Perpetrators Victims Bystanders The Jewish Catastrophe

Perpetrators Victims Bystanders The Jewish Catastrophe 1933-1945 is written by Raul Hilberg. Hilberg earned a bachelor’s degree from Brooklyn College and his Ph.D. from Columbia University. Hilberg also was a professor at the University of Vermont in Burlington. He is well known for actually establishing Holocaust studies. Raul Hilberg was an Austrian born citizen who came to America in 1939. He did this when he wrote and published his book Destruction of the European Jews which was met with controversy. This however is just one of many accomplishments that he had in his life. When he came to America, he got drafted and fought in World War II which gave him a firsthand account of the horrific war. During his service, he was†¦show more content†¦Hitler hatred towards the Jews truly began when he came to Vienna. While in Vienna, Hitler read various publications that molded his ideals in regards to the Jews and later policy making when he becomes chancellor. I would like to point out that the author should of took the time to include specific examples of the materials that Hitler read; although, it is fine since we discuss and learned about it in class. Hitler’s first recorded comment against the Jews occurred while in the military. A soldier asked why did Germany lose the war and a commander requested Hitler to reply to the question (Hilberg 5). Hitler blamed the Jews for Germany’s defeat . Hilberg dedicated his life to researching the Holocaust. This is evident because the book contains a large amount of sources establishing who the perpetrators, victims, and bystanders were. In fact, at the end of the book, there are 63 pages of notes dedicated to citing his sources. Due to the large amount of information, he also dedicated seven index pages listing people, groups, and places. The design for the book is actually quite unique as well. Hilberg broke his book in three different modules which could be read in any orde r. This is abnormal when it comes to history. The author dedicates each section from the perspective of the people involved. Hilberg’s