FREE ESSAY ON RACIAL THEORIES LEADING TO THE THIRD REICH

RACIAL THEORIES LEADING TO THE THIRD REICH

The Nazi State of the Third Reich is clearly defined by racial theory put into practice.
One reading Burleigh and Wipperman's book; The Racial State, learns of these different
racial theories and how they are implemented under Adolf Hitler in the Third Reich.
As one learns when reading The Racial State, Adolf Hitler's eugenic and racial-hygienic
theories were not original. Theorists long before his time wrote of the same racist
theories. Hitler never mentions any of these theorists in his work, but one can see when
reading The Racial State, that the horrific acts that occurred during the Third Reich
reflected the ideas of these theorists.
Theorist Alfred Grotjahn's believed that in order to achieve social hygiene, those who
did not fit the social criteria of the state, should be isolated that in order to achieve
social hygiene. Those that did not fit the social criteria of the state should be
isolated and sterilized to eventually destroy these races. These people included, the
insane, the work shy, alcoholics, those carrying diseases and accident victims. Zoologist
Ernst Haekel shares this view with his theory that the 'central races' were superior and
in order to maintain their superiority, those who were sick and not perfect within the
group needed to be exterminated to maintain this perfection within their race. These were
only theories of theirs, mere words on a piece of paper, but one sees this actually come
into practice in the Third Reich. Hitler succeeded at having those sterilized who were
not to his standards and as described by Grotjahn as "healthy germans". In 1934 the
Heredity Disease Progeny Act came into legislation in Germany. As Burleigh and Wipperman
explain; "This permitted the compulsory sterilization of persons suffering from a series
of allegedly heredity illnesses as well as alcaholics"(pg.48). Hitler also isolated the
ill from the rest of Germany in concentration camps. 
Theories about the extermination of the ill were not the only appalling theories put into
practice in the Third Reich. Those who were not considered pure blooded Aryan-Germans
were also to suffer under Hitler's reign of terror. Some of those groups included Jews,
gypsies, poles and half breeds (eg.Half Jew-Half German). In other words those who were
accepted were only those who were pure blooded Aryan-German. Theorist Arthur D. Gobineau
believed that the value of a person was determined by their color. He believed that all
high cultures where the work of Aryans. He believed that if Aryans interbred with races
of lesser value, this would weaken the Aryan ruling class and the Aryan culture would be
lost. Hitler shared this view as well. In 1935 the law for the protection of German blood
and Honor was passed. This law forbid Jews to have sexual relations or marry those of
"German blood". This law did not only excluded Jews from marrying Germans, it also
excluded Gypsies, Negroes and their bastards from marrying pure blooded Germans as well.
As Burleigh and Wipperman explain, "gypsies, negroes, or their bastards' were normally
counted alongside Jews as carriers of non-German or related blood"(pg.50). 
One studying history of the Third Reich learns that the Jews were to suffer the most
under the Third Reich, and were tortured and put to death in greater numbers than any
other group excluded in the Third Reich. The Jews were perceived as the worst of all
evils. Hitler was not the creator of anti-semitism. Jews were considered by others and
also written about by theorists to be evil works of the devil. Theorist Houston
Chamberlain believed that Jewish women were prostitutes and that Jews were the spreaders
of syphilis and other diseases that were destroying the health of Germans and were
attempting to prevent racial-hygienic improvement amongst Aryan-Gemans. He believed that
Jews were backstabbers and couldn't be trusted. He also believed that he Jews were
responsible for the negative accompaniments of rapid industrialization and modernization.
Here one can see that Jews were portrayed as the enemy of the healthy German state.
Theories such as Chamberlains were synonymous with the theories of Hitler. Hitler puts
these anti-semitic theories into practice by taking drastic measures to exterminate the
Jews. Jews were sterilized, tortured, brutally murdered, had their lively hood and
possessions taken from them, and were put to suffer in concentration camps where they
were isolated from those who were Germans. According to Hitler his warding off of the
Jews was necessary and willed by god. Hitler wrote, "I believe today that I am acting in
the sense of the Almighty Creator: by warding off the Jews, I am fighting for the Lord's
work" (pg. 40). 
As Burleigh and Wipperman explain that Hitler's racism consisted of different elements,
which would best summarize what I have discussed. Hitler believed that there were
differences in individual races, and the Aryans were the most valuable race. If Aryans
interbred with less valuable races it would lead to the extinction of the Aryan race.
Also the health of the Aryan race needed to be maintained and improved. To alleviate
these problems, Hitler took the measures discussed to prevent the reproduction and rid
the German state of those who are sickly and criminal (criminal also included the Jews).

As one can see these ideas were not unique to Hitler. The few theorists I've discussed
wrote of the similar theories before Hitler's time. Although these theorists as well as
Hitler saw these measures as necessary ways of protecting the German state from
extinction, there was nothing provided to show any of these theories of racism as valid.
I am referring to the allegations by these theorists, such as that the Jews were
backstabbers, prostitutes and spreaders of diseases. These racist theories can not be
proven as valid.
From reading this book I have drawn the conclusion the that government of the Third Reich
was structured, to rid the German state of those who were unable to make money for the
state because they were sick or lazy, and rid Germany of the Jews because they were
jealous and envious of the prospering Jews. This was evident in their actions Destroying
Jewish businesses allowed Aryan's to take over in the formerly Jewish markets and allowed
the Aryan-Germans to prosper. Leaving the state to all Aryan Germans, and destroying
every other culture allowed for more opportunity and less competition for economical
success amongst Aryan-Germans. I believe that is why the Third Reich was able to succeed
at putting these theories into action. Hitler and these theorists alone would not have
been able to put these theories into practice without the support of others. I find it
hard to imagine that one reading these theories would be able to believe that these
allegations were valid and justifiable reasons for the extermination of human beings. I
believe it was economical interest that put these theories into action, not actually
belief in the theories themselves. The theories served as justification, as an excuse for
exterminating innocent people that posed as a threat to Aryan-Germans. It is appalling
that something as Barbaric as the treatment of humans during the Third Reich actually
took place, and that such obscure theories such as those I have discussed provided the
structure for the Nazi State. 
Bibliography
Burleigh and Wipperman The Racial State, Germany 1933-1945 Cambridge University Press