The extent to which the German people were active and enthusiastic supporters of the
Holocaust is debated among historians. The Holocaust was the systematic murder of
Europe’s Jews by the Nazis and their collaborators during the Second World War. “German
people” here refers to ordinary citizens, Nazi Party members, and perpetrators. While
historians broadly agree German society enabled the Holocaust, they disagree over
willingness to participate and the extent to which ideology, obedience, and social pressure
shaped actions. In ‘Ordinary Men: Reserve Police Battalion 101 and the Final Solution in
Poland’, Christopher Browning argues that while the Nazi hierarchy and some within the
system were active and enthusiastic supporters, many perpetrators were ordinary men
whose actions resulted from obedience, situational factors, and peer pressure, meaning not
all Germans were fully enthusiastic supporters. Daniel Goldhagen disagrees, arguing in
‘Hitler’s Willing Executioners: Ordinary Germans and the Holocaust’ that ordinary Germans,
the Nazi hierarchy, and perpetrators were all active and enthusiastic supporters who
participated voluntarily due to deeply rooted anti-Semitism, with the Nazi regime enabling
rather than causing this desire. In ‘Hitler, The Germans and the Final Solution’, Ian Kershaw
agrees that the Nazi hierarchy were the most active supporters due to strong ideological
commitment, but argues that ordinary Germans showed passive support or indifference
rather than enthusiasm. Evaluating these views, Kershaw is the most convincing as he
explains leadership responsibility, structural factors, and variation in attitudes with supporting
evidence. Overall, although all historians provide valuable insight, the extent of active and
enthusiastic support among the German people was limited.
Ordinary People
Ordinary people refers to people of the general German society. While historians agree
German society enabled the Holocaust they disagree over the motivation behind
participation, level of enthusiasm and extent of participation. Goldhagen argues that ordinary
Germans were active and enthusiastic supporters of the Holocaust to a large extent. He
states “Many hundreds and thousands of Germans were part of the vast system of violent
, domination in which Jews and non-Jews lived and died.”1 suggesting participation in
persecution extended far beyond the Nazi leadership and SS, widespread ideological
commitment and violent intent among ordinary Germans. However, Goldhagen's usage of
the term "violent domination" risks exaggerating ordinary Germans' support for the
Holocaust. "Violent domination" refers to a wide range of acts, including anti-Semitic acts like
Kristallnacht. Kristallnacht was a nationwide, violent anti-Jewish riot that took place
throughout Nazi Germany on November 9-10, 1938, but not necessarily a part of the
Holocaust.2 These events show widespread antisemitism and willingness to take part in
persecution, but do not automatically indicate support, or knowledge of systematic mass
murder in the Holocaust. Consequently, Goldhagen’s evidence does not always clearly
distinguish between participation in general antisemitic violence and enthusiastic support for
genocidal policy, but he suggests that ordinary Germans who engage in anti-Semitic
behaviour have the potential to participate in more extreme actions such as the Holocaust.
Kershaw challenges Goldhagen, arguing that his use of “ordinary” when referring to the
police battalions overlooks the institutional and ideological framework they operated in and
“Whether the members of the police battalions…can be classed as ‘ordinary’ is open to
doubt”3. He also claims that historical record is limited and “there is no possibility of
quantifying attitudes”4 or the proportion of the population that approved of the Holocaust.
