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Alan Steinweis on Death and Deliverance: 'Euthanasia' In Michael Burleigh. Death and Deliverance: 'Euthanasia' in Germany, c.1900 to 1945. Cambridge England: Cambridge University Press, 1994. xvii + 382 pp. $22.95, paper, ISBN 978-0-521-47769-7. Henry Friedlander. The Origins of Nazi Genocide: From Euthanasia to the Final Solution. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 1995. xxiii + 421 pp. $34.95, cloth, ISBN 978-0-8078-2208-1. Reviewed by Alan E. Steinweis Published on H-German (August, 1996) One of the salient features of Holocaust histo‐ that Nazi "euthanasia" can no longer be under‐ riography in recent years has been a divergence stood as a mere preface to the Final Solution. The between an essentially Judeocentric approach murder of the disabled was, according to these that pays relatively little attention to the non-Jew‐ books, an integral part of the Holocaust. Nazi "eu‐ ish victims of Nazi Germany, and an approach thanasia" was a human tragedy of immense pro‐ that endeavors to contextualize the persecution portions and terrifying cruelty, one that ought to and murder of the Jews as a part of a broader prove instructive to a society such as ours in Nazi program of racial purification and territorial which efficiency is often placed before human aggrandizement. The two studies under review compassion, and in which hereditarian notions of fall into the latter category. Both posit a close con‐ human worth and achievement are enjoying re‐ nection, ideologically and even organizationally, newed legitimacy. between the notorious Nazi "euthanasia" policy The attention focused on Daniel J. Goldha‐ and the "Final Solution" of the "Jewish Question." gen's Hitler's Willing Executioners in recent But, even more significantly, both works place months has generated what we can only hope will their primary focus on Nazi eugenics measures prove to be a productive debate about the ideolog‐ targeted at the disabled, emphasizing the point ical and social origins of the Holocaust. One very H-Net Reviews unfortunate result of the Goldhagen debate, how‐ of eugenics and a biomedical sensibility. But it ever, has been the relative neglect of another would be unfair to suggest that Friedlander dis‐ highly consequential book that deals with the counts the importance of anti-Semitism. This same fundamental question of Holocaust origins, point must be emphasized in view of the accusa‐ although from a much different perspective, and tion, which can be heard nowadays at Holocaust in a far more sober, balanced, and intellectually and German Studies conferences, that anti- responsible manner. Henry Friedlander's Origins Semitism has been written out of the Holocaust by of Nazi Genocide: >From Euthanasia to the Final scholars who seek to interpret the genocide in a Solution is not only the most formidable study to more universal framework. Friedlander makes date of the Nazi regime's murder of the disabled; clear early in the book that racial anti-Semitism it also is one of the most compelling statements in was an integral component of the eugenicism that favor of an expansive conceptualization of the had come to hold sway in Germany by 1933. Holocaust. Throughout his study, Friedlander traces how the Most Holocaust historiography treats the Nazi evolution of Nazi anti-Jewish policy was inter‐ "euthanasia" program as a step along the path to twined with eugenicist measures targeted at the "Final Solution," or in Friedlander's formula‐ "Aryan" Germans, at Poles, and at Gypsies (evi‐ tion, as a "prologue" to the Holocaust rather than dence entirely ignored by Goldhagen). He also dis‐ as an actual "chapter" of that event. Friedlander, cusses the fate of individual Jews who fell victim himself a survivor of Auschwitz who is a profes‐ to the "euthanasia" program, an often overlooked sor of Judaic Studies at Brooklyn College, main‐ dimension of the Jewish experience under Nazi tains that Nazi policy aimed at the physical de‐ rule. struction of three groups: Jews, Gypsies, and the In one short opening chapter Friedlander re‐ disabled. The genocide of all three grew out of the capitulates the development of eugenicist and same racist biomedical vision, although the racist thinking before 1933, a subject that has al‐ timetables, modalities, and dimensions of the ready been adequately examined by several murder of each group differed significantly. The scholars. Friedlander moves quickly through the contrast between this view and that of Goldhagen 1933-1939 period in a second chapter, devoting could not be more stark. Goldhagen, whose con‐ the remaining twelve chapters to an extremely cern is almost exclusively on the war against the thorough account of events during the war. Some Jews, radically disassociates the murder of the dis‐ readers might be disappointed that the steriliza‐ abled from that of the Jews in order to buttress tion measures of the 1930s are not examined in his argument about the universality and intensity greater depth, but a