The Rise Of The Nazis History Essay

The Rise Of The Nazis History Essay Adolf Hitler was born an Austrian citizen and Roman Catholic at 6:30 PM on April 20 1889 at an inn called the Gasthof Zum Pommer in the town of Braunau-am-inn. Adolfs father- Alois Hitler- constantly reinforced correct behaviour with, sometimes very violent, punishment. After Adolfs elder brother- Alois- fled from home at the age of 14, Adolf became his fathers chief target of rage. At the same time, Adolfs mother- Klara Pà ¶lzl- showered her son with love and affection, as any mother would. When Adolf was three years of age, the Hitler family moved to Passau, along the Inn River on the German side of the border. The family moved once again in 1895 to the farming community of Hafield. Following another family move, Adolf lived for six months across from a large Benedictine monastery. As a youngster, the young boys dream was to enter the priesthood. However, by 1900, his artistic talents surfaced. Adolf was educated at the local village and monastery schools and, at age 11, Hitler was doing well enough to be eligible for either the university preparatory gymnasium or the technical/scientific Realschule (secondary school). Alois Hitler enrolled his son in the latter, hoping that he might become a civil servant. This was not to be. Adolf would later claim that he wanted to be an artist and he deliberately failed his examinations to spite his father. In 1903, Alois Hitler died from a pleural hemorrhage, leaving his family with enough money to live comfortably without needing to work. In 1905, Adolf left school for good. The following year he visited Vienna where he tried and failed to enter the School of Fine Arts, and the School of Architecture would not accept him without academic qualification. In 1907, Klara Pà ¶lzl developed terminal breast cancer. After an operation and many expensive and painful treatments with a dangerous drug, she died on December 21, 1907. Traumatized by the loss of his mother, Adolf moved to Vienna and, once again, failed to enter the School of Fine Arts. He stayed in Vienna, living in hostels and earning money by drawing posters for shops and postcard views of the city for passers-by. Adolf Hitler neither drank nor smoked. Being rather shy and awkward- with both men and women- he had few friends. Hitler read widely, losing all that remained of his religious faith, and replacing it with half-formed ideas of politics, philosophy and culture. World War One And The Peace Treaty of Versailles In 1913, Adolf Hitler moved to Munich, Germany, to avoid the risk of conscription in Vienna. However, this does not mean that he was a coward. When the heir to the Austrian throne, Archduke Franz Ferdinand, was assassinated by Slav terrorists in Sarajevo on June 28, 1914, World War One began, and Hitler was quick to enlist in German Army. He joined the 16th Bavarian Reserve Infantry Regiment and, indeed, made a very good soldier. For once, his life had a purpose and he greatly enjoyed the comradeship, danger and the chance to wear a uniform. Excluding a short spell in hospital from 1916-1917, Hitler served as a company runner on the Western Front throughout the war. In reward for his brilliant service, Hitler was promoted to corporal and received two Iron Crosses, one of them the very rare Iron Cross First Class. Hitler, having been temporarily blinded by mustard gas in October 1918, was in hospital when an armistice was reached and the Great War ended. To him, the defeat of German was extremely devastating. The defeat was, in fact, devastating for all of Germany. The Treaty of Versailles, a peace treaty signed at Versailles in France on June 28 1919, punished Germany severely. In accordance with the treaty, Germany lost the following areas of land: Alsace-Lorraine (taken from France in 1870). Danzig (a strip of territory through East Prussia to form a Polish corridor to the sea). Areas in Schteswig, Silesia and on the Belgian Frontier. Saar Industrial region placed under international control but under French influence. Germany was also forced to comply with the following restrictions: Germany was forced to pay reparations for war damage. The price was fixed in 1921 at 132 billion gold marks. 9/10 of the German merchant fleet was confiscated. German rivers were opened to international traffic. Germanys overseas assets, totaling 16 billion marks, were seized. German colonies were taken over by the League of Nations and distributed as territories to Britain, France and Japan. The German army was confined to 100 000 men on long-service contracts. Most military installations and training schools were shut down. Military were withdrawn from the Rhineland and occupied by Allied Troops. The German Airforce was completely abolished. The German Navy was reduced to a maximum of 6 small battleships of only 10 000 tonnes each, 6 cruisers, 12 destroyers and 0 submarines. In Clause 231 of the Treaty of Versailles, Germany was forced to confess guilt for the war, this being the basis for Allied punishment. The Formation Of The Nazi Party And Its Ideas: After World War One ended, Hitler remained for some time in the army. They put him to work gathering information on revolutionary political groups in Munich. On September12 1919, dressed in civilian clothes, Hitler attended a meeting of the Deutsche Arbeiterpartie (German Workers Party) in the back room of a Munich Beer Hall, with another twenty-five people. There, he listened to a speech by Gottfried Feder entitled, How and by what means is capitalism eliminated? After the speech, Hitler rose to leave when a man stepped forward and made a speech supporting the state of Bavaria breaking away from Germany and forming a new South German nation. This idea enraged Hitler to the point that he got to his feet and expressed his forceful opinion to the man for fifteen uninterrupted minutes. Anton Drexler, one of the founders of the party, allegedly whispered, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦hes got the gift of the gab. We could use him. After Hitlers outburst was complete, and Hitler started to leave, Drexler rushed to Hitler and invited him to read a forty-page booklet titled, My Political Awakening. Hitler was delighted to find that the German Workers Party reflected many of his own