Holocaust: The Great Debate Intro

Although the Holocaust took place over 60 years ago there is still great debate over whether the concentration camps and death camps which became The Final Solution were always Hitler's intention. These arguments are divided into the structuralists and intentionalists. The intentionalists suggest that it was always Hitler's aim to systematically eliminate the Jews. In contrast, the structuralists feel this was the forced solution as a result of the failure of a number of other plans, rather than a clear original intention to commit mass murder. The most extreme of the structuralists include Dr Erving who was arrested in Austria for denying the gas chambers in Auschwitz were used for the mass murder of millions of Jews.

Another factor to consider is to what extent Hitler was aware of or involved in the mass gassing of European Jewry. Initially, you must come to a conclusion whether Hitler was responsible for the mass murders. If Hitler was not the mastermind but it was Heydrich instead then it can not be said that extermination had always been the final solution. The Nazi state was chaotic and there are relatively few administrative records of the Governments actions. Moreover, there is no paper trail linking Hitler directing to the Holocaust. Consequently, some people site Himmler and Heydrich heads of the SS and Gestapo respectively as the main organisers.