Final answer:
Allowing people to bring their belongings on the train and then requiring them to leave them behind served the purpose of reinforcing the loss of their homes and possessions as well as reducing their morale. It was a psychological tactic used by the Nazis to exert control and strip away personal identity.
Step-by-step explanation:
The purpose served by allowing people to bring their belongings on the train and then requiring them to leave them behind was to reinforce the loss of their homes and possessions. Taking away the items at the end confirmed that they no longer had a home or belongings to go back to. This was a deliberate tactic employed by the Nazis to further dehumanize and demoralize the individuals being transported to concentration camps.
By stripping people of their most prized possessions, the Nazis aimed to break their spirits and reduce their morale. This psychological tactic was meant to reinforce the power imbalance and control exerted by the Nazis over the individuals in the camps. It was a way for the Nazis to exert further dominance and strip away any semblance of normalcy or personal identity from the prisoners.
Furthermore, allowing people to bring their belongings on the train may have also served the purpose of keeping the individuals calm and less resistant during the journey from their homes to the camp. It likely made the transition from their familiar surroundings to the camp less frightening and chaotic. However, this was likely just a secondary objective compared to the primary goal of asserting control and instilling fear through the confiscation of belongings.
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