ideas- building a strong nationalist, pro-military, anti-Semitic party made up of working class people. However, in Mein Kampf, Hitler describes the condition of the party: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦aside from a few directives, there was nothing, no program, no leaflet, no printed matter at all, no membership cards, not even a miserable rubber stampà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦This absurd little organization with its few members seemed to me to possess the one advantage that it had not frozen into an organization, but left the individual opportunity for real personal activity. Here it was still possible to work, and the smaller the movement, the more readily it could be put into proper form. Here, the content, the goal, and the road could still be determinedà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ After two days of thinking it over, Hitler chose to join the German Workers Party and became member no. 55. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦I finally came to the conviction that I had to take this stepà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ It was the most decisive resolve of my life. From here there was and could be no turning back. Hitlers hatred of the Jews rapidly became part of the organizations policy. Advertising for their meetings appeared in anti-Semitic newspapers. On October 16 1919, during one such meeting, Hitler delivered an emotional speech that left the audience awestruck. Donations came in from every corner, and hundreds of Germans attended the frequent meetings to hear Hitler speak. In February 1920, Hitler and Gottfried Feder prepared a 25-point summary for the German Workers Party. The summary was fervently anti-capitalist and anti-Semitic. Among the 25 points was withdrawing the Treaty of Versailles, confiscating war profits, confiscating land without compensation, revoking civil rights for Jews and driving out Jews who had emigrated after World War One had begun. On February 24, in front of more than 2000 spectators, the summary was presented at a public meeting. In April 1920, the partys name was changed to the National Socialist German Workers Party or NAZI Party, and the red flag with the swastika was named as their party symbol. Hitler discovered that a local anti-Semitic newspaper was on the verge of bankruptcy and so he was able to purchase it for the party. In 1921, Adolf Hitler was named chairman of the Nazi Party. The Beer Hall Putsch and Mein Kampf Hitlers strengthening of the Nazi Party was meant not only to win more votes, but also to overthrow the Weimar Republic by a putsch or violent uprising. Encouragement for attempting this came from Italy in October 1922, when Benito Mussolini, a 37-year-old former journalist, led a successful putsch. Marching with his paramilitary forces into Rome, Mussolini toppled the government. He named himself II Duce (leader) and his supporters the Fascisti (Fascists). The Nazis copied Mussolini shamelessly. In November 1922, the colossal inflation of the German Mark triggered a state of emergency in Berlin and Munich. Seeing this as his chance, Hitler, on May 1 1923, tried to organize a putsch but it was never any threat to the Reichstag. However, on November 9 Hitler tried again. One day earlier, Hitler had held a rally at the Munich Beer Hall and declared a revolution. Led by Hitler and former Quartermaster General Erich Ludendorff, around 3000 SA (Sturmabteilung) brown shirts marched from the Bà ¼rgerbrà ¤ukeller- the largest beer hall in Munich. However, the putsch fell to pieces when they were fired upon by police. Around a dozen of the SA were killed in the consequent fighting and many of the leaders of the putsch were arrested, whilst others fled the country. Both Hitler and Ludendorff were captured and put on trial. Whilst the latter was cleared on a technicality, Hitler was not so lucky. He received the minimum sentence of five years imprisonment in Landsberg Fortress, though he only served close to nine months. Hitler used this time to dictate the first volume of his political memoirs, which he titled- Mein Kampf (My Struggle). In Mein Kampf, Hitler argued for war in the east to create a Grossdeutschland- Greater Germany- by removing the Soviet Union. The book also reiterated Hitlers hatreds, especially against the Jews and the Communists whom he saw as part of the Jewish conspiracy. The following is a passage from Mein Kampf: [The Jews] ultimate goal is the denaturalization, the promiscuous bastardization of other peoples, the lowering of the racial level of the highest peoples as well as the domination of his racial mishmash through the extirpation of the folkish intelligentsia and its replacement by the members of his own peopleà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Released in 1927, the book had sold over 300 000 copies within 6 years, and Hitler was able to live off his earnings. The Depression and the Elections of 1932-1933 On his release from prison, Adolf Hitler was banned from public speaking and the Nazi party was temporarily outlawed. In February of 1925, Hitler reestablished the Nazi Party, and its popularity rose rapidly. By 1929, the number of members had risen from 27 000 to 108 000. However, in the May 1928 elections, the Nazi party only polled a disappointing 2.5% of the vote. This was probably because, in recent years, the economic state of Germany had gradually improved. With Paul von Hindenburg as President, inflation eased, average wages rose, international agreement solved the problem of reparation costs and, in 1928, unemployment dropped below 1 million for the first time in years. The country was accepted back into the international community, and was accepted into the League of Nations in 1926. After the Beer Hall Putsch, Hitler had accepted that his way to power was through politics rather than force. He did deals with nationalist parties, big businesses, landowners and the army. Before 1930, the Nazi Party began the Hitler Youth, the Student League and the Pupil League to win the support of the young Germans- Germanys future. The National Socialist Womens League even allowed women to get involved. On 24 October 1929, the Wall Street Crash triggered the Great Depression. Germanys rising employment