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Could the Holocaust have been avoided? If so, how?

The Holocaust could certainly have been avoided.  It was definitely not inevitable in the same way that, for example, we might say that the American Civil War was inevitable.  Here are three ways in which the Holocaust could have been avoided.


First, the Holocaust could have been avoided if the Allies had been less harsh on Germany in the Treaty of Versailles.  If the Allies had not been so harsh, the German people would have been less angry at the world.  If they had been less angry, they would have been much less likely to turn to radical political parties like the Nazi Party.  If the Nazis had not come to power, the Holocaust would surely not have happened.


Second, the Holocaust could have been avoided if the French and British had not engaged in appeasement in the time before Hitler had rebuilt the German military.  Hitler came to power in 1933.  In late 1936, he sent the German military back into the Rhineland.  This was a direct violation of the Treaty of Versailles.  At that point, the French and the British would have been justified in using military force to make Hitler remove those troops.  If they had, Hitler might have lost popularity in Germany.  He would have been exposed as a reckless gambler who could not prevent the Allies from telling Germany what to do.  In 1936, the German military was much too weak to have dominated France and England, so the Allies could have easily repelled the German threat.  By doing this, they would have humiliated Hitler and probably caused him to lose credibility in Germany.  This would have prevented the Nazis from becoming powerful enough to carry out the Holocaust.


Finally, the Holocaust could have been prevented by better moral decisions on the part of German leaders and people.  Hitler could not have carried out the Holocaust by himself.  If his higher subordinates had pushed back against his wishes, he would have had to back down.  The Holocaust came about because of the decisions of various people, all acting of their own free will.  If they had been better people with more moral fiber, they would have made different choices and the Holocaust would not have happened.


These are three possible ways in which the Holocaust could have been prevented/avoided. 

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