What Is Höss's Role In The Holocaust

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Rudolf Höss was a Nazi leader who had an important role in the Holocaust. Höss was responsible for the deaths of many Jews and other Europeans. He thought of new ways to kill Jews quicker and more efficiently, and also made other improvements to the Auschwitz concentration camp. He was dedicated to his job and guaranteed the executions at Auschwitz would work with little error. Though Höss appeared to be a hard-working individual, some argue that he was a lapdog to other German leaders. Höss accomplished his goals and did his job very well. Rudolf Höss murdered millions and played a crucial role as an executioner in the Holocaust. To begin, Höss lived a life full of murder and war from the time he was a teenager. He enlisted to fight in World …show more content…
Höss was not fond of blood and gore, so he instead built gas chambers and crematoria and developed a system that could kill 2000 people in one hour (H.E.A.R.T). He always wanted to improve Auschwitz and to ensure everything ran smoothly. Höss was determined, and he strived to fulfill his duties and to do so in the best way possible. He displayed diligence and persistence as a silent leader who followed orders; he lived and worked by the principle, “Only one thing is valid--orders” (H.E.A.R.T). His main goal was to follow orders thoroughly and precisely. He was not motivated by greed, but instead was fueled by the desire to follow orders and to be loyal to what he supported. Höss experimented with different chemicals just to see how fast each would kill; eventually, he came across his prized Zyklon-B which could kill in 3-15 minutes (“Zyklon-B” Bard). Murder was a game to him; his tests with gasses were for entertainment to see which chemical could kill the fastest so that he could get work done more efficiently. He always looked to improve Auschwitz and strived for perfection. During his time as commandant of Auschwitz, approximately two and a half million prisoners were killed; he was later rewarded for his work in November 1943, and was promoted to Deputy Inspector--General of Concentration Camps (H.E.A.R.T). Höss was once again acknowledged for his dedication and was …show more content…
In 1945, he hid in Germany for a short time under the alias Franz Lang; he was eventually caught by a Jew named Hanns Alexander and captured by the Allied forces who gave him to Polish officials to be tried for his crimes (“Rudolf Höss” Bard). Höss had been captured and had zero chance of being proven innocent in his trial. There was evidence beyond a reasonable doubt that he was guilty, and there would be no way for him to hide from what would come. In the year 1946, Höss would accept his crimes during his tribunal, and claimed he purely acted because of his beliefs and duty to follow orders; he also said he had no hatred for Jews and he realized the executions were wrong (Hughes). Höss never acted out of emotion, but solely because of his ideals and political views. He was simply following orders and supporting the cause he believed in, even if it meant ending the lives of many innocent people. Höss was given the death penalty for his war crimes and was sentenced to death by hanging; he wrote a letter to his family telling them to not follow his path and to live a life with care for humanity (Hughes). Höss showed regret for his actions and gave advice to his family so that they would not make the same mistakes as he did. This shows Höss as a caring father and husband instead of an insane man obsessed with murder. On April 10, 1947, Höss confessed his sins and rejoined the

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