detailed analysis of this earli‐ of German anti-Semitism; he repeatedly points er phase is not Friedlander's intention. out that the "euthanasia," based on a cold, calcu‐ Readers who have kept up with the feld will lated biomedical vision, generated protests from be familiar with the key events of the story Fried‐ the German population, whereas the killing of the lander tells: the initiation of the "children's eu‐ Jews, based on anti-Semitism, produced no such thanasia" program, the expansion of that program reaction. to encompass adults, Hitler's personal role in Instead of emphasizing the role of anti- making key decisions, the structure and proce‐ Semitism as the engine of official Nazi policy, and dures of T-4, the killing "pause" of 1941, the subse‐ as the personal motive of those individuals who quent continuation of the systematic murder out‐ carried out genocidal policy on a daily basis, side the notorious killing centers, the transfer of Friedlander does indeed underscore the centrality personnel and know-how from the "euthanasia" 2 H-Net Reviews operation to the Final Solution, and so forth. In ly with developments after 1945. Burleigh's pri‐ several respects, however, the book does present mary source research base, though considerably heretofore unfamiliar material. The book's analy‐ narrower than Friedlander's, is impressive in its sis of the "pause" of 1941 stands as the most au‐ own right. thoritative explanation of how the killing was Burleigh is less successful than Friedlander in continued under altered circumstances rather his attempts to move back and forth between the than halted. The chapter on "Killing Handicapped levels of policy formulation and implementation. Jews" should prove most illuminating even to eru‐ This is particularly problematic when Burleigh dite students of the Jewish dimension of the Holo‐ neglects to undertake a patient, careful analysis of caust. Friedlander's account of how the killing an interpretive issue that is central to Friedlan‐ centers functioned conveys a great deal of new, der's study, namely the connection between "eu‐ often gut-wrenching detail, gleaned from judicial thanasia" and the broader program of Nazi geno‐ records. We should be particularly grateful to the cide. "On the ground" is where Burleigh places his author for his effort to convey the humanity and emphasis, and it must be said that he does excel at individuality of the victims themselves, qualities evoking the mood of the time and at reconstruct‐ that most often tend to become lost in academic ing the rich texture of specific events. Numerous studies of Nazis and their crimes. photographs and extended quotations from pri‐ This is a remarkably well-researched book. mary sources endow many sections of the book Friedlander has examined materials from over with a documentary quality, which students espe‐ two dozen archives and has made extensive use cially might appreciate, although scholars who of judicial records from roughly three dozen are better versed in the material might consider courts and state prosecutors. This massive origi‐ such passages insufficiently digested. nal research has been synthesized into a work Burleigh gives considerably more attention that also makes very effective use of previous than does Friedlander to the Nazi regime's efforts studies of the subject by Ernst Klee, Benno to legitimize eugenics measures within German Mueller-Hill, Goetz Aly, and many others. Its origi‐ society. Particularly useful is a long chapter called nal contributions notwithstanding, the brilliance "Selling Murder: The Killing Films of the Third Re‐ of the book lies not in the disclosure of shocking ich," a title identical to that of a fne documentary revelations or dramatic new evidence, but rather film produced by Burleigh on this very subject. in the combination of rich detail and moral force. This chapter analyzes at length the notorious Ich The latter quality is especially worthy of note, for klage an, as one might expect, but also describes a here is an example of a compelling, at times grip‐ host of other flms that have remained obscure. I ping, work of scholarship that does not sacrifice have found this chapter quite useful in my own precision or intellectual rigor. As it assumes its teaching. I tend to devote considerable class time rightful place as a standard work, let us hope that to German propaganda efforts of this sort, which The Origins of Nazi Genocide attains the wide au‐ students fnd compelling, deeply troubling, and dience it deserves. frighteningly relevant in our own age of mass ma‐ Michael Burleigh's Death and Deliverance is a nipulation. less polished, although altogether worthwhile Copyright (c) 1996 by H-Net, all rights re‐ study that covers much of the same ground. served. This work may be copied for non-profit Burleigh's account of the years before 1939, and educational use if proper credit is given to the au‐ especially of the period 1933-1939, is fuller than thor and the list.
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