Hitler Alone Was Responsible for the Holocaust

‘Hitler alone was responsible for the Holocaust’. Explain why you agree or disagree with this view (24 Marks)

On one hand, it can be argued that Hitler was entirely responsible for the Holocaust. Hitler was clearly motivated right from his youth by anti-Semitism. He was a very strange man who seemed obsessed with achieving a pure race and getting rid of vermin that was poisoning the German Folk. Right from his early days in Austria, he was influenced and obsessed with anti-Semitic ideas and anti-Semitic theorists like Karl Luger who exploited the economic resentment of the lower-middle class against Jewish business-Hitler often spoke admiringly about his effectiveness in manipulating anti-Semitism. These obsessions with anti-Semitism just developed and developed through the years, with him becoming more and more motivated in getting rid of all of the Jews. In 1933, Mein Kampf was produced which was evident of his growing anti-Semitism and his fixation between the idea of struggle. This progressed even further to the Nuremburg Laws in 1935, Kristallnacht, emigration and eventually extermination in 1942. This shows that Hitler was entirely responsible for the Holocaust because he was driven from the start by anti-Semitism, he just developed his beliefs he had in his early years even further until he reached his goal of getting rid of the Jews.

Another reason as to why it may be argued that Hitler was entirely responsible for the Holocaust is that he dominated all aspects of power and propaganda. Right from the point where Hitler created a dictatorship, he was allowed all power, which meant he controlled propaganda and could pass any law he wanted, therefore he was responsible for any of his actions.