Final answer:
Mr. Frank's quote highlights the internal destruction caused by fear and inaction within a group facing external threats like the Nazis. It suggests that bystander complicity played a role in the Holocaust, as people had the choice to act but often did not, contributing to the Nazi regime's ability to carry out its genocidal policies.
Step-by-step explanation:
Mr. Frank's quote, "We don't need the Nazis to destroy us. We're destroying ourselves", underscores the destructive influence of internal strife and fear within a group even under external oppression. This situation is exacerbated by the fact that there were individuals who, though not directly participating in the atrocities of the Holocaust, still played a role in its perpetuation by remaining silent or refusing to take action against it. These bystanders, along with the perpetrators, contributed to the tragedy. In the broader context, individuals had a choice to resist oppressive actions — contrary to the belief that they had no alternative — as illustrated by the policeman in the Einsatzgruppen mentioned by Ernst Klee, signaling that the choice to not act or to comply with evil was indeed a factor in the horrors of the Holocaust. Moreover, the embracing of fascist policies and the scapegoating of Jews as the cause of societal ills, such as those following Germany's defeat in World War I and during the economic troubles of the Weimar Republic, all fed into a toxic environment that allowed Nazism to flourish and lead to widespread violence against Jewish communities, such as the events of Kristallnacht.