rate dropped drastically and, by 1932, 6 million- or 1 in 3 people- were unemployed. Hindenburg decided to invoke Germanys emergency presidential powers, creating a new government made up of a chancellor and cabinet ministers to rule by emergency decrees, rather than by laws passed by the Reichstag. In September 1930, there was another election. The Nazi Party, mostly due to the Depression and a successful propaganda campaign, captured 18.3% of the vote, making it the second largest party in the Reichstag. In the July 1932 election, the Nazi Partys popularity once again rose, this time winning 37% of the vote. In the spring of that year, Hitler had opposed Hindenburg for the role of president in two democratic elections. The first, on March 13 1932, was disappointing for Hitler. He received just 30% of the vote, compared to Hindenburgs 49.6%. However, as the latter had just missed out on an absolute majority, another runoff election was scheduled for April 10 of that year. Hindenburg won the election again with 53% of the vote, but Hitler received 37%. In another party election, called for November 6 1932, the Nazi Party lost 34 of its seats in the Reichstag. It looked as though Hitler was going to be unsuccessful. Political Parties in the Reichstag May 1924 Dec. 1924 May 1928 Sep. 1930 July 1932 Nov. 1932 Mar. 1933 Communist Party (KPD) 62 45 54 77 89 100 81 Social Democratic Party (SDP) 100 131 153 143 133 121 120 Catholic Centre Party (BVP) 81 88 78 87 97 90 93 Nationalist Party (DNVP) 95 103 73 41 37 52 52 Nazi Party (NSDAP) 32 14 12 107 230 196 288 Other Parties 102 112 121 122 22 35 23 Hitler and Franz von Papen- a former chancellor and leader of the Nationalist Party- agreed to form a coalition. Hitler disagreed to a co-leadership, but instead promised that, if he were made chancellor, Papens supporters would be given important cabinet positions. They formed an alliance, though both were secretly planning to double-cross each other. Hitler waves at supporters after being named Chancellor- January 30 1933When the current chancellor, Schleicher, was forced to resign, Hindenburg was pressured by many- including industrialists, the military and even his own son- to offer Hitler the chancellor position. On January 30 1933, Adolf Hitler was sworn in as Chancellor. The Nazi Cabinet after when Hitler is named Chancellor January 30 1933Around noon, a teary-eyed Hitler emerged from the presidential palace. Surrounded by supporters, he got into his car and was driven down the street lined with cheery citizens. Weve done it! Weve done it! he exclaimed exultantly. The Reichstag Fire and the Enabling Acts Despite his being sworn in as Chancellor, Hitlers coalition with the Nationalists still did not give them a majority, with only 247 seats out of a possible 583. On his first day as Chancellor, Hitler called for yet another election- to be held on March 5 1933. With the SS and the SA overcoming the police and ruling the nation, people who were being harassed or even murdered by the Nazis had nobody to go to. Several days passed and Hermann Gà ¶ring, an important member of the Nazi Party, claimed that he had uncovered plans for a Communist uprising. In actual fact, he had come across a membership list of the Communist Party and intended to arrest every one of its four thousand members. It is unknown what precisely happened on February 27 1933, but this is one rendition of the burning of the Reichstag Building. In Berlin, a deranged Communist named Marinus can deer Lubbe, 24, from Holland had, for the past week, been attempting to ignite government buildings to protest capitalism. It is though that Nazi Storm troopers had befriended the arsonist and even encouraged him to set light to the Reichstag. This happened at around 9 p.m. President Hindenburg and Vice-Chancellor Papen were dining at a club facing the Reichstag when they noticed the building was ablaze. Hitler was at the apartment of Joseph Goebbel- the Nazi in charge of Propaganda- at the time of the incident. When Hitler arrived at the scene, he told reporters the following: You are now witnessing the beginning of a great epoch [era] in German historyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Thus fire is the beginningà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ The German people have been soft for too long. Every Communist official must be shot. All communist deputies must be hanged this very night. All friends of the Communists must be locked up. And that goes for the Democrats and the Reichsbanner as well. The following day, Hitler used the Reichstag fire to issue an emergency decree. Thousands of Communists, Social Democrats and Liberals were taken away top SA barracks to be beaten and tortured. Fifty-one anti-Nazis were brutally murdered. Fire engulfs the Reichstag Building February 27 1933On March 5, after an enormous propaganda campaign, the election results were in. The Nazis did not receive a majority- they were given only 44% of the vote or 17 277 180 votes. However, with their coalition with the Nationals, they did have a majority of 16 seats. Hitler now had a new goal. If he could obtain a two-thirds majority, then he could alter the constitution and give himself dictatorial powers. Needing only another 31 seats to do this, Hitler made use of blackmail, threats and false promises to have his Enabling Act voted for by opposition parties. The Enabling Act would, for four years, transfer power from the Reichstag to the Reich cabinet, including the power of legislation, budget, approval of treaties and constitutional amendments. When the Reichstag voted on the Enabling Act, it passed 441 to 84. All opposing acts were from the Social Democrats. Leader of the latter, Otto Wells, told Hitler subsequently: We German Social Democrats pledge ourselves solemnly in this historic hour to the principles of humanity and justice, of freedom and socialism. No Enabling Act can give you power to destroy ideas which are eternal and indestructible. Hitler, shouting with rage, replied with: You are no long needed!.. The star of Germany will rise and yours will sink! Your death knell has sounded! PART 2: THE NAZIS IN POWER Anti-Semitism from the Middle Ages EUROPE: Jews have always been the topic of hatred and ridicule since the death of Christ. The