| Papers [1-12] of 337 :: [Page 1 of 29] | | Go to page : 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 —> | |
|
|
The Hitler Youth, 2008.
This paper argues that the Hitler Youth was well-integrated within the Nazi apparatus and committed to the objectives of the Nazi government.
2,429 words (approx. 9.7 pages), 5 sources, MLA, $ 74.95
»
Click here to show/hide summary
Abstract
The paper explores how so many of Germany's best and brightest young people could become swept up in the machinations of a hate-filled and destructive Nazi regime. The paper provides evidence to show that the Hitler Youth's members were very committed to the objectives of the Nazi government because of their integration with the SS, the SA and the frightfully brutal SS-Totenkopfverbande. The paper then discusses how the situation in pre-war Germany and German youth's exposure to wide-spread indoctrination made it easier for them to be implements of the Nazi regime.
From the Paper
"As much as some might wish to deny it, there is strong evidence that the Hitler Youth (the Hitlerjugend or HJ) was well-integrated within the Nazi apparatus. For one thing, it was sometimes said within Nazi Party circles during the midst of the Second World War that the HJ actually walked in lock-step with Himmler's SS (Schutzstaffel). As if this involvement was not troubling enough, it appears as though the Hitler Youth was intimately associated with both the SA (Sturmabteilung) and the SS - though the SS influence and relationship did grow stronger over the course of the 1930s. In any case, the SA did begin training HJ members (under Hitlerjugend auspices) at the age of 17, thereby preparing them for military roles in the war just ahead (Rempel, 19-20)."
| |
|
Did the US and Canada Betray the Jews?, 2008.
A look at the failure of Canada and the United States to respond to the crisis of European Jewry, 1938.
1,976 words (approx. 7.9 pages), 17 sources, MLA, $ 62.95
»
Click here to show/hide summary
Abstract
The paper discusses the extent to which the leaders of the United States and Canada refused to consider the pleas of Jewish refugees for protection during World War II. The paper portrays the vitriolic anti-Semitism present in both countries but shows how the Canadian leadership was more anti-Semitic than President Roosevelt of the United States. The paper still concludes that both countries failed to respond to the plight of Jewish refugees during World War II.
From the Paper
"By 1938, few people with more than the most basic awareness of world events could doubt that Adolf Hitler represented a threat to the Jews of Europe. In February of that year, he assumed personal command of the German armed forces (Churchill 261). Days later, he invited Austrian Chancellor von Schuschnigg to Germany, and demanded what amounted to a capitulation of the Austrian government to the Austrian Nazi Party (Churchill, 262-65). It was clear that the Nazis intended to take over Austria, and that the Jewish population of Austria would be subjected to pogroms and expulsion (Gedye "Schuschnigg Visit" 4)."
| |
|
North American Response to Jewish Refugees, 2008.
This paper takes a strong stance that both North American leaders and its people did little to aid the numerous Jewish refugees fleeing from Nazi Germany and Austria during WWII.
2,008 words (approx. 8.0 pages), 17 sources, MLA, $ 63.95
»
Click here to show/hide summary
Abstract
The author argues in this paper that one of the great moral blights on the face of Canada and the United States is their failure to act effectively in the face of the horror that Nazi Germany perpetrated against Jews before and during World War II. The author further states that both countries during this period were marked by vitriolic anti-Semitism and goes on to analyze the question of what the leaders of the United States and Canada stood for by refusing to consider the pleas of Jewish refugees for protection.
From the Paper
"Within the government of Canada after the Liberal's accession to power in 1935, the Immigration Branch had been shuttled into the Department of Miner and Resources, under minister Frederick Charles Blair. The Immigration Branch was nominally headed by Thomas Creara, but effectively Blair gave the commands to Creara, and Blair was a rule-bound bureaucrat who firmly believed in protecting Canada from refugees, a group that to him meant Jews. (Abella & Troper, 7-8) Blair was anti-Semitic, a man of almost unbounded contempt for Jews, although he insisted in remarkable self-serving statements that he was innocent of all such sentiments and that his refusal to accommodate refugees was actually favorable to Jews, since they would only be despised by the Canadian populace (Abella & Troper, 8-9)."
| |
|
Human Rights, Genocide and the UN, 2008.
This paper explores instances of genocide and ethnocide and the failed response of the international community.
