When the Nazi party came to power in January of 1933, it almost

immediately began to take hostile measures toward the Jewish people. The

government passed special legislation that excluded Jews from the protection

of German law. The property of Jews was then legally seized, and

concentration camps were set up in which Jews were executed, tortured, or

condemned to slave labor. The Nazis organized sporadic and local massacres

which occurred in a nationwide program in 1938. After the outbreak of World

War II anti-Semitic activity increased dramatically. By the end of the war,

millions of Jews and others targeted by the Nazis, had been killed in the

Holocaust. The Jewish dead numbered more than 5 million: about 3 million in

killing centers and other camps, 1.4 million in shooting operations, and more

than 600,000 in Polish ghettos. Who were the men that carried out these

terrible murders? One would think them to be savage killers specially

selected for their history of brutality and violence. But, in fact, these

men were typically normal middle-aged business men. How could these

ordinary men be influenced in such a way to allow them to commit such

atrocities? The governmental policies, pressures of comrades and individual

behaviors helped to transform these men into the mass murderers of European

Jews that they soon became.

The government and the military were very important to the transformation of

these men. The men of the battalions were often told how the German race was

the greatest on earth. Their commanding officers continually reminded them

that as Germans they had to be strong and ruthless. They were told to

project an image of superiority and not to show any mercy on the inferior

Jewish race. Anti-Semitism was practiced throughout the government and

military.