Why would the Nazis evacuated Auschwitz? To they really need the force labor at this point of the war. Honestly the German Army was in retreat in all fronts at this time. What was the strong Axis Powers was not made up of Germany and Japan. I felt that the evacuation was unnecessary.
I wonder this as well. But Hitler seemed pretty certain on continuing his torture and mistreatment of the Jews, so obviously this was something he was very "passionate" about. Like the "faceless neighbor" in Elie's infirmary said, Hitler has been the only one that has kept all his promises to the Jews.
ReplyDeleteAlex, there is a quote said to Elie by his "faceless neighbor" in the infirmity, "I have more faith in Hitler than in anyone else. He alone has kept his promises, all of his promises, to the Jewish people." Hitler was panicking and delusional, and he also had a lot of control/power over his soldiers.
ReplyDeleteHitler was panicking and delusional because he enjoyed having power, and because he felt threatened by the approaching army. He did not want to lose his power, nor did he want his plans of torture and punishment foiled. He knew that the Jews would be liberated if they all had stayed, and felt that losing them would mean a loss in power.
ReplyDeleteI researched the topic more after reading your comments and according to Auschwitz: A New History by Laurence Rees, Hitler did not order the evacuation of the concentration camps instead it was Heinrich Himmler, Reichsfuhrer-SS, as all concentration camps where under the jurisdiction of the SS. Then in Auschwitz: A History by Sybille Steinbacher states that the reason for the evacuation was not to led the Allies to foil Hitler's plan of exterminating the Jews but to cover up the atrocities committed by the Third Reich. The SS knew the war was lost so they just wanted to protect themselves from any tribunal set up by the victorious Allies after the war.
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