Jews were named Christ Killers and Murderers of God. This crime alone was considered so horrible that Jews were believed to be capable of any devilry. Martin Luther, founder of Protestantism, claimed that they were the Christians most vicious enemy, second only to Satan himself. Their synagogues should be set on fireà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Their homes should likewise be broken down and destroyedà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ let us drive them out of the country for all time. Martin Luther, 1542 During the Middle Ages, Jews were said to be responsible for the years of the Plague that killed millions of Europeans. They were also widely believed to murder Christians- especially innocent children- for use of their blood during religious ceremonies. The Nazis made good use of these stories, hundreds of years later. When Jewish blood spurts from the knife, then things go twice as wellà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ From the Horst Wessel Song, a Nazi Anthem The Jews rarely lived in peace. Entire communities were raided and destroyed. Children were taken from their parents and raised as Christians. Some who refused to give up their beliefs were burnt at the stake. Jews were forbidden to be doctors, lawyers and teachers of Christians. Nor could they hire Christians to work for them, prepare food for Christians, be cared for by Christian nurses or live in the same household as a non-Jew. At many times, Jews were forced to wear a special badge so that Christians could recognize any Jews and easily avoid them. This treatment of the Jews was the basis of Hitlers persecution hundreds of years later. According to Christianity, lending money and charging interest- usury- was a sin. Jews were used to fill this job, used by the powerful to collect taxes and supervise peasant farmers of large estates. This role gave rise to such generalizations as, All Jews are rich, and The Jews control all money. After being pushed out of numerous countries, including England, France, Spain, Portugal, Italy and Germany, Jews were forced to live in limited areas- Ghettos. GERMANY: During the 11th Century, Christian knights travelled to the Middle East to kill Moslems during the Crusades. However, many found easier victims closer to home. Massacres in German towns left thousands of Jews dead. In the years of the Plague, hundreds of Jewish towns were brought to ruins and the persecution continued. At all times, Jews found their homes attacked, their synagogues burned and their cemeteries dishonored. In many country villages it was custom to stone Jews during the Holy Week before Easter. The word Anti-Semitism was first used in 1873 in a small book called The Triumph of Jewry over Germanism by Wilhelm Marr. Nazi Anti-Semitic Laws The following timeline lists the Nazi restrictions against the Jews from 1933 to 1942: 1933 March- Jewish lawyers were forbidden to work as lawyers in Berlin. Jewish judges were suspended from office. April- Jewish teachers were banned from teaching in state schools. Aryan and non-Aryan children were forbidden to play with each other. Jewish civil servants were dismissed from public office. Jews were excluded from sports and gymnastics clubs. 1935 March- Jewish writers were not allowed to carry out any form of literary work in Germany. Jewish musicians were not allowed to work in state orchestras. April- Jews were only allowed to sit on benches marked For Jews. Jewish art and antique dealers were not allowed to carry out their trade. September- The Nuremberg Laws All Jews had their German citizenship removed. Marriage ceremonies and extramarital sex between Germans and Jews were punishable by imprisonment. Marriages that had already taken place were declared invalid. 1936 January- Jews had to hand over electrical and optical equipment, bicycles, typewriters and records. April- Jewish vets were banned from working as such. August- Anti-Jewish posters were temporarily removed during the Olympic Games which took place in Berlin. October- Even if Jews converted to Christianity and were baptised, they were still to be classed as members of the Jewish race. 1938 January- Jews were forbidden to become members of the Red Cross. March- Only Aryan Germans could hold allotments. April- Jews had to declare their finances so that their assets could be seized by the government. July- Non-Jews were forbidden to leave anything in their wills to Jews. Jewish doctors were no longer allowed to work as doctors. Jewish street names were changed. August- Male Jews were forced to add the name Israel and female Jews the name Sara to their first names. Jewish passports were to be stamped with the letter J. November- Nov. 9-10- Kristalnacht (Night Of Broken Glass). German Jews are ordered to pay one million Reichmarks in for damages of Krystalnacht. All Jewish children are expelled from German schools and can attend only separate Jewish schools. December- Jews are banned from public streets on certain days. Jews are forbidden drivers licenses and car registrations. Jews may no longer attend universities as teachers or students. Aryanization is compulsory for all Jewish businesses. 1939 February- Jews are forced to hand over all gold and silver items. April- Jews lose rights as tenants and relocated into Jewish houses. September- Jews in Germany are forbidden to be outdoors after 8 p.m. in winter and 9 p.m. in summer. Jews in Poland are ordered to register all family members and relocate to the major cities. November- Jews in Poland are forced to wear the Star of David. The first Polish Ghetto is established. 1941 March- Deadline for entering the Poland Ghetto. May- Romania passes a law condemning adult Jews to forced labour. 