The Contemporary Relevance of the Holocaust. History Essay

The Contemporary Relevance of the Holocaust
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Introduction
The term Holocaust is derived from the Greek word "holos" which means whole and was used when referring to a sacrificial offering that is offered at an altar. However, this word took a different meaning during the Second World War between 1939 and 1945 when millions of men, women, and children belonging to the Jewish community were murdered.These killings were perpetrated by Adolf Hitler, leader of Germany's Nazi party. The literature evaluates lessons offered by the Holocaust, methods used in maintaining awareness about the Holocaust in different countries, and examines its collapse in the West and prevalence in other parts of the world.
State-Sponsored
The Holocaust was associated with the systematic state-sponsored killing of over six million Jews by the Nazi regime as well as their allies and associates from other states. It is important to comprehend that the Nazis who ascended to the power in the early 1930s, held the views that the Germans were racially superior while the Jews were believed to have been inferior and that they posed a huge threat to the German racial community. The Germany authorities were also determined in targeting other racially inferior groups such as Gypsies, homosexuals, socialists, and the disabled. When looked at from a different perspective, it was more of a combination of political and ethnic cleansing endeavor.[Anti-Defamation League. (2012). Overview of the Holocaust: 1933–1945. Retrieved from /sites/default/files/documents/assets/pdf/education-outreach/Overview-of-the-Holocaust-NYLM-Guide.pdf]
The Nazi regime had constructed the concentration camps where individuals and members of the community who were thought of as opponents were detained. Later, militarized battalions would be used in carrying out mass-murder operations as well as killing millions of Jews; this mostly happened in extermination camps during an operation known as the final solution. At the same time, other countries such as Romania and Slovakia also executed the Nazi policy of persecution, and this increased the deaths of Jews. Through propaganda, the Jews were comprehensively labeled and taken as the embodiment of the source of all problems affecting those societies at that time.
Assessment of what sort of lessons the Holocaust continues to offer the world
There are numerous lessons that the Holocaust has provided and continues to give to the world. It is necessary noting that young people from different parts of the world are growing up at a time when the urge and need for having individuals who support the right politics are on the rise. Various countries in Europe such as Sweden and Austria have faced increased growth of right-wing groups which offer other possibilities to the disengaged young people. Additionally, there are influential leaders in the world who have openly shown intolerance to other minority groups. There have been various cases of minority groups being persecuted and killed, all over the world.[Richards, M., Bussu, A. & Leadbetter, P. (2018, January 26). Why we still need to teach young people about the Holocaust. Retrieved from https://theconversation.com/why-we-still-need-to-teach-young-people-about-the-holocaust-90481]
The same conditions which make it easy for Nazis to ascend to power have are also widespread in the community; these include political unrest, fragmented societies as well as increased rates of unemployment. The results of the Holocaust have encouraged leaders and other human rights advocates to check the activities of political groups and leaders to ensure that people are morally and socially aware of the possible implications of exclusionary policies. The use of propaganda for cheap popularity or populist politics is also something worth noting about. For example, there is an increased need for not only the leadership but also the people to be responsible for their utterances, especially on sensitive issues.
Further, the teaching of the Holocaust in learning institutions has also been critical in enabling the learners, and young people comprehend how society can be easily divided in terms of ethical values. It is necessary to note that the Nazis were seen as masters of the duplicitous language as well as scapegoating which are extensive and prevalent in the current society. Based on the Holocaust, people have understood the different ways through which derogatory speeches, insults, violence, and intimidation is likely to influence the social fabric of today’s society. The focus needs to be on an increased need or urgency to have a condensed society.[Greenspan, H. (1998). On Listening to Holocaust Survivors: Recounting and Life History. Westport.] [Zapalska, A.M., Wingrove-Haugland, E. (2016). Learning the Lessons of the Holocaust: A Case Study of the USA Coast. Journal of Defense Management, 6(2).]
The society is composed of people from various backgrounds. As diverse as they are, it is their differences that even make the given society, rich in culture. The problem arises when a few leaders or politicians realize these differences and now embark on a mission to create awareness amongst the people, about the same. What was initially a thin line between people quickly becomes a big crack. The Holocaust should provide a typical lesson against this. Most importantly, through reflecting on the effects of the Holocaust, which was headed by Nazis, current and future leaders have also understood the possible implications of the choices they make; a poor choice would significantly affect millions of innocent civilians.
Also, the Holocaust continues teaching the world about the possible dangers which are linked with state-sanctioned incitement as well as hatred. The Jews' genocide succeeded as a result of the different factors such as the industry of death and the state-sanctioned ideology of hate. Holocaust occurred as a result of demonizing others, the Jews. Commemoration of the Holocaust reminds the world about the huge implications that can be linked with negative words and also makes it possible for the young generations to understand the benefits of resisting negative ideologies that can subdivide the world and turn individuals against other people because of their ethnic backgrounds.[Cotler, I. (2011, January 30). 7 Lessons from the Holocaust. Retrieved from /ho/i/7_Lessons_from_the_Holocaust.html]
Besides, the Holocaust has also made the world to realize the possible implications of greed. It has also opened peoples’ eyes so that they can see the unimaginable horrors that they can perpetrate by stripping others of their humanity. Human greed and hatred are as endless as the sea. Ethnic and racial hatred can sometimes have very serious impacts on people. For example, members of certain religious groups such as the Muslims are highly demonized by the media and by the mainstream politicians. Instead of continuing in similar homophobic tendencies as the rhetoric that was there during the holocaust, people need to practice tolerance.[Jones, O. (2013, January 27). What my generation can learn from the Holocaust. Retrieved from independent.co.uk/voices/comment/what-my-generation-can-learn-from-the-holocaust-8468854.html]
It is necessary to understand that several historical events can be compared to the Holocaust; however, it comprised of specific characteristics that in the opinion of many scholars it remains to be a unique historical event. Mass murder targeting religious or other groups have been perpetrated by governments, and technology has also been used in promoting deadly plays. The different reasons why Holocaust may be regarded as an isolated case include the Holocaust policies, unlike in other recorded cases, the Nazis were determined in murdering every Jew everywhere irrespective of their beliefs, age, and gender. The killing of Jews did not have any political or economic justification.[Jewish Virtual Library. (2019). The Holocaust: What Makes the Holocaust Unique? Retrieved from ...