when Hermann Fegelein commanded the SS Cavalry Brigade in the Pripyat Marshes, resulting in the killing of
14,178 Jews during "anti-partisan" operations. These actions inspired additional death squads, as seen in the orders given by General Max von Schenckendorff between September 24 and 26, 1941, where he conducted an SS-Wehrmacht seminar on the most efficient ways to kill Jews.
Von Schenckendorff was subordinate to Heydrich who, in turn, answered directly to Hitler. This hierarchy allowed Hitler to lessen his involvement because he trusted that his Obergruppenfuhrer would leave no stone unturned in eliminating the ideological enemy. In the atmosphere of sycophancy that Hitler had created, few would dare to oppose their goals. The Nazi's ideological drive was fueled by Germany's economic resurgence and their initial military success. The extermination of 'Jewish Bolshevism' was a crucial part of the 'War of Annihilation,' culminating in Operation Barbarossa. By the Wannsee Conference, these plans were set in motion.
On the Conference held on 20 January 1942, Hitler made the decision not to preside. Although he had a brief conversation with Heydrich about the strategy for the Final Solution, the Wannsee Protocol was primarily constructed without his direct involvement. Hitler's role in the Holocaust was complex and changed over time. Historians have analyzed and attempted to understand his role from different perspectives, such as Intentionalist and Structuralist interpretations. These interpretations have argued that Hitler was either the mastermind or the symbolic leader of the Holocaust, but in reality, his role was less clear-cut. At different times, he fulfilled both of these roles. Importantly, until 1934, he functioned as the main overseer, blaming and targeting Jews, setting the precedent for the anti-Semitic sentiment in Nazi Germany that ultimately led to their extermination.
Hitler's early
rallies and decrees clearly outlined his plans for the Third Reich, which he continued to emphasize in his later speeches. While the Holocaust was carried out without much trouble, his war efforts faced challenges. As a result, his aggression exceeded his prejudice, leading him to delegate tasks like the extermination of Jews to individuals such as Himmler, Eichmann, Goering, and Heydrich. This decision was convenient and expedient for Hitler as it allowed him to focus on managing the war effort through others. The twisted road to Auschwitz was a collective responsibility, but ultimately it was Hitler who decided to delegate these responsibilities and evade full accountability.