Goldhagen also believes that ordinary Germans were enthusiastic supporters of the
Holocaust as they were “possessed of a radical, demonological anti-semitism.”5 And the
reason ordinary Germans were active, enthusiastic supporters was because “anti-semitism
was ubiquitous in Germany was “common sense.”6 Anti-Semitism was a European, not just a
German phenomenon. Over 1000 years, no century has passed without Jews being
1
Daniel Jonah Goldhagen, ‘Hitler’s Willing Executioners-Ordinary Germans and the Holocaust’ page
166
2
https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/kristallnacht
3
Ian Kershaw,’Hitler, the Germans and The Final Solution’, page 322
4
Ian Kershaw,’Hitler, the Germans and The Final Solution’, page 121
5
Daniel Jonah Goldhagen, ‘Hitler’s Willing Executioners-Ordinary Germans and the Holocaust’ page
82
6
Daniel Jonah Goldhagen, ‘Hitler’s Willing Executioners-Ordinary Germans and the Holocaust’ page
77
Holocaust is debated among historians. The Holocaust was the systematic murder of
Europe’s Jews by the Nazis and their collaborators during the Second World War. “German
people” here refers to ordinary citizens, Nazi Party members, and perpetrators. While
historians broadly agree German society enabled the Holocaust, they disagree over
willingness to participate and the extent to which ideology, obedience, and social pressure
shaped actions. In ‘Ordinary Men: Reserve Police Battalion 101 and the Final Solution in
Poland’, Christopher Browning argues that while the Nazi hierarchy and some within the
system were active and enthusiastic supporters, many perpetrators were ordinary men
whose actions resulted from obedience, situational factors, and peer pressure, meaning not
all Germans were fully enthusiastic supporters. Daniel Goldhagen disagrees, arguing in
‘Hitler’s Willing Executioners: Ordinary Germans and the Holocaust’ that ordinary Germans,
the Nazi hierarchy, and perpetrators were all active and enthusiastic supporters who
participated voluntarily due to deeply rooted anti-Semitism, with the Nazi regime enabling
rather than causing this desire. In ‘Hitler, The Germans and the Final Solution’, Ian Kershaw
agrees that the Nazi hierarchy were the most active supporters due to strong ideological
commitment, but argues that ordinary Germans showed passive support or indifference
rather than enthusiasm. Evaluating these views, Kershaw is the most convincing as he
explains leadership responsibility, structural factors, and variation in attitudes with supporting
evidence. Overall, although all historians provide valuable insight, the extent of active and
enthusiastic support among the German people was limited.
Ordinary People
Ordinary people refers to people of the general German society. While historians agree
German society enabled the Holocaust they disagree over the motivation behind
participation, level of enthusiasm and extent of participation. Goldhagen argues that ordinary
Germans were active and enthusiastic supporters of the Holocaust to a large extent. He
states “Many hundreds and thousands of Germans were part of the vast system of violent
, domination in which Jews and non-Jews lived and died.”1 suggesting participation in
persecution extended far beyond the Nazi leadership and SS, widespread ideological
commitment and violent intent among ordinary Germans. However, Goldhagen's usage of
the term "violent domination" risks exaggerating ordinary Germans' support for the
Holocaust. "Violent domination" refers to a wide range of acts, including anti-Semitic acts like
Kristallnacht. Kristallnacht was a nationwide, violent anti-Jewish riot that took place
throughout Nazi Germany on November 9-10, 1938, but not necessarily a part of the
Holocaust.2 These events show widespread antisemitism and willingness to take part in
persecution, but do not automatically indicate support, or knowledge of systematic mass
murder in the Holocaust. Consequently, Goldhagen’s evidence does not always clearly
distinguish between participation in general antisemitic violence and enthusiastic support for
genocidal policy, but he suggests that ordinary Germans who engage in anti-Semitic
behaviour have the potential to participate in more extreme actions such as the Holocaust.
Kershaw challenges Goldhagen, arguing that his use of “ordinary” when referring to the
police battalions overlooks the institutional and ideological framework they operated in and
“Whether the members of the police battalions…can be classed as ‘ordinary’ is open to
doubt”3. He also claims that historical record is limited and “there is no possibility of
quantifying attitudes”4 or the proportion of the population that approved of the Holocaust.
Goldhagen also believes that ordinary Germans were enthusiastic supporters of the
Holocaust as they were “possessed of a radical, demonological anti-semitism.”5 And the
reason ordinary Germans were active, enthusiastic supporters was because “anti-semitism
was ubiquitous in Germany was “common sense.”6 Anti-Semitism was a European, not just a
German phenomenon. Over 1000 years, no century has passed without Jews being
1
Daniel Jonah Goldhagen, ‘Hitler’s Willing Executioners-Ordinary Germans and the Holocaust’ page
166
2
https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/kristallnacht
3
Ian Kershaw,’Hitler, the Germans and The Final Solution’, page 322
4
Ian Kershaw,’Hitler, the Germans and The Final Solution’, page 121
5
Daniel Jonah Goldhagen, ‘Hitler’s Willing Executioners-Ordinary Germans and the Holocaust’ page
82
6
Daniel Jonah Goldhagen, ‘Hitler’s Willing Executioners-Ordinary Germans and the Holocaust’ page
77
