Ian Kershaw is a highly recognized professor of history and historian. He has also managed to compose a two-volume bibliography of Hitler, something that has made him widely considered as an authority on the issue. According to the opening statement on the jacket of the book Hitler, the Germans and the Final solution, this collection of articles brings together the most influential and essential aspects of research of the author on the Holocaust of that period. The titles of the four sections of the book show the topics that the author deals with as, Hitler and the final solution, the final solution in historiography, popular opinion and the Jews in Nazi German and the uniqueness of Nazism. This paper will, therefore, use these sections of the book, and the arguments the authors make to come up with a discussion of the issues surrounding the relationship Hitler had with the Jews.
The author defines the final solution to the issue of Jews as, ‘the systematic (Nazi) attempt to exterminate the whole of European Jewry…’ (Kershaw 60). It is clear that this is the traditional view of the issue, the view that most mainstream historians agree with today. The author goes ahead and points out that there were three main questions surrounding this final solution. These questions are when and how the decision came about to exterminate Jews. The second question had to do with what role did Hitler play in creating and implementing this mass murder policy. The third question enquired whether the final solution followed any single order from an established program or whether it evolved haphazardly over time.
After asking these questions, the author argues that ‘the deficiencies and ambiguities of the evidence, enhanced by the language of euphemism and camouflage used by Nazis even among themselves when dealing with the extermination of the Jews, mean that absolute certainty these complex questions cannot be achieved…’ (Kershaw 61). Generally, the author is arguing that there is room for doubt in relation to the answers many mainstream historians have provided for these questions.
Two camps are evident today of orthodox historians on the issue of the final solution, these two camps are the internationalists who argue that Hitler assumed power with the intention of murdering all Jews and implemented coherent and unbroken policies to achieve this goal. The other camp is that of functionalists who argue that the decision of the Nazis to exterminate all Jews did not originate with the policies and the decisions of Hitler alone, but evolved in an improvised and incremental fashion (Lipstadt 23). On these two schools of thought, Kershaw argues that one would have to neither explanation of the final solution offers a fully satisfactory answer. He further points out that the vagaries of the policy against Jews both in the period of war and before the war, out of which the solution resulted, belie any idea of a program or plan (Kershaw 269). This is to mean that the two theories do not hold any solid truth about the Holocaust and that before the war and in the period of war, there was not official, solid program or plan to kill all Jews.
One of the major agreed- on dogmas of the traditional story of the Holocaust is that Hitler, who was the leader of the National Socialist, personally commanded that all Jews living in Europe exterminated. Nonetheless, the author acknowledges that a written statement by the leader that commands the killing of the Jews was never found. He further notes that research and studies on the issue had in many ways moved away from the different theories about the exact date of the decision by Hitler on the final solution by implying that Hitler did not make the decision (Kershaw 96- 97). The author even throws more doubt in the minds of the reader on the traditional view of the role Hitler played in the killing of Jews when he argues that the evidence on which this belief is based is unsatisfactory and fragmented. He indicates that is almost certain given the unsatisfactory and fragmented evidence that all trials to develop a precise moment when the leader decided to launch the decision will meet numerous objections (Kershaw 100). He, therefore, concludes that it is almost impossible to separate a specific, single Fuhrer order for the decision in an extermination policy that developed in a radicalization process lasting for more than a year.
Much of the book is filled with attempts of the author to explore and understand the theories of a number of mainstream historians on the issue of the Final Solution. He argues that these historians have inferred distinct interpretations of the decision from the same sources or evidence, indicating that the sources on which the interpretations of the scholars are based on are essential. It is clear that he believes that their source or evidence is extremely weak or non- existent. The contends, therefore, that the interpretations of these scholars lie on the balance of probabilities (Kershaw 256- 57). He argues that the post-war testimonies given in court by some of the officers about the existence of an order from the leader to kill Jews are false (Kershaw 258).
Therefore, after the author exposes the reader to these conflicting arguments, the issue that comes forth is what the nature of the order for the final solution was. The author points out that it is almost impossible to come up with an answer by claiming that, ‘the nature and the form of the Fuhrer order, and whether it amounted to an initiative by Hitler himself or was any more than the granting of approval to a suggestion… is impossible to establish (Kershaw 259).
However, amidst all the uncertainty and doubt the author manages to introduce his readers into the traditional view of the decision that made it possible to the mass murder of Jews, he makes an argument that is supposed ‘absolutely true’. He argues that the final solution was fully blown by March of 1942. This is to mean that the Nazi plan to totally exterminate Jews was in full operation by March of 1942. Nevertheless, the evidence one of the mainstream historians on the Holocaust puts forth refutes this supposedly ‘true’ statement. Jeff Herf argues that in seventh of March 1942, the National Socialist propaganda minister conversed about an extensive memo related to the final solution decision regarding the Jews.
