To How Far Were The Germans Responsible?

SS Role


Beyond Hitler it is often considered that it was Himmler and his right hand man Heydrich who were responsible for the murders. The SS under their control was present at most of the killing and ran the majority of the camps. Himmler himself was responsible for commiting SS resources and manpower to the construction of death camps like Chelmo and Auschwitz. However, the SS numbered 800,000 by 1944 and most of these soldiers there saw the astrocities that were taking place. The SS soldiers were often the most devoted followers of the state and subsequently greatest anti-semites. So even now feel the job they were doing was the right thing to do. However, other leading Nazis most also be implicated.


Other Nazi Officials


Goebbels the head of Propaganda was a vehement anti-semite and was even responsible for The Night of Broken Glass which some mark as the turning point in the fate of the Jews. Other like Goering while publicly anti-semitic may have only been so because it was popular with the masses the Fuhrer himself. At the Nuremberg Trials over a few leading officials admitted to their role. Some like Albert Speer claimed complete ignorance. Most officials took the view of working towards the Fuhrer so to what extent was Hitler responsible.


Hitler's Responsibility


There are two sides to the argument which are the intentionalists and structuralists. Intentionalists, like Goldhagen (author of Willing Executioners) believe that Hitler planned to eliminate the Jews as early as 1933. The structuralists argue that developments were as a result of problems faced in solving the Jewish Question rather than a clear initial intention.

Hitler's actions prior to 1941 do not suggest a man intent on murdering an entire race. Goering, Frank, Himmler and Heydrich all pursued a policy of compulsory emigrationw as the only real solution. These plans seem to have been taken quite seriously and there is no evidence to suggest they were simply a cover up for the horrors to come.

Operation Barbossa provided Hitler the opportunity to pursue racial destruction and this time he could justify it to his local subjects. It is clear that this was the beginning of the destruction of Russian Jewry which was then spread into the rest of Europe. There are no direct orders linking Hitler to the actual order to commit mass murder but he did make it clear that Operation Barbarossa was to be a war of annihilation. Despite this the Party line was still that the Jews were being resettled in the East. Public opinion would not be in favour of mass murder so it was concealed.