The Origins of Nazi Genocide: From Euthanasia to the Final Solution - Hardcover

Friedlander, Henry

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0807822086 ISBN 13: 9780807822081

Publisher: The University of North Carolina Press, 1995

Synopsis

Tracing the rise of racist and eugenic ideologies, Henry Friedlander explores in chilling detail how the Nazi program of secretly exterminating the handicapped and disabled evolved into the systematic destruction of Jews and Gypsies. He describes how the so-called euthanasia of the handicapped provided a practical model for the later mass murder, thereby initiating the Holocaust. The Nazi regime pursued the extermination of Jews, Gypsies, and the handicapped based on a belief in the biological, and thus absolute, inferiority of those groups. To document the connection between the assault on the handicapped and the Final Solution, Friedlander shows how the legal restrictions and exclusionary policies of the 1930s, including mass sterilization, led to mass murder during the war. He also makes clear that the killing centers where the handicapped were gassed and cremated served as the models for the extermination camps. Based on extensive archival research, the book also analyzes the involvement of the German bureaucracy and judiciary, the participation of physicians and scientists, and the nature of popular opposition. |Long hailed as the best guide to enjoying the state's 320 miles of coastline, North Carolina Beaches will help you find just the right spot for a long vacation or a one-day getaway. In this completely revised third edition, Morris gives a beach-by-beach tour, detailing attractions and activities and providing phone numbers, addresses, and websites to help with trip planning. Maps show the best places to park and what facilities to expect. Short features on topics from bird life to tidal forces inform and entertain.

About this title

Review:

Never is a speculation presented without masses of material to back it up. It is a substantial book.

"Holocaust and Genocide Studies"

"If one has time to read only one book among the recent works on Nazi euthanasia, this is it.

Christopher R. Browning, "Times Literary Supplement""

Friedlander has written an excellent piece of historical research which establishes the similarities of the fates of three victim groups.

"Jewish History"

"Well researched, remarkably balanced in its judgments, and full of fresh insights. It deserves the widest possible readership.

"Journal of Modern History""

"One of the distinguishing features of this study is the meticulous description of the administration of the euthanasia program.

Gordon A. Craig, "New York Review of Books""

If one has time to read only one book among the recent works on Nazi euthanasia, this is it.

Christopher R. Browning, "Times Literary Supplement"

Well researched, remarkably balanced in its judgments, and full of fresh insights. It deserves the widest possible readership.

"Journal of Modern History"

One of the distinguishing features of this study is the meticulous description of the administration of the euthanasia program.

Gordon A. Craig, "New York Review of Books"

From the Back Cover:

Henry Friedlander explores in chilling detail how the Nazi program of secretly exterminating the handicapped and disabled evolved into the systematic destruction of Jews and Gypsies. Tracing the rise of racist and eugenic ideologies in Germany, he describes how the so-called euthanasia of the handicapped provided a practical model for mass murder, thereby initiating the Holocaust. Based on extensive research in American, German, and Austrian archives as well as Allied and German court records, the book also analyzes the involvement of the German bureaucracy and judiciary, the participation of physicians and scientists, the motives of the killers, and the nature of popular opposition. Friedlander also sheds light on the special plight of handicapped Jews, who were the first singled out for murder.

About this edition

• Publisher: The University of North Carolina Press
• Publication date: 1995
• ISBN 10: 0807822086
• ISBN 13: 9780807822081
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 3
• Number of pages: 448