According to this historian, the document referred to the more than 11 million Jews in Europe whom the Nazis had to concentrate in the East, and in due course be send to an island after the war. According to the memo, Europe would not be peaceful until the Nazis excluded all Jews from Europe. The government would address certain questions that arose from the issue of half-Jews, spouses, relatives according to the memo. According to the historian, ‘the situation is now ready to introduce a definitive solution to the Jewish question. Later generations will no longer have the energy… it is important that we proceed radically and thoroughly (Herf 146). The historian admits that the passage contradicts the holocaust story believed by traditional historians. It does not speak of a decision to kill Jews, but to deport them to a place outside Europe after the war ends. This evidence, which the historian derived from Joseph Goebbels’s diary, defies the claims of Kershaw that alleged orders or policy to eliminate Jews was in Operation in 1942.
It is clear that the author accepts the traditional view of the Jewish Holocaust when he acknowledges the presence and the use of gas chambers for the mass murder of Jews. However, despite the fact that he agrees with this fact, he provides evidence that points out to uncertainties of some of the testimonies to the utilization of gas chambers (Kershaw 109). The author seems to refute the idea that homicidal gas chambers were utilized at Charkov because it is now clear that they were never present. More importantly, the author substantiates what Arno Mayer, another mainstream historian admitted in n1988 that, ‘sources for the study of the gas chambers are at once rare and unreliable…’ (Mayer 362). It is clear, however, from the book that Hitler was not fond of Jews, ‘they ought to be isolated in remote camps where they could no longer infect the healthy body of the public…’ (Irving 509).
It is also clear from the above paragraphs that Hitler had a large role to play in the extermination and the mass murder of Jews in the 1940s. Though there are contradicting interpretations of this role, different historians point clearly to his participation in the war that saw thousands of Jews dead.
Work cited
Herf, Jeffrey. The Jewish Enemy: Nazi Propaganda during World War II and the Holocaust. German: Belknap Press, 2006. Print.
Irving, David. Hitler’s War: 1942-1949. New York: PAPERMAC, 1977. Print.
Kershaw, I. Hitler, the Germans, and the Final Solution. New Haven: Yale University Press, 2008, Print.
Lipstadt, Deborah. History on Trial: My Day in Court with David Irving. New York: Harper- Collins, 2005. Print.
Mayer, Arno. Why Did the Heavens Not Darken? The “Final Solution” in History. New York: Pantheon, 1988. Print.
Get Professional Assignment Help Cheaply
Are you busy and do not have time to handle your assignment? Are you scared that your paper will not make the grade? Do you have responsibilities that may hinder you from turning in your assignment on time? Are you tired and can barely handle your assignment? Are your grades inconsistent?
Whichever your reason is, it is valid! You can get professional academic help from our service at affordable rates. We have a team of professional academic writers who can handle all your assignments.
Why Choose Our Academic Writing Service?
- Plagiarism free papers
- Timely delivery
- Any deadline
- Skilled, Experienced Native English Writers
- Subject-relevant academic writer
- Adherence to paper instructions
- Ability to tackle bulk assignments
- Reasonable prices
- 24/7 Customer Support
- Get superb grades consistently
Online Academic Help With Different Subjects
Literature
Students barely have time to read. We got you! Have your literature essay or book review written without having the hassle of reading the book. You can get your literature paper custom-written for you by our literature specialists.
Finance
Do you struggle with finance? No need to torture yourself if finance is not your cup of tea. You can order your finance paper from our academic writing service and get 100% original work from competent finance experts.
Computer science
Computer science is a tough subject. Fortunately, our computer science experts are up to the match. No need to stress and have sleepless nights. Our academic writers will tackle all your computer science assignments and deliver them on time. Let us handle all your python, java, ruby, JavaScript, php , C+ assignments!
Psychology
While psychology may be an interesting subject, you may lack sufficient time to handle your assignments. Don’t despair; by using our academic writing service, you can be assured of perfect grades. Moreover, your grades will be consistent.
Engineering
Engineering is quite a demanding subject. Students face a lot of pressure and barely have enough time to do what they love to do. Our academic writing service got you covered! Our engineering specialists follow the paper instructions and ensure timely delivery of the paper.
Nursing
In the nursing course, you may have difficulties with literature reviews, annotated bibliographies, critical essays, and other assignments. Our nursing assignment writers will offer you professional nursing paper help at low prices.
Sociology
Truth be told, sociology papers can be quite exhausting. Our academic writing service relieves you of fatigue, pressure, and stress. You can relax and have peace of mind as our academic writers handle your sociology assignment.
