Adolf Eichmann executing the Final Solution

Publié le 28 août 2005 par Thomas Streissguth

This series focuses on names that might be familiar heroes to many students who have studied the Holocaust, including Oskar Schindler, Raoul Wallenberg, Elie Wiesel, and Anne Frank. But it also looks at three of the most prominent Nazis who represent the atrocities perpetuated by the Third Reich : Adolf Hitler, Heinrich Himmler, and Adolf Eichmann. The volume on Eichmann is different. Although he was readily convicted of war crimes after World War II ended, his life was not particularly eventful or exciting. His story is presented within the context of the events of the Nazi expansion throughout Europe, the handling of the non-Aryan populations, and the unfolding "Final Solution" of which he was not an instigator but the man who simply saw to it that the desires of Hitler and other leaders were accomplished. He was an unsuccessful man before the Nazis but an exceptional bureaucrat to promulgate their desired strategies.

Although he had his own opinions, Eichmann became an expert on Jews and never felt himself to be anti-Semitic. He finished his life saying that he was obedient and did his job. As one of the major Nazi figures who managed to escape capture in Europe at the end of the war, a large part of his story is how he was sought out and eventually brought to trial for his crimes. This historical line is important for students to understand, but it also demands a broader knowledge of complex Holocaust history. This series will be of significant benefit where World War II and the Holocaust are studied. The text works hard to remain readable for middle school ages while trying to explain complex and horrible events and personalities. The extensive notes, time lines, and referenceswill allow students to further pursue questions about the subjects and their relationships to today's world.