As quoted from a famed German proverb, “Fear makes the wolf bigger than he is”. Although not one single event can be attributed as the sole cause of the Holocaust, the underlying theme of fear can be seen spreading across Europe in the early twentieth century. Apprehension for the future of Europe was heightened by the instability of central politics, a weak economy, and reparations from a disastrous world war. Through the unfortunate occurrence of events after this global atrocity, fear became the driving factor in the annihilation of millions during the Holocaust.
Hatred and resentment are bred through uneasiness and doubt. Paired with the absence of hope for Germany to reemerge as a world leader, civilians focused their blame on long-hated …show more content…
Through the collective actions of many countries, parties, generations, and groups, tensions built until the only resolve included the murder of others. Fear is a powerful emotion that once exhibited, can be hard to control. It extracts one’s most primal instincts and survival skills. Fear of an uncertain economic future due to the impact of the Versailles Treaty and extreme inflation throughout Germany led to the degradation of the more “well-off” groups. Since Jewish populations had been banned from working in many professions, their monetary success was more readily observed than other German nationals. In a purely economic sense, Jews became an easy scapegoat to blame and hate. Socially, the military had lost influence due to the strong repercussions of the Versailles Treaty and shifting attention away from inner politics and onto an external minority population proved to be an effective strategy in maintaining military morale (Bartov, 777). With anti-Semitism at an all-time high throughout Europe, Hitler’s acquisition of power encouraged discrimination and segregation. Germans, believing that their thoughts and beliefs were justified, began to label and classify the social groups around them, therefore excluding the Jewish population. As fear within communities mounted of an unsecure and unstable future, German families became desperate to protect their loved ones. The Holocaust was less about the mass murder of Jewish populations, and more about a guarantee to defend the relatives of “true” Germans. By this thinking, German citizens were only acting in their best-interest, a small crime compared to the label of mass murderer perpetrated by the Allied
Hatred and resentment are bred through uneasiness and doubt. Paired with the absence of hope for Germany to reemerge as a world leader, civilians focused their blame on long-hated …show more content…
Through the collective actions of many countries, parties, generations, and groups, tensions built until the only resolve included the murder of others. Fear is a powerful emotion that once exhibited, can be hard to control. It extracts one’s most primal instincts and survival skills. Fear of an uncertain economic future due to the impact of the Versailles Treaty and extreme inflation throughout Germany led to the degradation of the more “well-off” groups. Since Jewish populations had been banned from working in many professions, their monetary success was more readily observed than other German nationals. In a purely economic sense, Jews became an easy scapegoat to blame and hate. Socially, the military had lost influence due to the strong repercussions of the Versailles Treaty and shifting attention away from inner politics and onto an external minority population proved to be an effective strategy in maintaining military morale (Bartov, 777). With anti-Semitism at an all-time high throughout Europe, Hitler’s acquisition of power encouraged discrimination and segregation. Germans, believing that their thoughts and beliefs were justified, began to label and classify the social groups around them, therefore excluding the Jewish population. As fear within communities mounted of an unsecure and unstable future, German families became desperate to protect their loved ones. The Holocaust was less about the mass murder of Jewish populations, and more about a guarantee to defend the relatives of “true” Germans. By this thinking, German citizens were only acting in their best-interest, a small crime compared to the label of mass murderer perpetrated by the Allied