Many books have been
written about the political factors leading up to WWII and the
Holocaust, but The Black Earth is remarkable in the way it
pulls history, social conditions, and political theory together to create a picture of
the factors allowing the Holocaust to happen.
One factor was Hitler's
severe racial hatred. His plan was always to exterminate the Jews. Another was
the destruction of the identity of the state in areas like Poland and
Eastern Europe. When the state was dissolved, citizens lost their
identity as members of the larger group, and there was no
organization to protect them. Snyder recounts the history of how
this came about as part of Hitler's plan and the devastating
consequences.
However, the book
also has a hopeful section. The author recounts numerous stories of
non-Jews hiding Jews, or helping them escape. It reinforces the idea
that people to people contact is important in enabling people of all
political and religious groups to show compassion to those in need.
The final chapter is
something I believe everyone should read. We like to think we have
put the Holocaust behind us, but there are factors in the world today
which could tip the balance and return the world to something
resembling that terrible time. When people fear
global catastrophe, they can become rapacious trying to secure their
own survival with radical action and become less amenable to
political solutions. It's something for all of us to think about.
I highly recommend
this book. It puts into perspective much of what led to the Holocaust
and cautions us against complacency.
I reviewed this book
for Net Galley.
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