809 words (approx. 3.2 pages), 6 sources, MLA, $ 28.95
»
Click here to show/hide summary
Abstract
The paper discusses the concepts of genocide and ethnocide using the examples of the Holocaust and Rwanda. The paper looks at the effectiveness of the international community, specifically the Security Council and the United Nations General Assembly, in combating tragedies like Rwanda and at how the international community also failed European Jewry. The paper shows how international agreements and institutions are meaningless unless they have in place practical mechanisms that will make sure rogue states and individuals are held accountable for their actions.
From the Paper
"Broadly stated, genocide is the commission of acts that intend to destroy (in whole or in part) a racial, ethnic, religious and/or national group. It involves the killing of members of the aforementioned groups and it involves causing physical harm and mental anguish to group members, as well. At the same time, genocide involves creating living conditions for members of a group that are designed to bring about the physical destruction of those individuals. Lastly, imposing measures to prevent births and forcibly transferring the children of the persecuted group to other communities to be raised by others are also forms of genocide (Ryan Jr., 114-115)."
| |
|
Understanding Genocide, 2008.
This paper examines Elie Wiesel's autobiography "Night" in order to determine the sociological implications of genocide.
2,360 words (approx. 9.4 pages), 5 sources, APA, $ 72.95
»
Click here to show/hide summary
Abstract
The paper analyzes Elie Wiesel's Holocaust recollections in his book "Night" with the goal of pinpointing the sociological realities that tend to breed genocide. The paper poses three central preconditions of genocide; the technological means of genocide, the role of propaganda and the role of extreme nationalism. The paper shows how Wiesel substantiates these preconditions of genocide in his book.
Outline:
Propaganda
The Mobilization of Technology
Nationalism
Never Again?
Conclusion
From the Paper
"It would not be an exaggeration to write that Elie Wiesel's Night occupies a special place in the anthology of holocaust autobiographies. Of late, this short work has enjoyed a resurgence of sorts, and has skyrocketed to the top of numerous newspapers' bestselling lists. This paper, however, does not aim to delve into a literary analysis of the book--its inimitable style, its conciseness of language, and its mesmerizing refusal to lend itself to a clearly recognizable literary genre. This book, for all its concern with language and memory, is an autobiography that is grounded deeply in time and place--Poland of the Second World War. Wiesel's book, then, must be read as an autobiography of a Jewish man's appalling journey through that broken period. Consequently, it is up to the reader to make what he/she will of the work and to derive its sociological significance."
| |
|
Success of Nazi Propaganda, 2008.
This paper discusses why the Nazi party was so successful in using propaganda to attract the support of Germans.
1,367 words (approx. 5.5 pages), 5 sources, MLA, $ 45.95
»
Click here to show/hide summary
Abstract
This essay examines the success of Nazi propaganda and argues that this shocking reality can be explained by four factors that came together to make a deadly poisonous brew. First, the writer notes that the fact that the Germans were so defeated in every sense in the 1930s laid the foundation. Secondly, the writer points out that there was the modern technology for mass communication which the Nazis used to spread their propaganda. Third, there was the Nazi's unusually skillful use of this technology. Finally, the writer notes that there was the German peoples' philosophy or psyche, which made them vulnerable to the Nazis. The writer concludes that these four factors combined to make it possible for the Nazi party's propaganda machine to win over the Germans.
From the Paper
"The first thing to consider is the state of Germany at the time of the Nazi ascent, in the early 1930s. Germany had been the aggressor in the First World War, and after its defeat the victorious nations had punished it, and also attempted to subdue it, by bringing it to its knees militarily and financially. The harshly punitive terms of the Treaty of Versailles made German economic recovery impossible, and sowed the seeds of anger and resentment that would make the Germans a vulnerable target for Nazi propaganda. The economic woes of the Weimar republic were compounded by the effects of the Great Depression. This began in 1929 and affected many European nations, resulting in the rise of several totalitarian movements. Of these, the Nazi party had the easiest task in winning over converts, due to the vulnerability of the Germans. With their backs up against the wall, unable to make a living, many Germans were easy targets for a charismatic leader who promised to save them from their overwhelming woes."
| |
|
The Holocaust's Criminals, 2008.
An examination of the motivations behind the soldiers and other German officials who participated in the methodical extermination of approximately six million of Europe's Jews.
