Writing - Division II
Honorable Mention
"Compassion Between the Holocaust and Genocide"
Elliott Marks
Grade 12, Firestone High School
Teacher: Tammie Ray

Over 10 million people, including 6 million Jews, were murdered in the Holocaust. Carried out under the Nazi regime in Germany, such horrific events were believed not to be able to be repeated. Across the span of time in 1992, a systematic slaughter of non-Serbians by Serbians - the result of a campaign called "ethnic cleansing" -- occurred in Bosnia-Herzegovina: What could have caused these genocides? By analyzing each of these events it is clear that prejudice was one of the main causes.

After World War I, Germany was in economic ruin. Having lost the war to the Allied forces, Germany grew resentful of their defeat and looked for a strong leader (Lawton 8). Adolf Hitler rose to power along with his newly founded "National Socialists (Nazi) Party" claiming that he would restore Germany (Lawton 11). The Nazi Party was used by Hitler to promote his ideas that "Aryans, especially Germans, were physically, mentally, and morally superior to Jews as well as people throughout Eastern Europe" (Uschan 14). The Nazis believed the Jews were responsible for Germany's defeat in the war. After Hitler was appointed the Chancellor of Germany in 1933, he first limited individual freedoms of the German Jews and sent out Nazi propaganda to promote his racist ideas. He also established secret police called the SA and the SS, named after the German words for "storm troops" and "protective force," to capture any opponents of the Nazi Party and to instill fear in those who would speak out against him (Bachrach 10). The Nazi Party started limiting the rights of Jews in 1933 with a boycott of Jewish businesses (Bachrach 14). Soon after, the Nuremberg Laws followed. These laws limited the rights of Jews even further by taking away their right to vote and making them wear identification armbands. Throughout Germany, the Nazis targeted other minority groups including gypsies, homosexuals, Slavs, and Jehovah's Witnesses. Sometimes hatred would erupt in violence. One such incident was Kristallnacht, in which the German secret police damaged thousands of Jewish businesses (Uschan 25). By 1939 Nazi officials began isolating Jews in horribly overcrowded ghettos where they were often forced to work in factories producing German goods. In 1942 the Nazi Party decided the only way they could deal with the Jews was mass murder. Code named the "Final Solution," this plan was a "carefully planned destruction, or genocide, of all European Jews." (Bachrach 46). Months later, thousands of Jews were being deported from ghettos to concentration and extermination camps throughout German-occupied Europe.

The concentration camps were designed to kill Jews through horrible conditions and meaningless work. The extermination camps were made to gas its victims to death. By the time the concentration camps were liberated at the end of World War II, nearly 10 million lives had been taken as a result of Hitler's "Final Solution."

Prejudice against Jews was not anything new before the Nazi regime. "Because they had always been a minority ... Jews were viewed by much of Christian Europe as odd or threatening." (Uschan 12). This prolonged hatred led to them being singled out, discriminated against, and blamed for misfortune throughout history. After Germany lost World War I, Germans were angered by their humiliating defeat since they thought that their army was the best in the world (Uschan 12). Looking for someone to blame, most Germans believed the Jews were responsible. This pre anti-Semitism, or hatred of Jews, in Germany led to quick support of the Nazi Party and their beliefs. After Hitler became

Chancellor, he used propaganda to rally support against the Jews. German children were encouraged

to become members of Hitler's Youth, an organization that taught loyalty to Hitler and the Nazi Party. (Lawton 11). Hatred of Jews was also taught in schools by instructing students how to "identify" children who were Jewish. Hitler said, "I believe that I am acting in accordance with the will of the Almighty Creator; by defending myself against the Jews, I am fighting for the work of the Lord." (Uschan 14). All of these examples of prejudice dehumanized Jews and other minorities including gypsies, blacks, and Slavs. This dehumanization made it easier for people to accept the treatment these groups received. Because of prejudice, the genocide of the Jews and other minorities was not viewed as an atrocity but rather a necessary step to ensure the growth of the "perfect" race (Bachrach 12).

