The Holocaust is a complex historical subject and, as such, it can be difficult to write a good Holocaust essay. There are a wide number of Holocaust essay topics that can be written about, especially considering just how far-reaching an effect this period of history has had on the formation of the world today. If you’re having a hard time getting started, take a look at the following sample:
The Holocaust is one of the most widely recognized genocides of all time. A total of nearly 11 million people were killed during this period of time, and this number does not include casualties of war. This total comprises all those who lost their lives at the hands of the Nazis, either due to their ethnicity, sexuality, religion, or political beliefs. This essay will explore how Adolf Hitler effectively used propaganda and fear to create a society that accepted and actively participated in this genocide.
Nazi Germany was probably not a very fun place to live. People were being detained, disappeared, and were constantly held under scrutiny by the Nazi party. Join or die seemed to be the only choices left for those who fit the parameters of Hitler’s ideal society. Threats to personal safety and liberty quickly broke down community bonds between friends and neighbors. These broken bonds were replaced with the false sense of security offered by Hitler’s propaganda machine. Movies, leaflets, and literature depicting an ideal Nazi society were widely distributed. This offered a calm and beneficent alternative to the harsh realities of what was being done to those who didn’t fit the parameters for this society.
This use of force, when combined with the ideal being offered to those who acquiesced, created a society which either ignored or actively participated in the internment and death of millions. People today still question how it could become possible to effectively trick so many into participating in something so awful, and there have been many studies across a variety of fields which look at this phenomenon. The Milgram experiments, for example, show how people are capable of committing acts of cruelty when directed to do so by an authority figure. It is in our nature to survive, and following authority or seeking safety is a basic instinct. As such, when left with no safe alternative, it becomes possible for a large group of people to commit atrocities in order to prevent experiencing them—especially when there is a recognized authority telling people it is okay to do so.
Hitler created an ideal society using various types of propaganda. While the ideal was little more than a fabrication, it offered a valid and safe alternative for people desperate to escape the harsh realities of Nazi internment camps. When combined with a present authority that reinforced the propaganda, people became capable of actions that would normally seem abhorrent. It was this combination of fear, propaganda, and false authority that led common members of society to contribute to the ideals of the Nazi state.