Goldhagen in his book - Hitler's Willing Executioners, developed the thesis that the Holocaust common project of all Germans, who were willing executioners. The thesis is based on a detailed analysis of the Einsatzgrouppen, the bands of rowing killers. To understand the role and Guilt of the German people, we do have to understand the causes, the mechanics of the Holocaust. What went wrong? Who bears the responsibility? We do have to take into consideration the following facts:

• HITLER'S RISE TO POWER
  How did Hitler gain power? Was he elected by the German people?

• CONDITIONS FOR THE HOLOCAUST
  What were the conditions that made the Holocaust possible?

• THE WESTERN CIVILIZATION
  What were the background conditions that made the Holocaust possible?

• THE GUILT OF THE GERMAN PEOPLE
  What is the responsibility of the German Holocaust Generation? What is the responsibility of the Post-Holocaust Germans?

1. Goldhagen brilliantly analyzed one of the symptoms of the disease, and not the real cause of the disease - Hitler and his Totalitarian Police State. The Einsatzgrouppen and their behavior was just one symptom. The Nazi Germany was a chaotic state without a structure. No judiciary system, no legislative system, an unbelievable number of police organizations and an excellent propaganda machine. The state had only power center - the Fuhrer and his court.

2. Goldhagen's model does not explain other mass killings and genocide, like Pol Pot, Rwanda, Stalin's Russia. He does not recognize the overbearing power of a Totalitarian state.

3. It is a very pessimistic assessment. The culpable generation died out and nothing we can do to prevent another Holocaust.

   ---

I do believe that Genocides can occur only when an irrational tyrant, surrounded by a retinue of "yes-men", loses his sense of reality and afflicts with his paranoia a whole nation. Hitler, Stalin, Pol Pot, Mao even Saddam Hussein are good examples.

kimel@systec.com