1942 June- The German government closes all Jewish schools. Nazi Education It rapidly became clear to Hitler and the Nazis that it would be difficult to convert many of the Germans who had voted against them in the democratic elections. Therefore, the Nazis especially focused on controlling the German educational system so that the youth of Germany would accept the Nazi Principles. As Hans Schemm- leader of the Nazi Teachers League, put it, Those who have the youth on their side control the future. In Warsaw, a street sign states: Jews are forbidden to walk on this side of the street.As soon as the Nazis gained power in 1933, they molded the educational system to suit their needs. Private schools were closed or taken over, and racial hygiene was introduced with much emphasis into the school curriculum. Though many teachers supported the new system, a very large number were fired or left teaching, with some of the best educators emigrating. In 1934, Hitler appointed Bernhard Rust the Reichsminister fà ¼r Wissenschaft, Erziehung and Volksbildung, or the Reich Minister for Science, Education and Popular Culture. Rust was a former school teacher who had been fired for molesting a student. Rust immediately altered the schools to suit the needs of the Nazi Party. Jewish teachers and others who opposed the changes were fired. The remaining teachers and university professors were forced to join the National Socialist Teachers League. Anti-Semitism was also emphatically thrust upon students. Exams were given on topics such as this, and Jewish children would fail if they did not admit to their racial inferiority. Bernhard Rust continued as Minister of Education for twelve years before, in May 1945, he committed suicide when the Germans surrendered to Allied Forces. Kristalnacht The Nazi restrictions against the Jews steadily worsened. On October 28 1938, 17000 Jewish Polish citizens living in Germany were arrested and relocated across the Polish border and placed in relocation camps. One deportee was Zindel Grynszpan who had lived in Germany since 1911. On October 27, he and his family were forced out of their home, their store and their family possessions confiscated. A shattered storefront Kristalnacht- November 9-10- 1938 A burning synagogue at Baden-Baden Kristalnacht- November 9-10- 1938Grynszpans 17-year-old son, Herschel, was, at that time, living in Paris. When he heard of his familys relocation, he was so enraged that he travelled to the German embassy in Paris, intent on assassinating the German Ambassador. Instead, he settled for a lesser official, Third Secretary Ernst vom Rath. Rath, critically wounded, died two days later. This assassination gave Joseph Goebbels, Hitlers Chief of Propaganda, an excuse to launch an attack against German Jews. On the nights of November 9 and 10, mobs throughout Germany and Austria freely attacked Jews in the street, in their homes, at work and their synagogues. This event came to be known as Kristalnacht or the Night of Broken Glass. At least 96 Jews were mercilessly killed, hundreds more were injured, more than 1000 synagogues were burnt to the ground and around 7 500 Jewish businesses were destroyed. Cemeteries and schools were vandalized and 30 000 Jews were arrested and sent to concentration camps. It was unfairly decided by Nazi Officials that the Jews were to be held responsible for Kristalnacht. Accordingly, a fine of 1 billion marks was levied for the slaying of Vom Rath, and 6 million marks paid by insurance companies for broken windows was to be given to the state coffersà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ (Snyder, Louis L. Encyclopedia of the Third Reich. New York: Paragon House, 1989:201) PART 3: THE HOLOCAUST The Creation of Ghettos in occupied Europe Though confining the Jewish race in ghettos had been occurring for centuries in numerous European countries, the Nazis ghettos somewhat differed. Whilst in previous centuries the ghettos had merely been a way to isolate the Jews from normal society, during the Holocaust they were a first step towards the Final Solution. In total, the Nazis established 356 ghettos in Poland, the Soviet Union, the Baltic States, Czechoslovakia, Romania and Hungary. The largest ghetto, in Warsaw, held 400 000 people. Other cities with large ghettos for Jews include Là ³dz, Bialystok, Czestochowa, Kielce, Krakà ³w, Lublin, Lvà ³v, Radom and Vilna. These large ghettos had brick or stone walls, wooden fences, barbed wire and guards placed at gateways. There were also a very large number of small ghettos, some housing as few as 3000 Jews. These were generally not sealed off as they were only used temporarily until the Jews could be sent to a larger ghetto. The conditions within these ghettos were very poor. Disease ravaged the over-crowded residents, and there was insufficient access to warm clothes and heating during the bitter cold winters. Starvation was an ongoing problem for many. Though it was illegal, parents continued to educate their children and many secretly held religious services and observed Jewish holidays. The Nazis built the Theresienstadt (or Terezà ­n) ghetto in northwestern Czechoslovakia to show visiting International Red Cross Inspectors the conditions in a typical ghetto. Flower gardens, cafà ©s and schools were constructed to shield the international community from the inhumane mistreatment of the Jewish and other people. The Einsatzgruppen The Einsatzgruppen (or Mobile Killing Units) were specially trained units of the S.S., whose orders were to execute on the spot all Communists, Jews, Gyspies and any other people deemed a threat or inferior. By the end of the war the Einsatzgruppen had murdered around 1.4 mill

Eating: Personal or Public? Essay

I am writing this essay as a rhetorical analysis of Radley Balko’s article â€Å"What You Eat is Your Business† and making a recommendation for or against publication in The Shorthorn based on the request from my editor. I believe the rhetorical appeals that Mr. Balko makes in his article will be somewhat persuasive to the readers of The Shorthorn as he makes some valid points. However, most members of the UTA community have a previous understanding about the obesity epidemic that is plaguing this country and may not completely agree with his arguments. Obesity is a major concern in the United States because of the prevalence of heart disease, liver and kidney failure, and sleep abnormalities that plague a large portion of the population. It is a hot topic and debated regularly. The main argument is whether obesity should be a personal issue or whether the government should take action to modify individual’s health choices, essentially forcing a healthier lifestyle on the population. Balko’s central claim is that the government should make the cost of obesity a private matter with incentives for individuals to maintain a healthy lifestyle as opposed to making the public pay for the poor life decisions of some of the population. He believes that â€Å"Instead of manipulating or intervening in the array of food options available to American consumers, our government ought to be working to foster a sense of responsibility in and ownership of our own health and well-being.