The Holocaust occurs at many levels: the human, theological, the intellectual,
emotional… In none of those places can we create an acceptable reason why this
happened.
Historical Context:
Once the biography of Hitler, complete with his rise to power, is in
place it becomes necessary to pursue the degree to which not only he but also
his cohorts had “dirty hands”. That is,
Hitler alone didn’t perpetrate the Holocaust; many hundreds and more likely
thousands of people had to be involved.
Historians have traditionally aligned themselves along two fronts: that the killing of the Jews was intentional
from the start, or that the killing of the Jews was a by-product of the larger
war.
Rationale to Teach: As stated in the last unit, it has been said “no Hitler, no Holocaust”. Students will have the opportunity to discuss the arguments on both sides of the debate: did Hitler orchestrate the Shoah from the top, or was it his underlings that carried it out in hopes of impressing der Fuehrer? What I’ve found is that students will get very frustrated as you dig into some of the details that support the arguments, and they may end up just throwing up their hands in disgust – “Who cares why it happened?? You can’t explain it away!” At that point, you have entered one of those times we as educators all long for: students interacting on a topic, with passion.
Major Topics:
1. Intentionalist arguments
2. Functionalist arguments
Comment: As I said above, this discussion should get some of your students going. The best times to study are when it is an interactive process, when both the teacher and the pupils give-and-take. The work of numerous historians can be cited during this lesson, and some video footage can be used. I would encourage you to mix up the presentation if possible. In discussion, take care to keep the discourse civil, while not shutting anyone out from giving his or her opinions.
Resources:
Classroom notes with lines of questioning/student interaction
Berenbaum, Michael. Witness To the Holocaust, New York: Harper Collins Publishers, Inc. 1997. For details on Hitler’s plans, see pp. 158-171.
Lucy S. Dawidowicz. The War Against the Jews, New York: Bantam Books, 1986. One of the best-known Intentionalist authors…
Niewyk, Donald L. Ed. The Holocaust, Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1997. This book is a collection of several essays and articles about the Holocaust. There is a section in it on the Intentionalist/Functionalist debate (see pp. 9-49).
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