Almost 40 years later, Europe would experience the bloodiest conflict since the Holocaust ("War and Ethnic Cleansing"). In 1992, Bosnia was recognized as independent from Yugoslavia. A year before, both Slovenia and Croatia had won a long battle for their independence from Yugoslavia. During the 1980s a Serbian named Slobodan Milosevic rose to power in Serbia using nationalism and ethnic hatred toward other ethnic groups that were once part of Yugoslavia. He planned to make a "Greater Serbia" and believed that "Where ever there is a Serb, there is Serbia." ("War and Ethnic Cleansing"). Bosnia, at the time, was "a mostly Muslim country where the Serb minority made up 32 percent of the population." ("Bosnia Genocide"). Once Serbia declared its independence, Milosevic used his control of most of Yugoslavia's national army to take over Bosnia's capital city, Sarajevo, and started using the policy of "ethnic cleansing," or genocide, of non-Serbians in Bosnia. "Sarajevo soon became known as the city where Serb snipers continually shot down helpless civilians in the streets, including eventually over 3,500 children." ("Bosnia Genocide"). Targeting mainly Bosnian Muslims, the Serbians would systematically round up Muslims in villages and slaughter all of the males of military age ("Case Study"). Sometimes hastily-made concentration camps were used for non-Serbians whose towns had been destroyed. Besides using force, the Serbs used the rape of women and girls to generate fear ("Bosnia Genocide"). In 1992 news of the genocide caused worldwide attention after a terrible bombing in Sarajevo ("Bosnia Genocide"). Although the United Nations soon declared "Safe Zones" for several Muslim towns, the Serbs continued their actions. "Under the command of General Ratko Mladic (Serbs) systematically selected and then slaughtered nearly 8,000 men and boys between the ages of twelve and sixty - the worst mass murder in Europe since World War II." ("Bosnia Genocide"). By 1995 the U.S. began "military intervention" by bombing various Serbian artillery units in Bosnia. The Bosnian Muslims were soon gaining ground over the Serbians due to weapon shipments from neighboring countries. Overtaken by forces, Serbian leader Milosevic was forced to sign the Dayton Peace Accords in 1995, ending the genocide and establishing a government with mixed ethnic groups ("War and Ethnic Cleansing"). In total, around 200,000 deaths resulted from the "ethnic cleansing" of Bosnia.

War and ethnic hatred in Yugoslavia had been going on for centuries. "The people of Yugoslavia have always hated each other and wanted nothing more than to see their neighbors wiped off the face of the earth." ("War and Ethnic Cleansing"). This legacy of hatred for others made Serbians support Milosevic's ideas and strong nationalism, leading him to quickly gain control of a struggling Serbia. When Bosnia declared independence, Milosevic took advantage of the fact that mostly Serbians made up Yugoslavia's army and began exterminating non-Serbians ("War and Ethnic Cleansing"). The strong nationalism also led to the genocide. The goal to make a "Greater Serbia" through "ethnic cleansing" was based on prejudice toward Muslims and other groups. The Serbs felt that regions in which Serbians were the minority, like Bosnia, needed to be protected and cleansed of those who were not Serbians. All of these examples of prejudice came from the feeling that in order to unify Serbia, those who were not Serbian must be eliminated.

While both the Holocaust and the "ethnic cleansing" in Bosnia-Herzegovina happened at different times in history, they both follow a similar pattern. In both instances, euphemistic language was used to keep the true meaning of the atrocities hidden. By using "the Final Solution" and "ethnic cleansing," instead of titling them as mass murder, it made it seem as if each was a necessary thing to do. Also, both acts of genocide happened in times of turmoil when strong leadership was needed. In such a situation, people accepted cruel polices that were enacted in order to bring their countries to glory. Prejudice had an overwhelming effect in both genocides, allowing leaders to enact inhumane policies.

These two genocides show that prejudice has occurred throughout history. By blaming people for current problems and by hating others for their differences, great and unforgivable atrocities happen. But through overcoming blind ignorance and embracing humankind's differences, perhaps these mass murders, mainly due to prejudged hatred and ideas, can be forever stopped.

Works Cited

Bachrach, Susan. Tell Them We Remember. Boston: Little Brown and Company, 1994.

"Bosnia Genocide--1992-1995." United Human Rights. 16 November 2007 <http://www.unitedhumanrights.org/Genocide/bosniagenocide.htm> .

"Case Study: Bosnia-Herzegovina." Gendercide. 15 November 2007 <http://www . gendercide. org/ case bosnia.html>.

Lawton, Clive. The Story of the Holocaust. New York: Franklin Watts, 1999.

Uschan, Michael. The Holocaust . Farmington Hills, MI: Lucent Books, 2005.