† Balko insists that we are becoming less re sponsible for our own health and more responsible for everyone else’s. It is a trend that he believes will not foster positive changes since there is no incentive â€Å"to put down the cheeseburger† if the government is paying for the individual’s anti-cholesterol medication. Balko maintains that a society where everyone is responsible for everyone else’s well-being is a society more apt to accept government restrictions such as what McDonalds can put on its menu, what Safeway or Kroger can put on grocery shelves or holding food companies responsible for the bad habits of unhealthy consumers. He believes that a growing army of nutritionist activists and food industry foes are egging the process on and that the best way to alleviate the obesity â€Å"public health† crisis is to remove obesity from the realm of public health. He asserts that if policymakers want to fight obesity, they should halt the creeping socialization of medicine, and move to return individual Americans’ ownership of their own health and well-being back to individual Americans. His plan includes freeing insurance companies to reward healthy lifestyles, and penalize poor ones. Another idea he expresses is that Congress should increase access to medical and health sa vings accounts, which give consumers the option of rolling money reserved for health care into a retirement account. Balko believes that these accounts introduce accountability into the health care system, and encourage caution with one’s health care dollar. His assumption is that â€Å"when money we spend on health care doesn’t belong to our employer or the government, but is money we could devote to our own retirement, we’re less likely to run to the doctor at the first sign of a cold.† While readers of The Shorthorn may accept Balko’s rationale, they may not agree with his principle argument that obesity should not be part of the public sector. The readers may believe that some people need to be restricted in order for change to occur. If McDonald’s has to be regulated in order for an individual to make a healthier lifestyle choice then that is what needs to happen. If it takes government intervention to enforce changes in obesity levels of the population then so be it. I think readers of The Shorthorn would tend to agree with Balko’s suggestion t hat Congress could make available medical and health savings accounts but they would see that the realistic chance of that happening is pretty slim. The pharmaceutical and medical markets would be highly against losing revenue because of the incentive to go to the doctor less. Since there is a lot of money and influence (political support) from the pharmaceutical companies, there is less likely to be a change in the handling of obesity from the public sector to the private sector. Balko does not make any attempts to address any counterarguments. He expresses his displeasure with the current state of affairs and gives his opinion on what should be done to fix it. He does not give any mention to the positive aspects of the government’s proposed anti-obesity measures. To the readers of The Shorthorn, it would have been nice to see him address these points as it would make his argument more valid and believable. Balko attempts to establish credibility by referencing different aspects of the government’s plan to battle obesity and how he believes it is not the correct technique. He gives his own opinion but fails to demonstrate how he has come to those decisions. Throughout the article, Balko’s rationale is based on his personal biases and feelings. He does reference some minor facts in his article such as â€Å"President Bush earmarked $200 million in his budget for anti-obesity measures. State legislatures and school boards across the country have begun banning snacks and soda from school campuses and vending machines. Sen. Joe Lieberman and Oakland Mayor Jerry Brown, among others, have called for a â€Å"fat tax† on high-calorie foods. Congress is now considering menu-labeling legislation, which would force restaurants to send every menu item to the laboratory for nutritional testing† however for the majority of his article there is no empirical evidence demonstrated. While his ideas do make a lot of sense, some of the options he has put forward are improbable and the readers of The Shorthorn are most likely going to want to see that he can demonstrate a more mature argument (accepting and understanding of governmental involvement in obesity) before he can establish his credibility with them. Balko appeals to the emotions of his Shorthorn readers by using visual stories and explanations that help his cause. Early in the article, Balko uses imagery and strong stories to get the reader’s attention. He talks about the television show â€Å"How to Get Fat Without Really Trying† by ABC News and the outrage that show generated in him. He states the rationale for the show is to â€Å"relieve viewers of responsibility for their own condition† and he displays his displeasure with that ideal. Balko believes we should all be accountable for our own health decisions. By personally expressing his discontent with that television show, Balko is appealing to the emotions of his reader by picking a side of the argument and demonstrating strong emotions himself so that he does not appear to be lifeless. After reading this article, Balko’s argument does have some valid points that I think his readers in The Shorthorn will agree with. However they will want to see some evidence before they can truly accept his point of view. Since obesity is such a hot topic in today’s society and truly affects each and every one of us going forward, I conclude that most of The Shorthorn readers will enjoy this piece because it gives a different opinion from the mainstream view of how obesity should be handled and I suggest we should publish this article in the upcoming issue.

