Language:
English
Year of publication:
2005
Titel der Quelle:
Kritika
Angaben zur Quelle:
6,4 (2005) 763-787
Keywords:
Holocaust, Jewish (1939-1945)
;
Holocaust, Jewish (1939-1945)
Abstract:
Argues that the Holocaust, as a system for the destruction of the "Jewish race", began both conceptually and chronologically with the murder of Jewish prisoners of war. The killing of Jewish POWs began on the first days of the German-Soviet war, and the first executioners of Jewish soldiers was the Wehrmacht rather than the SS. The tool that legitimized this "Holocaust behind the front line" was the Commissar Order issued in July 1941. This order was interpreted widely by the Wehrmacht; "commissars" were used as shorthand for "Jews". In the zone of OKW (Wehrmacht Headquarter) jurisdiction, ca. 55,000 Soviet Jewish POWs were killed. Pp. 789-796 contain a critical response by Karel C. Berkhoff, "The Mass Murder of Soviet Prisoners of War and the Holocaust: How Were They Related?", who states that Polian tends to isolate the Jewish Holocaust from the Nazi treatment of Eastern Europe's non-Jewish population, in particular to oppose the Nazi treatment of Jewish POWs to their treatment of ethnic Russian or "Asiatic" POWs, which is unwise. Besides, all genocides begin gradually, therefore it is impossible to pinpoint a precise beginning of genocide or to identify any "first" victims.
Description / Table of Contents:
Berkhoff, Karel C.. The mass murder of Soviet prisoners of war and the Holocaust; how were they related? Ibid. 789-796.
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