Adolf Eichmann Before the horrific events of the holocaust, Adolf Eichmann was German born high school dropout living in Austria, traveling with odd jobs during the 1920’s until a friend recruits him into the Austrian National Socialist (Nazi) Party, and soon after the SS. From this entry point into the Nazi regime, Eichmann began moving upwards through the Austrian League, eventually securing a position as a Sergeant in the Reich Main Security Office (RSHA). There, his duties focused primarily on the monitoring of Jewish organizations under the pretense of holding Zionist values in order to encourage the emigration of Jews out of Germany. By 1938, Eichmann had worked to develop his own Central Office for Jewish Emigration, from which he was
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In addition to making the “deportation plans down to the last detail”(“Eichmann Trial.”), Eichmann also handled the redistribution of goods stolen from deported Jews, ensuring that his office would benefit from the seized property. Even in the last few months of 1944, when Germany was clearly headed towards a loss in WWII, Eichmann and his colleagues [were responsible for sending] a total of 437 000 Jews from Hungary to Auschwitz”(“Mass deportations). At the conclusion of the war, Eichmann fled to Argentina, where he evaded capture until 1960 when he was to face trial.. The Israeli government charged Eichman with “with 15 counts of crimes against the Jewish people, crimes against humanity, war crimes and membership of a hostile organisation”(Sherwood). Eichmann’s only claim with which to defend himself was that, as an officer of his rank, he was only following orders and did not have enough individual control to be held accountable for the decisions made. However, regardless of his alleged lack of autonomous action, there is no evidence of Eichmann being forced to participate in the Holocaust, and he acted of his own free will in the sentencing of millions of innocent people to death, all the while profiting from his actions. This
In addition to making the “deportation plans down to the last detail”(“Eichmann Trial.”), Eichmann also handled the redistribution of goods stolen from deported Jews, ensuring that his office would benefit from the seized property. Even in the last few months of 1944, when Germany was clearly headed towards a loss in WWII, Eichmann and his colleagues [were responsible for sending] a total of 437 000 Jews from Hungary to Auschwitz”(“Mass deportations). At the conclusion of the war, Eichmann fled to Argentina, where he evaded capture until 1960 when he was to face trial.. The Israeli government charged Eichman with “with 15 counts of crimes against the Jewish people, crimes against humanity, war crimes and membership of a hostile organisation”(Sherwood). Eichmann’s only claim with which to defend himself was that, as an officer of his rank, he was only following orders and did not have enough individual control to be held accountable for the decisions made. However, regardless of his alleged lack of autonomous action, there is no evidence of Eichmann being forced to participate in the Holocaust, and he acted of his own free will in the sentencing of millions of innocent people to death, all the while profiting from his actions. This