WWII, The Holocaust, and Nazism
We all know about the Holocaust, a horrible dark time when Jews, political prisoners, the disabled, and anyone else were brutally tortured, imprisoned, and executed by the Nazi Regime. The Holocaust didnt spark the war, it wasnt even found out about until further in the war, however they did know about the ghettos and prsion camps. However anyone with a basic understanding of history would know this much. This Nazi Regime was run by Adolf Hitler, a failed artist who ultimately got major recognition in the political world of a failing Germany. Germany at this time was suffering since the World war one forced treaties that limited the military and industry. Hitler came in and fixed a lot of things for Germany, he eventually claimed he would earn Germany's place in the world again. He also claimed vengeance upon many people, trade unionists, socialists, and Jews. He got a lot of power, misusing it a lot, however a lot of people didnt mind as Hitler was very charismatic. As can be seen by this video of a news cast about Hitler's bodyguard (Wrong video, ive been having this problem, here is a video of Hitler's speeches, heres the link to the video I wanted to show you:
):
Hitler's power grew stronger, claiming to exterminate any of the "Non-Pure", as in, communists, handicapped , and again Jews. Eventually the Allies were winning the war and Hitler was cornered and he killed himself. Sadly by this time over 6 million Jews were killed as well as many brave soldiers who fought to stop the Regime. Many horrifying stories of these times can be read like The Diary of Anne Frank or the book Night by Elie Weasel.
We all should pay respects to the innocent and honorable lives lost during this time.
The worst thing about all of this is modern neo-Nazism. This group follows the beliefs as the past Nazism did, however focusing their claims on Israel and other Jewish populations. Many of these neo-Nazis claim that its a shame Hitler died and he was a true hero, they blame it on "Zionist scum" (Jews). This is a horrible thing to be happening in our day and age, especially to good people.
What are your opinions on this?
Comments
I met a Holocaust survivor, nice, chubby guy, amputee.. Got separated from his mother, she was sent to who knows where and is presumed dead, his father went missing, he escaped the ghetto by sheer luck and lived in the jungle for a few years, I remember him telling us how he had to live off of eating bugs, and only had ants to play with, he met his dad once again after a couple of years, and watched as he was shot dead in front of him.
He got his hand amputated by some lunatic, some guy that employed him and then found out he was Jewish, he immigrated to Israel when the war was over and started a family, he's a grandfather now...
One could tell he'd been through Hell just by looking into his eyes, and yet he's brave enough to lecture students about it, I guess he's happy that he lives in a country where the Jews are safe with one another, but I'm sure he can't shake off the trauma..
Thats an absolutely horrible series of events he had to live through, im glad he is happy now.
Hopefully Israel stays safe.
He's not very happy, he told us he isn't, and it's all because of t\he horrors he went through.
Don't worry, we have an army that can fend off 7 armies at once, we did that already, I'll be joining in 2 years and contribute what I can as well.
Its very hard to be happy after such trauma, atleast he feels safe then.
Im glad and be safe.
Thanks ;p
Sorry for that, it did however the holocaust was a reason for other countries to act.
Umm, no. Holocaust, while being a terrible atrocity, did not spark World War II. Germany's humiliation at the end of World War I, desire for vengeance and overall lust for expansion did.
I said A reason, not THE reason.
Those are also many reasons countries acted against Germany.
And, yet again, I have to disagree. The reason for other countries to act was the almost successful Blitzkrieg Germany managed to pull off (by invading pretty much all of their direct neighbours), not to mention that the UK was (when the UK finally became active during World War II) now led by Churchill, who advocated direct military action against Germany from the very start, unlike his predecessor Chamberlain.
I'm not downplaying the Holocaust in any way, but I don't really think it was a driving reason behind other countries' involvement in the war.
I said A reason, not THE reason, you are right that those are also reasons for action against Germany.
The Holocaust was one way to recruit soldiers, another way it played a big part in the war.
I am German, and I must say two things: Fuck Nazis, and fuck Hitler.
^ I admire this man a lot. While I absolutley hate every Nazi ever to ashame the earth, I must admit Hitler was a charismatic man. He managed to establish his little empire in only roughly 6 years, which is impressive (in a wrong kind of way).
I guess some people don't even know, but Hitler was Austrian, not German.
And he wasn't big, blonde or had blue eyes. He was small, had black hair and idc eyes (not blue).
Yet exactly these features were those of his 'Arian Race'.
In a morbid way, this pschopath did something pretty hard in a short amount of time.
But it doesn't change history. I forgive my grandparents (though I don't know if they even were Nazis, though it's likely), and I can understand the other Nazis back then (very little), because of Hitler's undeniable qualities as a Führer, I hate every Neo-Nazi. No exception. If my best friend told me he was one, I'd up and leave, let him live his miserable existence.
I know it sounds harsh, but what happened happened, and I think we should have moved on a long time ago.
Not forget the victims and sacrifices, ever. But move on from it.
Its important to learn from history, many people think Germans are still Nazis, Germans resent their ancestors actions.
It isnt harsh to leave them, there is no reason to be a neo-Nazi.
You should try out this WW2 movie. It's very dark and sad.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0914798/
This movie is definitely not a 7.8/10 it's a 9.5/10 to me.
I saw that movie in my 8th grade reading class after we read night.
Very sad movie, especially the ending, my friend cried.