Modern Technology Has Made Man Less Human Essay

The modern world has been shaped by its metaphysics, which has shaped its education, which in turn has brought forth its science and technology. So, without going back to metaphysics and education, we can say that the modern world has been shaped by technology. It tumbles from crisis to crisis; on all sides there are prophecies of disaster and, indeed, visible signs of breakdown. If that which has been shaped by technology, and continues to be so shaped, looks sick, it might be wise to have a look at technology itself. If technology is felt to be becoming more and more inhuman, we might do well to consider whether it is possible to have something better-a technology with a human face. Strange to say, technology, although of course the product of man, tends to develop by its own laws and principles, and these are very different from those of human nature or of living nature in general. Nature always, so to speak, knows where and when to stop. Greater even than the mystery of natural growth is the mystery of the natural cessation of growth. There is measure in all natural things — in their size, speed, or violence. As a result, the system of nature, of which man is a part, tends to be self-balancing, self-adjusting, self-cleansing. Not so with technology, or perhaps I should say: not so with man dominated by technology and specialisation. Technology recognises no self-limiting principle — in terms, for instance, of size, speed, or violence. It therefore does not possess the virtues of being self-balancing, self-adjusting, and self-cleans-mg. In the subtle system of nature, technology, and in particular the super-technology of the modern world, acts like a foreign body, and there are now numerous signs of rejection. Suddenly, if not altogether surprisingly, the modern world, shaped by modern technology, finds itself involved in three crises simultaneously. First, human nature revolts against inhuman technological, organisational, and political patterns, which it experiences as suffocating and debilitating; second, the living environment which supports human life aches and groans and gives signs of partial breakdown; and, third, it is clear to anyone fully knowledgeable in the subject matter that the inroads being made into the world’s non-renewable resources, particularly those of fossil fuels, are such that serious bottlenecks and virtual exhaustion loom ahead in the quite foreseeable future.

How Vainly Men Themselves Amaze - 6377 Words

Summary The Force of Circumstance is a story which tells about a man, Guy, and his wife, Doris. They live in Malaysia. Guy moved there right after his schooling and has lived there for years. He left once and he came back with his white wife, Doris. The story is not written in the first person, it is a narrator who tells you the story. The language use is normal and the tone of voice a little bit ironic. When Guy was young he was very alone at night. Night after night it was the same. One evening his boy asked whether hed like to have a girl to come and live with him. First he had doubts about it, but he said yes after all, and she stayed. They had three children. After several years he sent her back to the village because he was†¦show more content†¦He disappeared into his dressing-room and she heard him -whistling cheerily -while, with the carelessness with -which she was always remonstrating, he. tore off his clothes and flung them on the floor. He ’was twenty-nine, but he -was still a school-boy; he would never grow up. That -was -why she had fallen in love with him, perhaps, for no amount of affection could persuade her that he -was good-looking. He was a little round man, with a red face like the fall moon, and blue eyes. He was rather pimply. She had examined him carefully and had been forced to confess to him that he had not a single feature which she could pr aise. She had told him often that he wasn’t her type at all. ’I never said I -was a beauty,’ he laughed. ’I can’t think -what it is I see in you.’ But of course she knew perfectly well. He -was a gay,jolly little man, -who took nothing very solemnly, and he -was constantly laughing. He made her laugh too. He found life an amusing rather than a serious business, and he had a charming smile. When she -was -with him she felt happy and good tempered. And the deep affection -which she saw in those merry blue eyes of his touched her. It -was very satisfactory to be loved like that. Once, sitting on his knees, during their honeymoon she had taken his face in her hands and said to him: ’You’re an ugly, little fat man, Guy, but you’ve got charm. I can’t help loving you.’ A wave of emotion swept over herShow MoreRelatedHow Vainly Men Themselves Amaze Interpretation908 Words   |  4 PagesI m going to interpret a short story called  «How vainly men themselves amaze ». This is a story about a holiday affair turning into a love triangle between young Franklin, a married woman Mrs Palgrave and her German nursemaid Heidi. The plot of the story is not tangle. Eighteen years old high-school graduate Franklin being on holiday with his parents at French resort gets to know Mrs Palgrave, an auburn-haired woman about forty with mottled and stencilled green eyes. Gradually their acquaintanceRead More The Garden Essay1605 Words   |  7 Pagesthe whole of the poem centers on the idea of wholesome nature in a world without the instruction of mankind. In the first three stanzas, the virtues of the garden are provided through comparison with the trial (and supposed pleasures) of the world of men, stanzas five through seven address the pleasures of the body, the mind, and the soul as they are gratified in the garden, stanza eight through nine returns to the gesture to Paradise. As this logical progression of argument moves in the poem, each

Alzheimer s Disease A Common Form Of Dementia - 1311 Words

