Deportation & Anti-Semitism Evaluation

Deportations of Jews in World War Two

There was no set plan for how to deal with the Jews during World War Two. It is clear that the Nazi policy evolved over time. Originally, the plan was to send all Jews to Madagascar however after this was not possible, they were deported to camps.

Initial plan of emigration

Until mid-1941 the plan was still the forced mass migration of Jews.
Plans were drawn up to send them to Madagascar.
However, it became apparent that this would not be feasible. Therefore, deportations to death camps began.

Mass murder of Jews before 1941

By winter 1941 over 700,000 Jews had been killed in German-controlled territory, mainly by mass shootings.

Deportations

From October 1941 onwards mass deportations of Jews began.
German Jews were sent to Eastern Europe camps. These camps included:
- Chelmno, Treblinka, and Auschwitz-Birkenau.
These Jews mostly died by gassing.
- The first mass gassing was in December 1941 at Chelmo camp.
In total, 60% of all Jews were killed by gassing in World War Two.

Evaluation of the Escalation of Anti-Semitic Policy

There has been considerable historical debate over the Holocaust. Currently, the historiography has shown that it was not just the Nazis who drove the Holocaust, but local populations too.

Primary evidence

Headline from a Hanoverian newspaper in 1942:
- ‘The Jews to be exterminated.’

Historical debate over the nature of the Holocaust

Historians have shown that locals played a central role in administrative positions (e.g. not giving Jews jobs or welfare benefits) and that this drove the Holocaust.
For example:
- The General Government in Poland were in charge of ghettos.
- The municipal authority in Vienna began anti-Semitic policies of excluding Jewish children from as early as 1938.

Historical debate over why people acted in the Holocaust

Friedlander: 'Redemptive Anti-Semitism' drove behaviour by the German people. Argues the ideology was central to the Holocaust.
Aly: A functionalist interpretation. Argues that the Holocaust was driven by materialist concerns - to free up living space for the resettlement of Germans.
Kershaw: The German population knew about the Holocaust. Until 1943 no one openly discussed it. After the Allied Bombings in 1943, the Germans compared the Holocaust to their own suffering.

Historical debate over who acted in the Holocaust

Gross: It was not just Germans who drove the Holocaust but ordinary citizens in Eastern European countries. Using evidence from Poland he shows how neighbours helped kill Jews.
- This suggests that the Holocaust was driven by local populations as well as the Nazis.
Goldhagen: Every German in the army was a 'willing executioner' of the Jews motivated by Anti-Semitism.
Browning: 'Ordinary men' in the army were not solely driven by an obsessive anti-Semitic ideology.

1The Weimar Republic 1918-1933

1.1Establishment Of The Weimar Republic 1918-1924

1.1.1Post WW1

1.1.2Weimar Constitution

1.1.3Peace Settlement

1.1.4End of Topic Test - Germany Post WW1

1.1.5Economic Issues

1.1.6Economic Issues 2

1.1.7Social Issues

1.1.8End of Topic Test - Economic & Social Issues

1.1.9Extremist Threats

1.1.10Extremist Threats 2

1.1.11End of Topic Test - Extremist Threats

1.1.12Political Instability & The Invasion of the Ruhr

1.1.13Weimar Government by 1924

1.1.14End of Topic Test - Weimar Government by 1924

1.1.15A-A* (AO3/4) - Germany Post WW1

1.2The 'Golden Age' Of The Weimar Republic 1924-1928

1.2.1Economic Developments

1.2.2Industry & Agriculture

1.2.3End of Topic Test - Economic Developments

1.2.4Social Developments

1.2.5Social Developments 2

1.2.6End of Topic Test - Social Developments

1.2.7Political Parties

1.2.8Political Stability

1.2.9End of Topic Test - Weimar Politics

1.2.10Germany's International Position

1.2.11Germany's International Position 2

1.2.12End of Topic Test - International Position

1.2.13A-A* (AO3/4) - The Weimar 'Golden Age'

1.3The Collapse of Democracy 1928-1933

1.3.1The Impact Of The Depression

1.3.2Politics After The Depression

1.3.3The Appeal Of Extremism

1.3.4End of Topic Test - The Depression & Politics

1.3.5'Backstairs Intrigue'

1.3.6'Backstairs Intrigue' 2

1.3.7End of Topic Test - Backstairs Intrigue

1.3.8Political Developments

1.3.9The State by March 1933

1.3.10End of Topic Test - Political Developments

1.3.11A-A* (AO3/4) - The Collapse of Democracy

2Nazi Germany 1933-1945

2.1The Nazi Dictatorship 1933-1939

2.1.1Hitler's Consolidation Of Power

2.1.2The Terror State

2.1.3End of Topic Test - Consolidation of Power

2.1.4Opposition

2.1.5Propaganda

2.1.6A-A* (AO3/4) - Terror State & Propaganda

2.1.7End of Topic Test - Propaganda

2.1.8Economic Policies

2.1.9Economic Policies 2

2.1.10Impact Of Economic Policies

2.1.11Impact Of Economic Policies 2

2.1.12End of Topic Test - Economic Policies

2.1.13Social Policies

2.1.14Social Policies 2

2.1.15Volksgemeinschaft

2.1.16End of Topic Test - Social Policies

2.1.17A-A* (AO3/4) - Economic & Social Policies

2.2The Racial State 1933-1941

2.2.1The Radicalisation Of The State

2.2.2Anti-Semitism

2.2.3Development Of Anti-Semitic Policies

2.2.4Development Of Anti-Semitic Policies 2

2.2.5End of Topic Test - Anti-Semitism

2.2.6Treatment of the Jews in the Early Years of War

2.2.7Deportation & Anti-Semitism Evaluation

2.2.8End of Topic Test - Early Treatment of the Jews

2.2.9A-A* (AO3/4) - The Racial State

2.3The Impact Of War 1939-1945

2.3.1Home Front

2.3.2Impact On Society

2.3.3Impact On Society 2

2.3.4End of Topic Test - Impact of the War

2.3.5War Economy

2.3.6War Economy 2

2.3.7Policies Towards The Jews & Untermenschen

2.3.8A-A* (AO3/4) - Impact of the War

2.3.9End of Topic Test - War Economy

2.3.10Opposition

2.3.11Opposition 2

2.3.12Nazi State by 1945

2.3.13End of Topic Test - Opposition

2.3.14A-A* (AO3/4) - Opposition & The State in 1945

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