Category Archives: Uncategorized

How does “thinking too much” endanger prisoners? How much of survival is due to diligence and strength vs. luck? Does the fact that civilians traded with prisoners refute claims that Germans were unaware of what was occurring?

Having now read this book twice, there were a few points that resonated with me throughout both readings.  I was struck by the fact that those working with the Jews were described as “mistaking the effects for the cause.”  In … Continue reading →

German actions while invading Russia were particularly interesting to try to grasp and understand.  I had not heard that Germans feared that changing conditions at home to provide for troops (through methods such as rationing) would have damaged the German … Continue reading →

I plan to research the Madagascar Plan. While articulated and fully researched by the Nazi Party, the concept has roots that run much deeper. Poland considered relocating its Jewish population in the 1930s, and while the project never came to … Continue reading →

Would changing conditions at home in Germany (rationing, etc.) to provide for troops in the USSR have truly damaged the German war effort? Did Germany plan to conquer all of the USSR (including areas such as Siberia)? Could collaboration with … Continue reading →

I was most intrigued by the official Soviet response to the crisis in Ukraine.  The position appeared to be contradictory.  Sometimes officials simply denied that mass starvation was occurring, and when such starvation was acknowledged, it was described as an … Continue reading →

This was a beautifully crafted movie.  It illustrated many of the complexities of the Holocaust, with all its shades of gray.  Perhaps most fascinating was the character of Schindler and his evolution to become a savior to so many.  He … Continue reading →

What struck me most in reading this book was the circular nature of violence illustrated in chapter 3.  Groups in conflict repeatedly were drawn to creating broad generalizations, criminalizing and hating a whole people, including innocents such as women and … Continue reading →

I was most intrigued by the theories that eventually emerged to protect civilians.  Many arose out of religious thought, such as the preciousness (or sanctity) of human life.  St. Thomas Aquinas advocated a form of limited war that protected civilians, … Continue reading →

One of the foremost pieces of information that stuck with me after the viewing was the fact that the creator of the term “genocide” used the atrocities committed against the Armenians as an example when explaining the definition of the … Continue reading →