Question

Explain the steps taken by the Nazis to control the Jewish population in the years leading up to the Holocaust.

Explain how the civilian experience in World War II was similar and/or different from previous wars that you've learned about. Provide three or four examples.

Now that you've read more about civilian experiences in World War II, has your opinion on whether the atomic bombs were justified changed? Why or why not? Be sure to cite evidence in your answer.

Answer 1

The steps taken by the Nazis to control the Jewish population in the years leading up to the Holocaust included:

1. The Nuremberg Laws of 1935, which stripped Jews of their civil rights and defined them as a separate "race,"

2. The 1938 Kristallnacht (Night of Broken Glass), in which Jewish homes, businesses, and synagogues were vandalized and destroyed, and thousands of Jews were arrested and deported to concentration camps.

3. The establishment of ghettos, in which Jews were forced to live in overcrowded and impoverished conditions and were cut off from the rest of society

4. The implementation of the "Final Solution" in 1941, in which Jews were rounded up and sent to extermination camps, where they were killed en masse in gas chambers

In several ways, the civilian experience during World War II was similar to and different from previous wars:

1. Similar: Civilians, including women and children, were targeted and suffered greatly, as in previous wars. Civilians were also used as forced labor and forced to flee their homes.

2. Different: The scale of destruction and loss of civilian life was unprecedented in World War II, with cities and entire countries being devastated by bombing and invasion.

3. Different: The Holocaust, in which six million Jews were systematically murdered, was a unique and unparalleled aspect of the civilian experience in World War II.

4. Similar: The use of propaganda to mobilize and control the population in World War II was similar to previous wars.

My opinion on whether the atomic bombs were justified has not changed after reading about the civilian experience in World War II. I believe that the atomic bombs were not justified as they caused mass destruction of lives and property and were an inhumane act of war. The use of atomic bombs killed over 200,000 people and caused immense suffering for the survivors. The bombings were not necessary, as Japan was already on the verge of surrender, and the dropping of the bombs was a display of military power and not a necessary act for winning the war.