7.4 /10 1 Votes
Language English Country United States of America | 3.7/5 Goodreads Originally published 2006 Subject Nazi Germany | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Awards National Jewish Book Award for Holocaust Similar Jeffrey Herf books, The Holocaust books | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Dr jeffrey herf the jewish enemy nazi propaganda during world war ii and the holocaust
The Jewish Enemy: Nazi Propaganda During World War II and the Holocaust is a 2006 book by University of Maryland professor Jeffrey Herf. In it, Herf postulates that the Nazi government maintained its hold on the German people by controlling the press and claiming that Germans were already being attacked by an international Jewish conspiracy.
Contents
Nazi Germany under Weimar Years
During Weimar years, Nazi propagandists often gave false accounts of events on Jews, portraying them as evils and mischievous. Even when there was an appeasement in the West and the Nonaggression Pack in the East ( within the Soviet Union) which sought to promote peace, Hitler and some influential members of the Nazi gave it a negative connotation; saying the intention of the two meetings was for the powerful international Jewish to conspire and wage war against the Third Reich.
Hitler's Intention
On August 22, 1939, there was a gathering in Obersalzburg where Hitler spoke to other Nazi leaders and Wehrmacht generals to be ready for a war against the Jews. This was shortly before the invasion of Poland. Hitler was serious with his intention and therefore wanted to let the German army understand that the war with the Jews would be like never before in history. He stated, " Our war aim is not to attain a particular line ( in the east), but the physical destruction of the enemy." Some Historians had asserted perhaps Hitler was making reference to wars in the East or the Balkan Wars of 1912-13 that resulted in genocide because of the reactions of Turkish and Armenian to the loss of Ottoman lands. In this case, most Christians in the Balkan had criticized the Ottoman rule, and subsequent result of expulsion of hundreds of thousands of Muslims to the Ottoman Empire. The young Turks were furious for that matter. In 1914, Ittihadist leaders strategized plan for cleansing western Anatolia ( made up of the Christian Greeks and Armenians). The resentment of the young Turks and Ittihadist leaders or nationalist against the Armenians resulted in a massive war at the time. Unlike the case of Holocaust where specific order, date and meeting were initiated from the top by Hitler's Administration, this war was different since no record of precise order from the top was indicated neither did any precise date the war was initiated. German army officers particularly the Wehrmacht generals had played significant roles; as advisors to the Ottoman forces during the Armenian genocide.
Nazi Ideologies
There were different ideologies that had helped spark Nazi attack on the Jews; German nationalism, racism, and Anti-Semitism. The modern state of government had also implemented anti-Jewish legislation and had encouraged mass murder or the Holocaust.