I would have to give it a 9.5/10
It's been a long time since I've studied WW2 but if I remember correctly, didn't other countries not find out about the holocaust until the war for Germany was pretty much almost over?
Also Hitler's flaming desire to expand Germany's territory, what a skrub that Hitler was ._.
What can I say, it was genocide on a nearly unprecedented scale (just behind the European/American genocide of Native Americans). There are two interesting things to note, however.
I'd disagree that the Holacaust sparked WWII. It was actually started by the economy and a perceived need for more 'living space.' Racial theory was just used to make scapegoats and to justify Germany's invasions to the public.
It's hard to believe, but a lot of European nations were just as anti-Semitic than the Nazis. During the Invasion of Poland, certain villages lynched or immediately handed over their Jews without any coercion from the Nazis. The situation in Hungary and Croatia was pretty similar.
I think so, I'm studying about Nazism and WW2 this year.
But it sure was an atrocity that spoke to some of the people's moral codes, and forged their willingness to eradicate that shitlord off the face of the earth.
Yeah, a little mis-information on my part about the Holocaust sparking the war, sorry.
Maybe, I love history but I have a bad memory and forget a lot of details.
They knew about the anti-semitism, confiscation of property and rounding Jews up into ghettos. Most of them didn't know about the death camps, however. If I remember correctly, the Russians were the first to find out, after finding mass graves in territory they recaptured from Germany.
It's remarkable how far Germany society has come in making peace with those terrible years. It's a shame that Japan still hasn't accepted it's role. You won't see anything about the Rape of Nanking or Bataan Death March in their schoolbooks.
Ah that makes sense, I was kinda right :P
"“He who controls the past controls the future. He who controls the present controls the past.”
You really hate "nazi scum" so much you had to make a thread about it? You seem to know very little about Nazism, mainly because of your spelling of "Aryan", and to the other guy who said Holocaust sparked WW2. It just seems like you read an history book for the first time and discovered some really bad photos from the death camps they called it and want to preach about it? Don't see what you are trying to prove? Do you want someone to argue against you and try to prove you wrong or something?
Germans have done much better than the Japanese in denouncing past genocidal crimes.
Germans today are totally aghast at what the Nazis did. Many Japanese still think Nanking didn't happen or that admitting the genocide would be going against national pride.
Well, I read a book not long ago on the Holocaust after watching Schindler's List (such a powerful movie). Its probably the most abhorrent, terrible event to have happened in mankind's history.
I remember watching documentaries about it, seeing the bodies pile up and thrown out to be burned, etc. People were treated like animals. The Jews were seen as not even human (and also the disabled, gypsies, etc). I hope that the Holocaust will never be forgotten by generations to come.
Ah yes, I've seen that. Great movie.
I was trying to just show respect, Awesomeo pointed out some very interesting neo-nazis to me and I asked if he would appreciate a thread. Did I spell Aryan wrong? No, I put perfect race for anyone who didnt know what Aryan was. I got a little mis-information on the original OP, thats my fault, sorry.
Do you really need to come in and be rude to me and disrespect such horrible events?
By the way, I was trying to show respect to the many people who lost their lives and to draw attention to modern neo-nazis because Awesomeo wanted me to. I didnt want an argument but obviously you do, so please either be respectful or dont even comment here.
Hopefully remembered but not celebrated like some people do.
As far as I know, Australia never had much of a major role in Europe. We were forced to send troops in by the Governor General, but we mostly had to defend against the Japanese. There were rumors of Japan invading us before they were defeated.
Yeah, the Japanese were debating it, but decided to isolate Australia instead of trying to take it. That's why they occupied parts of Papua New Guinea and the Solomons.
Not sure about two, but the ANZACs fucked shit up in WWI!
that movie... Its one of the best movies on the subject. I cried at the ending 10/10
Too right, Japanese dogma is basically 'one day, for reason nobody ever understood, the Americans started dropping nuclear bombs on us." Not a good mentality at all...
My theory is that it's because 1.) the US occupation of Japan was a lot less strict and brutal than the US/Soviet occupation of Germany and 2.) because the Emperor and his family were never prosecuted for their crimes.
Maybe, but, then again, as someone mentioned in this thread, the Allies didn't even know about the death camps at first. Ghettos and stuff don't sound as terrible as death camps and therefore wouldn't cause an uproar from those people whose moral codes conflicted with the Nazi's actions.
So, the reasons for "eradicating that shitlord off the face of the earth" are the ones I've mentioned before, mostly. The Holocaust became a reason why the Nazis, their regime and leadership are rightfully condemned and hated, but their actions (mostly genocide they've commited), before and during the war, until they became known, played little role in people's willingess to stop the Nazis.
I know that, lel xD
Then it hardly makes sense to mention how those atrocities "spoke to some people's moral codes" when you know that it is likely not the case.
Anyone have family that fought in the war? I have a couple, though neither played a particularly glorious role.
My long-deceased Great-Grandad was a supply officer in the Italian cavalry. He was an American citizen, but returned to fight after Italy invaded Ethiopia. He never saw action and left just before the war broke out.
I also have a distant relative who was in the US Army. He fought in the complete fucking disaster at Kasserine Pass, which was one of the worst defeats in US history. Unfortunately I don't know much else, but I think he killed himself sometime after the war.
I dont think I had any relatives although I actually might have, but none that I know of.
Im glad your Great-Grandad made it out before everything happened.
Im sorry for your distant relative's death.