The Causes Of The Holocaust

The Causes of the Holocaust

Post World War I Germany saw difficult times. Germans were searching for a reason to blame
someone for their problems and extremist groups such as the Nazis provided a focus for the German
people. Some historians will argue that extreme nationalism was the cause of the Holocaust because of the
power of the Nazi party. While a large part of this is true, Germany's anguish after World War I sent people
looking for reasons to blame someone or something for their burdens, Germany's humiliation after World
War I, its dire economic situation, and antisemitism all came together to cause the Holocaust.
Germany's embarrassment after losing World War I was one of the major reasons for the cause of
the Holocaust. After Germany's defeat in World War I, Germans found it hard to believe they had lost the
war. The Treaty of Versailles was a document that officially ended military actions against Germany (Craig
424). Germans did not like this treaty because their government would have to pay other countries for their
economic losses (Allen 57). Germany also lost all of its colonies overseas. It had to give back provinces to
France, Belgium, and Denmark. France got German coal mines and Gda sk, now a city in Poland, became
a "free city." Poland gained most of Western Prussia and Germany's Rhineland was demilitarized, although
allied troops occupied it for fifteen years after the war (Shirer 59). The Treaty also solely held Germany
responsib...

The Causes Of The Holocaust

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