3,073 words (approx. 12.3 pages), 8 sources, MLA, $ 89.95
»
Click here to show/hide summary
Abstract
This paper considers the question of how so many otherwise ordinary, moral German citizens could; first, so broadly adopt the practice of violence; and second, could relish so fully in its practice. The paper notes that this question is one of the primary questions historians and humans in general have been forced to grapple with in light of one of the most horrific chapters in world history--the Jewish Holocaust. The paper further relates that it remains undeniable that something or someone drove these individuals to inflict pain and death of such massive proportions. The paper then goes on to discuss some of the explanations that are given in attempts to identify more general patterns, and more conclusive answers to the social and psychological phenomena responsible for human acts of malice.
From the Paper
"Another explanation that relies upon the notion of mandatory conformity is connected strongly with the mob mentality and the following of orders. Writers like Christopher R. Browning point to instances in which groups of Nazi officers initially felt ill-suited to the acts of violence they were ordered to commit, but eventually became quite accustomed to them. "Once entangled, people encounter a series of 'blinding factors' or 'cementing mechanisms' that make disobedience or refusal even more difficult." This approach takes into account the joy expressed by many Nazi executioners by attributing it to peer pressures, pressures from above, and routine exposure to bloodshed. Still, it seems difficult to argue that the majority of the Nazi's who perpetrated the Holocaust were simply "going with the flow," and had no ideological or moral association with the actions they took. This would be to deny that the forces that brought the Nazi's to power had any association with romantic visions of Germany's future--that deeply rooted emotional ties supported the Nazi's racial cause and dream."
| |
|
Life in Auschwitz, 2008.
A comparison of the "Memoir Auschwitz: A Doctor's Eyewitness Account" by Miklos Nyiszli with the film "The Grey Zone" directed by Tim Blake Nelson.
2,754 words (approx. 11.0 pages), 2 sources, MLA, $ 82.95
»
Click here to show/hide summary
Abstract
This paper examines and compares the "Memoir Auschwitz: A Doctor's Eyewitness Account" by Miklos Nyiszli with the film "The Grey Zone" directed by Tim Blake Nelson. The paper argues that the two differ significantly in their portrayal of the reality of the gas chambers and crematoriums of Auschwitz. The writer believes that the essence of the book is a stark portrayal of the brutal, belief-defying reality of Auschwitz, however the film in typical Hollywood style, fails to capture this essence. The writer explains that the film focuses on one act of rebellion that took place in the camp, thus focusing on heroism but glossing over the full reality and horror of the SS death machinery, as well as the mystery of why so many people walked passively to their death. The writer concludes that while "The Grey Zone" is a good film with strong acting from an accomplished cast, it is too trapped in the conventions of Hollywood to do justice to the essence of the book on which it is based.
From the Paper
"This is an example of the kind of evil that makes it inadequate to refer to Auschwitz as a moral gray area. Moreover, it should be noted that the detail of the murdered toddler twins is a good example of the way in which the film fails to capture the essence of evil that permeates the book. In the film, there is a very brief scene in which Oberscharfuhrer Eric Muhsfeldt (brilliantly played by Harvey Keitel in what must have been one of the greatest performances of his life) peeks at what looks like the corpse of a young woman on the dissecting table, and remarks that they are usually young. Nyiszli matter of factly explains that it is more usual to find twins together when they are young. This brief exchange does not remotely rise to the level of horror conveyed by Nyiszli's discovery that the twin toddlers have been killed with an injection of chloroform into the heart."
| |
|
"Denying the Holocaust", 2008.
This paper reviews Deborah Lipstadt's "Denying the Holocaust".
1,371 words (approx. 5.5 pages), 1 source, MLA, $ 45.95
»
Click here to show/hide summary
Abstract
The paper points out the numerous strengths of Lipstadt's work, including her lucid writing style, her careful research, her ability to vividly contextualize Holocaust denial and her intellectual courage. The paper looks at the book's failings and maintains that the author lets her political sensibilities get in the way of her better judgment in the labelling of some groups as anti-Semites. The paper concludes that nonetheless, the book stands up well to criticism and should be read by any young student interested in learning about the historiography surrounding the Holocaust.