Alzheimer’s disease is a common form of dementia that affects the brain (Bethune, 2010). It affects millions of Americans and is one of the leading cause of death in the United States (Bethune, 2010). There is currently no cure for Alzheimer’s, however there is ongoing research on reducing the risk and how to cure the disease (Bethune, 2010, Baumgart, M., Snyder, H. M., Carrillo, M. C., Fazio, S., Kim, H., Johns, H. (2015). Understanding the best way to manage the disease and how to care for this population is needed. Some symptoms of Alzheimer’s is difficulty retaining new information, expressing thought, and withdrawing socially (Bethune, 2010). Currently, most professionals care for the disease through a medical model†¦show more content†¦The purpose of this research is to help implement policies and practices, and possible funding, in order create art therapies in facilities. In order to improve the lives of those diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and dementia and their caretakers. An analysis of the benefits of Art therapies on Alzheimer’s and dementia For the purpose of this research I am defining arts as a form of expressing ones creativity. This includes but is not limited to literature, performing arts, culinary arts, media arts, and visual arts. In regards to Alzheimer’s and dementia they are used interchangeable. The Alzheimer’s Association defines them as the following: Alzheimer’s is a type of dementia that causes problems with memory, thinking, and behavior. Dementia is a general term for a decline in mental ability severe enough to interfere with daily life. Alzheimer’s and the Brain The brain is made up of the Parietal Lobe, Frontal Lobe, Occipital Lobe, Temporal Lobe , Cerebellum, and Brain Stem. Each section is responsible for different functions. The Parietal Lobe is associated with movement, orientation, recognition, perception of stimuli. The Frontal Lobe- associated with reasoning, planning, parts of speech, movement, emotions, and problem solving. The Occipital Lobe is associated with visual processing and the Temporal Lobe is associated with perception and recognition of auditory

How Student Finances At Your School Essay - 854 Words

How to Streamline Student Finances at Your School This article will explain how school administrators can use one system to manage students financial aid data. The admissions office, registrar and accounting department can have access to the same data simultaneously. A school’s accounting procedures and financial management systems can have a significant impact on the effectiveness and accountability for all funds received by the U.S. Department of Education as well as the ability of school staff to serve students as quickly and efficiently as possible. As a school administrator, you probably already understand the complex intricacies of managing student finances. However, you may not realize how crucial each step can be for streamlining student finances at your school. Synchronizing Operations and Responsibilities When it comes to managing student finances and financial aid, the departments primarily responsible for keeping things running smoothly are admissions, bursar and accounting. Especially when you’re dealing with financial aid benefits like the Federal Work-Study Program, the financial aid department usually authorizes awards as well as monitors student earnings. However, the bursar’s office usually processes payroll and manages the school’s non-federal share of Federal Work-Study programs. Managing Student Financial Aid Managing Federal Student Aid assistance is a school-wide responsibility, which means that when FSA program funds are provided, all offices atShow MoreRelatedPersuasive Speech : Speech Outline819 Words   |  4 PagesEducation to incorporate Personal Finance courses in high schools. 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According to a New York Times news conferenceRead MoreQuestions On Swot Analysis : Swot1514 Words   |  7 Pagesreplaced by IPADS for students. 2) Ease of access and reduce the error possibility, you don’t need to copy enrollment or other data from one place to another just use cloud instead so there will be a centralized data. 3) Easy to monitor the system 4) If we merge the data of their existing website with our info system it would be very easier for finance department to track the total number of sales and how much money they are giving to local charity. 5) Ease of access for students as they won’t needRead MoreThe Importance Of The American Dream1628 Words   |  7 PagesThese sobering fact drive home the need to ensure your own financial future. Although difficult, the dream of financial stability at any age is achievable even for those of modest means through the creation of sound savings and investment strategies. However, investing does not come with a guarantee of financial independence, but being financially savvy does increase your chances exponentially. To become financially savvy, we need to understand how to maximize the return on our cash, understand potential

Qualities for Good Research Topic free essay sample

Research is a disciplined inquiry or systematic investigation aimed at providing solutions to problems. Research is conducted by scholars in different fields to advance their knowledge and it can also lead to discovery of new knowledge; thus progressing knowledge.A researcher must think carefully about what the research is going to be about, that is, the research topic or research problem.A good research topic should have the following qualities.1. SpecificA good research topic should be specific. It should not be genera, that is, broad. A researcher should pick a topic that focuses on a particular aspect of a subject.2. ClarityA researcher’s topic must be clear and easily understandable. A clear topic will have a single interpretation. This kind of interpretation without ambiguity will help the researcher to focus on the topic and undertake it; thus giving a clear direction in terms of research methodology to be used. 3. RelevanceA researcher should choose a topic that is relevant to events and happenings now. We will write a custom essay sample on Qualities for Good Research Topic or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page It must be timely in relation to current issues,4. Well-defined and well-phrasedThe research topic should be constructed in a way that eliminates ambiguity. Anyone reading your research topic should interpret it to have a single meaning. Therefore a good research topic must always give readers single interpretation in terms of meaning.5. The languageA researcher should frame his or her research topic in a simple language. Technical terms which might limit interpretation by many people should be avoided. Remember that language choice might sometimes discriminate; therefore any choice of technical term must be well thought of.6. The titlingThe rules of titling must be observed and strictly adhered to when writing a research topic.7. Current importanceA researcher should also be up to date about happenings and events in his or her field of study or interest. Being updated will allow him or her to choose a topic of importance and avoid those that obsolete or those that seem not to attract any attention.