HIMMLER, THE ARCHITECT OF GENOCIDE

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HIMMLER, THE ARCHITECT OF GENOCIDE

• Richard Breitman

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AIMS

• To discuss the points raised by Breitman in his
  essay.
• To understand Breitmans overall view.
• To produce a summary of his view including
  areas of agreement and disagreement.
• To understand what Breitman thinks about the
  timing of the Final Solution.

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Himmler was the architect of genocide because he
devised or selected the preferred, even
essential, means by which it was carried out the
extermination factory, where death came or was
supposed to come deceptively, smoothly and
efficiently.
To read extracts of some of Himmlers speeches
click on the following link http//www.scrapbookp
ages.com/DachauScrapbook/HimmlerSpeeches.html
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DIFFERENCES OF OPINION

• Why do historians disagree on the timing of and
  the responsibility for the Holocaust?
• Plans were poorly if at all documented so it
  is hard to find agreement amongst historians.
• It often depends on the individual historians
  assessment of the personalities involved.

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Hitler was the originator of the Holocaust
But! He didnt control all the details
political expediency
He needed people to do his bidding without formal
or written laws.
Heydrich and Himmler were the most important ones.
So what did Himmler do?
Radicalised Jewish policy, eg Madagascar Plan,
extension of the Final Solution outside USSR.
He hired and trained ideologically Heydrich
the SS carried out much of the Final Solution and
was responsible to Himmler he carried out
regular inspections of his subordinates in the
East he opted for gassing over mass shootings
effect on German soldiers.
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Timing of the Final Solution
The Nazi State was a racial state from its very
inception therefore there are preludes to the
Final Solution.
whatever the timing of the Final Solution, Nazi
ideology is an important part of the explanation.

• Problems
• Historians sometimes ignore the planning that
  precedes operational decisions time-lag.
• Formal records were sanitized of references to
  deaths or even of euphemisms.

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Breitman The Final Solution was conceived not
later than January 1941, in connection with
Hitlers plans for invasion of the Soviet Union.
Operation Barbarossa was designed to secure Nazi
control of continental Europe therefore they
would have been in a position to consider the
goal of killing all European Jews.
The Madagascar Plan had come to the fore at the
start of 1940, but was fading by the end of 1940.
Jews were being resettled in Poland this is
not on the way to Madagascar.
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Resettlement in Poland
The final evacuation of Jews to Poland not to
Madagascar.
But! Hitler had promised Hans Frank that the
General Government would be the first territory
to be made free of Jews.
Therefore mass murder was the only option.
Also a Jewish reservation in Poland would have
had security implications.
Breitman concludes that the Nazi euphoria after
early successes in the USSR did not create the
Final Solution plans were already there the
euphoria accelerated the realization of
pre-existing plans.
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TASK

• On a piece of A4 write Breitmans name and
  summarise his viewpoint in one sentence.
• You will continue with this for each of the
  historical essays we look at this term.
• Add another column to your sheet and head it
  timing. When was the decision taken according to
  Breitman?