From the Paper
"Lipstadt's book is compelling because she provides a rich context within which the average student of the Holocaust can understand why - and how - individuals can "get away" with denying an event that a huge collection of video, written, and oral history proves really did take place. For one thing, Lipstadt points out how the historiography of Holocaust denial is remarkably similar to, and really born of, a larger historical tradition that sought to exculpate Germany from allegations that it was wholly responsible for the beginnings of World War One. This historiography, championed most conspicuously by scholars like Harry Elmer Barnes, argued that the American public had been misled about the nature of German foreign policy and by apparently erroneous reports of German atrocities in the early stages of the Great War."
| |
|
"Ordinary Men", 2008.
This paper analyzes Christopher R. Browning's "Ordinary Men".
1,262 words (approx. 5.0 pages), 2 sources, MLA, $ 42.95
»
Click here to show/hide summary
Abstract
The paper discusses Browning's book "Ordinary Men", where Browning wants the reader to see how a unit of the German Order Police, who committed terrible acts by carrying out a number of killings and other atrocities as part of the Nazi effort to exterminate the Jews of Poland, were actually "ordinary men". The paper describes Browning's analysis of these men, which is told in a detailed way and that exposes all the questions that might be raised. The paper also highlights the Browning's difficulty in explaining how ordinary individuals could commit such terrible atrocities against the Jews during the Holocaust.
From the Paper
"Brown asks how these men faced this dilemma and offers a history of the Order Police, though that history does not explain the central issue of why these men acted so brutally and so out of their normal character. Browning does try to answer the question of why these men acted as they did, though he also points out that no one reason can be offered as to why the many man involved committed the acts they did. Any explanation would apply only to a percentage of the whole and not to all. One force that Browning does cite as important is the conditioning of society, conditioning that accustomed people to respecting and deferring to authority."
| |
|
Rule Utilitarianism and the State, 2008.
A review of the film, "Judgment at Nuremberg," directed by Stanley Kramer and the ethical or normative theories that affect construction of a desired society.
2,036 words (approx. 8.1 pages), 4 sources, MLA, $ 64.95
»
Click here to show/hide summary
Abstract
This paper discusses four major ethical or normative theories to the problem of the construction of a desired society. It looks at the significance of realism in normative analysis. The paper analyzes the film, "Judgment at Nuremberg," directed by Stanley Kramer in order to illustrate the challenges of devising a normative ethical viewpoint given the ethical complexity inherent in modern society.
From the Paper
"While Nazi Germany is an extreme example it is, unfortunately, representative of many tyrannies in human history in which a minority has seen its rights stripped, and claims of justice and community values/virtue dismissed, to supply the happiness or greater utility of the majority. The system of slavery in the American South prior to the Civil War represents precisely a model of precisely such a challenge."
"In this regard, a normative analysis would suggest that rule utilitarianism offers a stronger and more viable principle of utility than pure utilitarianism. Modern rule utilitarians, for example, "place heavy emphasis on human rights and freedoms" (Dwyer 163) which can be incorporated in this normative theory in a way they cannot be in pure utilitarianism."
| |
|
Germany and the Holocaust, 2008.
This paper examines two analyses of the history of European Jews, "The War Against the Jews" by Lucy S. Dawidowicz and "The Destruction of the European Jews" by Raul Hilberg.
2,405 words (approx. 9.6 pages), 2 sources, MLA, $ 73.95
»
Click here to show/hide summary
Abstract
The paper examines Lucy S. Dawidowicz's and Raul Hilberg's analyses of the history of European Jews. The paper discusses how both authors describe the nature of the process of the annihilation of the Jew and the way Germany was organized to carry it out, but Dawidowicz focuses more on the victims and how they reacted and what happened to them, while Hilberg focuses more on the machinery of death and on the lack of morality of so many functionaries and workers who assisted in the process.
From the Paper
"Much of the Holocaust was indeed carried out by career civil servants, military personnel, and others in the private sector. The Holocaust itself thus became routinized so that it was carried on as if it were any other government activity. Two reasons given for the participation of ordinary men and women include obedience to authority, and the modern era's pursuit of specialization so that people could perform their part without knowing what the whole entailed, or without admitting what the whole entailed. It may be impossible to determine one reason why the many man involved committed the acts they did, for any general explanation is certain to be applicable only to a percentage of the whole. One force that we can see as operating in this case is the conditioning of society so that people respect and defer to authority. In this case, the society itself had a certain tradition of racism which affected these men and women and determined what they were being asked to do."
|
|
|