Ideology of Death: Why the Holocaust Happened in GermanyIn many nations throughout history, the Jews have been reviled and persecuted, regarded as cunning heretics and destructive social parasites. But only in Germany did racist stereotypes evolve into a popular ideology of such lethal force that it ended in the horror of the death camps. Despite a vast literature about anti-Semitism and the Holocaust, we do not yet understand why the destruction of the Jews was conceived and implemented by the Germans. Ideology of Death supplies this understanding in a stunning and disturbing narrative history. Exploring the unique nature of the German experience as well as the annals of anti-Semitism, Mr. Weiss rejects the notion that the Holocaust was a product of Nazi fanaticism. He shows instead how racist ideas ingrained in German culture led to the unthinkable. Tracing the culture of racism and anti-Semitism among powerful elites and ordinary Germans, Mr. Weiss shows how it grew rapidly during the Napoleonic era, became a forceful popular ideology in the 1870s, and in the 1890s gained the dedicated support of the generation that eventually brought Hitler to power. "German Jews became the victims of a uniquely powerful culture of racism," he writes. "Without this historical base, anti-Semitism would not have exploded with such fury after 1918, producing hundreds of thousands of followers whose ideas were no different from those of the Nazis." Drawing on the latest research, Mr. Weiss describes how the Nazis, building on traditional German anti-Semitism, adjusted their appeal to a wide variety of social groups that were crucial to their electoral success. The Nazis' extraordinary popularity "could not have occurred if Hitler's hatreds were unique," the author points out. Nor could the actions against the Jews, leading to their destruction. Most Germans saw nothing wrong with such actions. Mr. Weiss explains the specific complicities of various German groups and institutions in the Holocaust, and why they voluntarily cooperated with the Nazis. |
From inside the book
Results 1-3 of 85
Page 139
The radical racism popular among the educated was often a blend of religious
fervor with racist “ science . ” Anti - Semites did not so much replace Christian anti
- Judaism with secular racism , as many claim ; they adjusted Christianity to ...
The radical racism popular among the educated was often a blend of religious
fervor with racist “ science . ” Anti - Semites did not so much replace Christian anti
- Judaism with secular racism , as many claim ; they adjusted Christianity to ...
Page 144
This admission of helplessness did not prevent Jewish organizations and
Progressives from suing racists for libel ... to end discrimination , denouncing the
use of anti - Semitism in politics , and publishing literature refuting racist charges .
This admission of helplessness did not prevent Jewish organizations and
Progressives from suing racists for libel ... to end discrimination , denouncing the
use of anti - Semitism in politics , and publishing literature refuting racist charges .
Page 370
The royalist and racist right had long hoped to harm the Jews ; the Germans gave
it the chance it never had the popularity or electoral mandate to gain on its own .
Some argue that Germans who betrayed the Jews may not have acted from ...
The royalist and racist right had long hoped to harm the Jews ; the Germans gave
it the chance it never had the popularity or electoral mandate to gain on its own .
Some argue that Germans who betrayed the Jews may not have acted from ...
What people are saying - Write a review
IDEOLOGY OF DEATH: Why the Holocaust Happened in Germany
User Review - KirkusWhy did the most savagely anti-Semitic regime in history gain power in Germany rather than, say, France (scene of the Dreyfus affair) or Russia (with its widespread pogroms)? Weiss (History/Lehman ... Read full review
Contents
The Christian Legacy | 3 |
Luther and the Reformation | 20 |
The Enlightenment | 36 |
Copyright | |
24 other sections not shown
Other editions - View all
Common terms and phrases
Allies allowed anti-Semitism army Aryan attacked Austria became believed Berlin blood called camps Catholic cause century Christ Christian church civil clergy Conservative court created culture death defeat demanded denounced destroy dominated east economic elections elites empire enemies Europe faith famous feared Final Solution forced foreign France French gained German given groups held helped Hitler hoped human ideas industrial insisted Italy Jewish Jewry Jews joined killed knew land leaders liberal live Lueger majority March mass Mein Kampf military millions moral movement murder nature Nazis needed never officers once organized party peasants percent political popular Protestant Prussian race racial racist reforms refused Reichstag religion religious republic rule Social Democrats socialists society supported thousands tion trade traditional votes wanted Weimar workers wrote
References to this book
Bibliographic information
| Title | Ideology of Death: Why the Holocaust Happened in Germany G - Reference, Information and Interdisciplinary Subjects Series |
| Author | John Weiss |
| Edition | reprint |
| Publisher | I.R. Dee, 1996 |
| Original from | the University of Michigan |
| Digitized | 27 Aug 2008 |
| ISBN | 1566630886, 9781566630887 |
| Length | 427 pages |
| Subjects | › History / Holocaust |
| Export Citation | BiBTeX EndNote RefMan |