Hitler and the Holocaust

Undoubtedly, one of the most complex historical events of the twentieth century was World War II. Quite literally, the future of the world hung in the balance, and everyone hung on a nervous thread, awaiting the outcome. With the complexity and gravity of World War II in mind, this essay discusses many of the key topics of the war itself.

Hitler and the Holocaust

The catalyst of the atrocities that were thrown upon Europe prior to, and during World War II was the despotic ruler of Germany, Adolf Hitler. By understanding Hitler's goals and foreign policy mindset, one can better understand why Hitler did what he did, the fact that it was nothing short of pure evil aside.

Ostensibly, Hitler sought to return Germany to the status and territory it held prior to its sounding defeat in World War I, and it was this premise, along with the promise of stable employment and economic recovery that gave Hitler the favor of the population. However, it appears in retrospect that he was bent on world domination, fueled by his hatred for several races of people, including Jews and Slavs, based on his belief that certain races of people contributed impurities to the human race, and therefore, they needed to be exterminated enmasse (Friedrich, 1948). Hitler's "Final Solution" centered around the genetic engineering of a superior "master race", which would essentially be the perfect human being. Ultimately, this genocide came to be known as The Holocaust, and likewise became one of the pivotal issues of the 20th century for if Hitler was allowed to proceed unstopped, no group of people would be safe from his wrath, and quite literally, entire races of people would disappear from the face of the earth.

Appeasement and Attempted Conquest in Europe

As Hitler gained power in Europe, and his conquest threatened to overtake such nations as France and Great Britain among others, France and Britain specifically sought to survive the actions of Hitler through appeasement, which is to say that they believed that if they accommodated Hitler's requests, and did not oppose him, they would survive unscathed. Eventually, however, Hitler continued with his plans to take over these nations; France, falling to Hitler's assault in 1940, did so because of its lack of military might and the fact that by the time that Germany invaded France, the French had caved in to Hitler so much that the nation was basically there for the asking. Britain, however, proved to be a much more formidable opponent. Because of Britain's geographic situation, being a free-standing island, the only way that Germany could effectively attack the island was by air. However, the Royal Air Force of Britain was simply too determined, prepared and effective for Germany to be able to successfully attack. While Britain would suffer tremendous damage from air raids, and would have to fight for freedom during every day of the war, its tenacity made the difference in its ultimate victory.

Germany also faced defeat in attempting to invade Russia, simply because of the failure to learn from history's lessons. Over a century before Hitler, Napoleon's armies tried to overtake Russia, and found them freezing to death in the unforgiving terrain of Russia during winter. Likewise, Germany attempted to overtake Russia in the late winter/early spring, and was hampered by freezing weather, which then turned to warmer weather, making the terrain a muddy, swampy mess that tanks and trucks could not traverse, and soldiers could not cover effectively on foot (Friedrich, 1948). With the German troops literally stuck in the mud, and freezing in the snow, Russia was saved from invasion.

The War in the Pacific

At the same time that Hitler was fighting to own Europe, the Empire of Japan was growing increasingly resentful of American presence in Asia, most specifically areas of the Philippines, which Japan considered their sovereign territory. Lashing out at the United States, Japan launched the now infamous attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, pushing the US into another front of the war, battling Japan in the islands of the Pacific Ocean and beyond.

The involvement of the US in war with Japan is significant, as it was one of the driving forces behind American involvement in the war in Europe as well, and American intervention played a huge role in victory in Europe. This is not to say that victory over Japan was easy; ultimately, President Harry Truman was faced with a huge decision; in one bold move, he could end the war with Japan, thereby ending the loss of American lives and huge expenditures of money by dropping the atomic bomb on Japan. Today, in retrospect, Truman's decision to "drop the bomb" was the right one, for it ended the ongoing slaughter of thousands of Americans and Japanese, protected American interests, and allowed the US to focus on defeating Hitler, which was not as easy to do as dropping a bomb.

Effects of the Great Patriotic War and Beyond

In conclusion, several additional areas of importance in World War II need to be discussed; the domestic front in Britain, as opposed to that of Germany and France during the war is quite important. The people of Britain fought hard to withstand the assault of Hitler, and with the help of the Allied troops, eventually were able to do so. On the other hand, Germany was so obsessed with The Holocaust and world domination, and France was so concerned with appeasing Germany, that both of those nations suffered much more in retrospect.

Finally, the effect of World War II on the people of the Soviet Union would have far reaching implications. Because of the territory that the Soviet Union was granted following the war, such events as the building of the Berlin Wall were able to occur, leading to The Cold War, which likewise held the potential to destroy the world. Perhaps, in closing, what can best be said about the entire experience of World War II is that while it was horrific, it needed to happen in certain ways for the world of today to be what it is.

References

Friedrich, C. J. (1948). American Experiences in Military Government in World War II. New York: Rinehart.