Sunday, March 29, 2020

The Causes Of The Holocaust Essays - Racism, Antisemitism

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 responsible for the War in a "war guilt" clause which greatly upset the Germans. When the German government saw the treaty, they heavily opposed i! t; however they had to accept it. Germany's new republican government ratified it in 1919. Germany's defeat in the war and the provisions in the Treaty of Versailles, officially ending the war, greatly outraged the German people. Germany had lost everything, the economy was in a decline and there was an extremely high unemployment rate. The Germans wanted to restore their nation to its former greatness (Hashoah 28). They wanted to complete this task of restoration in a very short amount of time. German citizens also started looking for a reason for their defeat. A new political party called the National Socialist German Workers Party, or Nazis, began its climb by bringing back old prejudices and blaming the Jews for Germany's defeat in the first World War. These were some of the factors that came together to cause the rise of Hitler's Third Reich and the slaughter of twelve million innocent people in the Holocaust. Germany's bad economy in the 1920's and 30's was a factor for the cause of the Holocaust and the Rise of the Third Reich. After the Treaty of Versailles was signed in 1919, Germany owed other nations money for their economic losses during World War I. This made Germany very poor in the early twenties. In 1923, inflation reached its climax in Germany which made the German Mark lose its value and virtually wiped out the middle class. The German economy was so bad that cartoons were drawn depicting middle class Germans carting around their few possessions and money in wheel barrows. Middle class citizens became more susceptible to appeals from extremist groups such as the Nazis which came about in the years following World War I because they had provided a focus for Germany's problems. Less than three years after German's economy had somewhat stabilized, it went in to a severe economic depression along with the rest of the Western world in 1929. During the years of econom! ic depression the Weimar Republic, who ruled Germany from 1919 to 1933, was criticized for not being able to deal with Germany's problems effectively and efficiently. The Communist and the National Socialist Parties were supported by most of the German voters by 1933 because of Germany's economic problems (Shirer 258). Antisemitism was by far the biggest factor for the cause of the Holocaust. Adolf Hitler and the National Socialist German Workers Party were behind this antisemitism campaign. When Hitler and the Nazi party gained power, they made antisemitism an official government policy. Germans were looking for a quick way out of their problems and, by listening to Hitler, they believed they found a quick way out. His reason was the Jews, and Hitler blamed the Jews for Germany's economic problems and its defeat in World War I. Hitler blamed the Jews because, he said that the Jews were not German and

Saturday, March 7, 2020

Writing SOL Prompt 1 Essay Essays - Road Safety, Free Essays

Writing SOL Prompt 1 Essay Essays - Road Safety, Free Essays PROMPT: Some states have now made it illegal to drive while using a hand-held cell phone. Do you agree or disagree with this law? Why or why not? Take a position on the issue. Support your response with reasons and examples. Is it really that important to check your cell phone while driving? Many drivers today use their cell phones while driving and see it as a harmless act. Cell phones are now not only a form of communication, but also a distraction and dangerous item. People think that checking their phone while driving is just a momentary action and doesnt matter, however it can cause less control your vehicle and less ability to concentrate which lead to very serious consequences. No matter what age the driver is or how experienced they are, under no circumstance should they be using their mobile phone while driving. It is extremely hazardous and can result in fatal consequences. Therefore, I completely support the ban of cell phone usage while driving. Texting or using a cell phone while driving is very perilous to yourself and the people surrounding you. The lives of innocent people are being taken every day due to a simple distraction. Using cell phones while driving causes the driver to have less control of the vehicle. Although some people are capable of multitasking while driving, its still extremely risky. When answering a phone call, even it if it isnt urgent, can cause the driver to drive slower, especially during rush hours. Even though not all phone conversations are urgent, the ones that do deliver negative news can cause the driver to lose control of their vehicle due to a rush of mixed emotions and confusion. The driver could pick up their speed easily and not notice the traffic around them because theyre frantic. All of this leads to accidents and people getting hurt. Drivers using their cell phones while driving have less ability trying to concentrate on the road and the danger surrounding the vehicle. Driving and using a mobile device are two different activities and it leads to the driver not being able to fully concentrate. The driver is splitting their focus between their phone and the road and giving their full attention to whats going on around them. They dont have the ability to really concentrate on their driving and it leads to coasting on the side which leads to collisions. Most drivers answer their phone calls because they dont know whether its urgent or not. However, a text can wait. The moment a driver slightly switches their attention from the road to their cell phone, theyre not only putting themselves in danger, but also others. At a street crossing, a driver could be on their phone and not see the light turn red, which can result in multiple fatalities such as running into pedestrians and a car crash. If a driver must answer a ph one call, they should stop at the side of the road and answer it. Its better to be a little late arriving to a destination than putting your own and others lives at risk. Banning the use of cell phones would decrease the number of collisions dramatically. People would feel safer driving and pedestrians would feel more at ease walking on the streets. Although theres a law that bans drinking and driving, there are still collisions caused from it. Even though banning the use of cell phones while driving wont completely stop car collisions, its still a big step to take towards change. A way to really reinforce the banning would be punishments. Just like a driver would get a ticket for speeding, police men should also hand out tickets for cell phone use. Even if a person is still speeding, most of the time, theyre still paying attention to their driving and whats going on around them. However, when someone uses their cell phone while driving, they arent able to concentrate at all; which is a larger risk. People should already know, through common sense, that not giving their full attention while driving is incredibly unsafe. Whether the car ride if five mi nutes or two hours, a phone call or text shouldnt be the leading cause of