Business
We take pride in having some of the best business writers in the industry. Our business writers have a lot of experience in the field. They are reliable, and you can be assured of a high-grade paper. They are able to handle business papers of any subject, length, deadline, and difficulty!
Statistics
We boast of having some of the most experienced statistics experts in the industry. Our statistics experts have diverse skills, expertise, and knowledge to handle any kind of assignment. They have access to all kinds of software to get your assignment done.
Law
Writing a law essay may prove to be an insurmountable obstacle, especially when you need to know the peculiarities of the legislative framework. Take advantage of our top-notch law specialists and get superb grades and 100% satisfaction.
What discipline/subjects do you deal in?
We have highlighted some of the most popular subjects we handle above. Those are just a tip of the iceberg. We deal in all academic disciplines since our writers are as diverse. They have been drawn from across all disciplines, and orders are assigned to those writers believed to be the best in the field. In a nutshell, there is no task we cannot handle; all you need to do is place your order with us. As long as your instructions are clear, just trust we shall deliver irrespective of the discipline.
Are your writers competent enough to handle my paper?
Our essay writers are graduates with bachelor's, masters, Ph.D., and doctorate degrees in various subjects. The minimum requirement to be an essay writer with our essay writing service is to have a college degree. All our academic writers have a minimum of two years of academic writing. We have a stringent recruitment process to ensure that we get only the most competent essay writers in the industry. We also ensure that the writers are handsomely compensated for their value. The majority of our writers are native English speakers. As such, the fluency of language and grammar is impeccable.
What if I don’t like the paper?
There is a very low likelihood that you won’t like the paper.
Reasons being:
- When assigning your order, we match the paper’s discipline with the writer’s field/specialization. Since all our writers are graduates, we match the paper’s subject with the field the writer studied. For instance, if it’s a nursing paper, only a nursing graduate and writer will handle it. Furthermore, all our writers have academic writing experience and top-notch research skills.
- We have a quality assurance that reviews the paper before it gets to you. As such, we ensure that you get a paper that meets the required standard and will most definitely make the grade.
In the event that you don’t like your paper:
- The writer will revise the paper up to your pleasing. You have unlimited revisions. You simply need to highlight what specifically you don’t like about the paper, and the writer will make the amendments. The paper will be revised until you are satisfied. Revisions are free of charge
- We will have a different writer write the paper from scratch.
- Last resort, if the above does not work, we will refund your money.
Will the professor find out I didn’t write the paper myself?
Not at all. All papers are written from scratch. There is no way your tutor or instructor will realize that you did not write the paper yourself. In fact, we recommend using our assignment help services for consistent results.
What if the paper is plagiarized?
We check all papers for plagiarism before we submit them. We use powerful plagiarism checking software such as SafeAssign, LopesWrite, and Turnitin. We also upload the plagiarism report so that you can review it. We understand that plagiarism is academic suicide. We would not take the risk of submitting plagiarized work and jeopardize your academic journey. Furthermore, we do not sell or use prewritten papers, and each paper is written from scratch.
When will I get my paper?
You determine when you get the paper by setting the deadline when placing the order. All papers are delivered within the deadline. We are well aware that we operate in a time-sensitive industry. As such, we have laid out strategies to ensure that the client receives the paper on time and they never miss the deadline. We understand that papers that are submitted late have some points deducted. We do not want you to miss any points due to late submission. We work on beating deadlines by huge margins in order to ensure that you have ample time to review the paper before you submit it.
Will anyone find out that I used your services?
We have a privacy and confidentiality policy that guides our work. We NEVER share any customer information with third parties. Noone will ever know that you used our assignment help services. It’s only between you and us. We are bound by our policies to protect the customer’s identity and information. All your information, such as your names, phone number, email, order information, and so on, are protected. We have robust security systems that ensure that your data is protected. Hacking our systems is close to impossible, and it has never happened.
How our Assignment Help Service Works
1. Place an order
You fill all the paper instructions in the order form. Make sure you include all the helpful materials so that our academic writers can deliver the perfect paper. It will also help to eliminate unnecessary revisions.
2. Pay for the order
Proceed to pay for the paper so that it can be assigned to one of our expert academic writers. The paper subject is matched with the writer’s area of specialization.
3. Track the progress
You communicate with the writer and know about the progress of the paper. The client can ask the writer for drafts of the paper. The client can upload extra material and include additional instructions from the lecturer. Receive a paper.
4. Download the paper
The paper is sent to your email and uploaded to your personal account. You also get a plagiarism report attached to your paper.
PLACE THIS ORDER OR A SIMILAR ORDER WITH US TODAY AND GET A PERFECT SCORE!!!
