Heinrich Himmler, the man who orchestrated the Holocaust

Heinrich Himmler is now considered one of history’s greatest villains, best known for his meteoric rise as Hitler’s right-hand man and for being one of the main architects of the Holocaust. there is Himmler was born on October 7, 1900 and grew up in a typical German middle-class family. After he did well in school, he went to the Technical University of Munich to study agriculture. After graduating, however, Himmler lost his job and he soon became addicted to conspiracy theories popular in his field. The conspiracy theory set all the blame for the economic and cultural struggles of the European Jewish population after World War I in Germany.

In 1923, Himmler joined his NSDAP, volunteered for the Storm Troopers (SA), and took part in the Beer Hall Putsch, a failed coup that had Hitler imprisoned for nine months. Himmler read everything Hitler wrote and was fascinated by his worldview. This is explained in detail in his book My Struggle. Although Himmler never held a prominent position, he was able to marry wealthy people and used his newfound social mobility to advance his political position. He first secured a position as Propaganda Director of the paramilitary organization Schutzstaffel (SS), and then became Deputy Member of Parliament of the Weimar Republic.

In 1933, Hitler was elected Chancellor of Germany and he rapidly took steps to consolidate his power. The SA had sworn allegiance to Hitler since the days of the Beerhall Putsch, but he had a real army and his leader, Ernst Röhm, was a threat, so the SA was deemed unnecessary. Ta. Himmler dutifully forged documents to justify the lies Rohm was trying to spread, and over three days known as the Long Knife Night, Hitler orchestrated a violent purge that eliminated many of the SA’s upper echelons. helped
For a while the NSDAP seemed unstoppable, but Himmler was there to seize power and carry out all Hitler’s wishes. Although Himmler was in full control of Germany’s spy network and police, he had little respect for the current legal order, once stating, “It’s not my business to break the law.” All that mattered was to stay in power and gain power for the NSDAP. He put more emphasis on raising Germans, whom he believed to be racially superior, than on justice. He argued that every SS soldier should father at least one child, ignoring social norms such as monogamy, and arguing that it was Aryan women who fathered on behalf of the family and the state. claimed to be obligated.

In late 1941, Hitler believed he had found a solution to the so-called ‘Jewish question’ and wanted to eliminate all ‘undesirable people’ living in Germany and the German-occupied territories, including Jews, Gypsies and all other ethnic minorities. ordered to be exterminated. than racially “pure” homosexuals, disabled, religious or political dissenters. With millions of people involved, Hitler left the dirty work of logistical support to Himmler, who seized the opportunity to unleash absolute terror.

All over Western Europe. The original idea of ​​the “Einsatz Commandos” to follow troops into occupied territory and massacre “undesirables”, though effective, led to confusion and demoralization for many Nazi soldiers.
Himmler first tried to send vans full of poison gas to kill people in the area, but this was costly and inefficient, so he installed gas chambers in the concentration camps, especially Auschwitz. ordered to do so. When the victims arrived, those who had the strength were allowed to live long enough to die (or starve), while the rest were immediately sent to the gas chambers. When Himmler visited Auschwitz, he himself was delighted to see executions through a peephole in the door, and once remarked, “It is a curse for great men to step on a corpse.” The right-hand man turned against him as soon as it became clear that Germany would lose. While Hitler was hiding in his bunker, Himmler stepped forward to many European leaders, including representatives of the World Jewish Congress, to negotiate peace agreements. He had secretly planned to cover himself up, but the BBC leaked the story and an enraged Hitler discovered Himmler’s exploits. He requested Himmler’s arrest, but he died before the order could be carried out. Meanwhile, Himmler forged his identity papers and disguised himself as a regular German soldier, but he was eventually arrested and his identity was identified. On May 25, 1945, he died after chewing on a poison capsule he had hidden in his mouth during an examination.