The Impact of the Holocaust on Human History

This article focuses on the historical significance of the Holocaust and the importance of including and discussing this topic in the classroom. 

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We are decades away from the spring of 1945. Since then, much of humanity has gradually come to view the Holocaust as one of the most important milestones of modern civilization. Even the United States, which weren’t directly touched by these tragic events, consider the memory of the Holocaust as crucial. But why is this remembrance so meaningful? Why can’t we stand with Holocaust denial? In this article, we’re going to talk about the details, significance, and impact of these events on human history. 

What Was the Holocaust?

The Holocaust, also named Shoah (in Hebrew means “catastrophe”), is the name of the politics perpetrated by the Nazi regime in Germany against the Jewish people. The Nazis named it a “final solution” to the “Jewish question.” Its dates are considered 1933-1945.

What Caused It? 

Nazism was guided by the ideology stating that the inferior people should serve the superior ones. According to this opinion, which had great national and political support, the strong should eat the weak, as it happens in the animal world. The Nazis focused especially on the Jewish community, holding it responsible for all the ills afflicting Germany. Society was ready to turn them into slaves and subject them to inhumane treatment. Consequently, they were forced to work under inhumane conditions, endure medical experiments on themselves, and be prepared for total extermination.

Historic Significance 

The end of the twentieth and beginning of the twenty-first century is characterized by many challenges faced by European countries that were building democratic societies based on human rights. One of them is the readiness challenge to perceive “others” not as “strangers” but as others with equal rights. To understand the relevance of studying these topics, it is necessary to understand their “universality.” In the United States, racial discrimination still exists, but the most important thing is that the fight is still on. We must keep the Holocaust remembrance alive and provide more Holocaust essay examples to eradicate any establishment of difference and share it with the world. After all, as far as we learn from the school of life: “History repeats its lessons for those who have not learned them well.”

The Importance of Teaching the Holocaust

By understanding the essence of antisemitism, its origins, one can trace the basis of intolerance toward representatives of a different religion or color, nationality, or culture. To review the various discussions on this subject, you can compare essay examples about Holocaust to understand the topic better. Likewise, knowledge of the Holocaust history makes it possible to understand genocide as a phenomenon: its preconditions, essence, and effects. That is why most European countries and the United States understand the importance of highlighting it on social media and instructing it in different levels of education, such as high school and university. 

Ghettos and Deportations

The beginning of Nazi persecution of Jews involved a planned propaganda campaign against them. Shortly afterwards, they were forbidden from running their own businesses and even having bank accounts. For everyone to know their nationality, they were made to sew a Star of David on their clothes. Even so, there still exist people who talk about Holocaust denial.

After minor restrictions began the deportations against their will and the settlement of entire families in ghettos. These were the fenced-off areas similar to cities, where the police controlled entry and exit. Jews had to carry everything they were allowed to carry there and live in cramped and precarious conditions. They were also used as free labor to maintain Germany’s economic fortunes.

Extermination Camps

Death camps are often mentioned in various lectures or on social media. The first camps were opened in Poland, and it was a part of the plan of the Nazi military police. Majdanek, Chelmno, Sobibor and similar places started functioning in 1942.

In these camps, people were killed alive, burned in ovens, and poisoned with fumes. Any efforts to escape were impossible. Speaking of the painful and unfortunately truthful facts about Holocaust, it is impossible not to mention Auschwitz. This was the best-known and most feared of the extermination camps. Auschwitz is also one of the most popular Holocaust essay topics because it touches on its darkest pages. The survey says that almost 1,500,000 people were murdered in 1942-1945, 90% of whom were Jews. 

Consequences 

The Holocaust left a deep historical scar on the German people, the shame of which still leaves its influence on the oldest living generations. Nowadays, any manifestation of racism, xenophobia, or antisemitism in this country is punishable by fines and imprisonment.

The Zionist movement, on the contrary, grew stronger than ever, even after the catastrophe. So in 1948, when justice prevailed, it created the world’s first and only modern Jewish state, Israel.

Cultural Presence

Numerous artistic, literary, and cinematic works have explored the context of the Holocaust. A type of work, such as an essay about the Holocaust, is also an extremely frequent phenomenon, especially among students. All this is because the Shoah is one of the worst world tragedies.

The Holocaust exemplified how organized thinking can be entirely directed toward evil and cruelty rather than toward progress and goodness. It did leave its mark on the culture, though horrifyingly so. In case you want to get a feel for this subject,  read many informative materials and supplement it by viewing or reading these works:

• The Diary of Anne Frank (book, 1942-1944) by Anne Frank.

• The Auschwitz Trilogy (books, 1947, 1963, 1989) by Primo Levi.

• Without Destiny (book, 1975) by Imre Kertész.

• Schindler’s List (film, 1993) by Steven Spielberg.

• The Pianist (film, 2002) by Roman Polanski.

Holocaust Denial Theory

There is a theory of antisemitism that denies the mass extermination of the Jews during World War II. According to Holocaust denial theories, there is a kind of propaganda that the Jews use to their advantage because they benefit from the image of being victims.

These theories attempt to cause a Holocaust distortion despite the overwhelming evidence, including survivor testimony, film and photographic footage, and documents from the period.

Conclusion

It is estimated that 6 million Jews were wiped off the face of the Earth as a result of the Shoah. They were purposefully and systematically exterminated. It often happened with the consent of the majority or under the fear of people of other nationalities for their lives. Above all, remembrance all over the world is important for the sake of never repeating those crimes against humanity. We can’t admit the Holocaust distortion to stop any kind of discrimination. We, as future generations, must prove that it was not in vain and that humanity is truly able to learn from its mistakes.