The Holocaust History

The Holocaust History The story of the Holocaust can be traced back to World War I. The First World War was the end result of a series of miscalculations and wrong decisions. Germany was forced to fight Great Britain, France, Russia, and the United States because it had an alliance with Austro-Hungary, Turkey and Italy. In the aftermath of the defeat Germany was humiliated through unreasonable demands by the victors such as the loss of lands that used to belong to the German people as well as restriction on their capability to build up a military force.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on The Holocaust History specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More German patriots were not happy with the armistice and many were bitter. One of those who harboured ill-feelings towards his enemies was Hitler. But in his mind it is not only the foreign powers that must be blamed for the misfortune of Germany. Hitler said that the root cause of the problems wer e the despicable Jews of Europe. His plan to eradicate them led to the Holocaust. Adolf Hitler was a young soldier during World War I. He could never forget the humiliating defeat. He developed a plan to strengthen the military capability of Germany and to restore the state to her former glory. However, he had a more sinister plan hidden from public view. With full support from the Nazi party, Hitler developed a plan to systematically eradicate all the Jews in Europe. At the end more than 6 million Jews were eliminated while others were displaced and had to seek asylum from foreign governments. The Holocaust Hitler believed in his heart that he was not dealing with a moral issue. He was convinced that the problem is political in nature and must be dealt with in a business-like manner. Hitler used the ideas that he gleaned from social Darwinism theory that provided justification to racial profiling. Hitler believed that Jews are part of a race that has distinct characteristics. Hitle r also believed that these characteristics were inherited and the main reason why Jews behave and think in a certain way. Hitler despised the Jews and based on his reasoning he did not want their genetic makeup to be mixed with pure German blood. In his manifesto entitled Mein Kampf Hitler enumerated the reasons why he abhorred the Jews. Hitler said that he did not the way they look (Rash 37). He also said that he did not approve the way the Jews conduct their business (Rash 37). Finally, he said that overall they are an inferior people (Rash 37). Hitler concluded that the German people cannot intermarry with Jews because they will produce inferior children (Rash 37). Hitler devised a plan to segregate and isolate them. But in the end what he really wanted was to execute what he called the Final Solution. Hitler’s plan called for the construction of ghettos. When he gained success he was emboldened to carry out the other aspects of the Final Solution. At the height of Nazi po wer, Hitler shipped Jews as if they were cattle. At the end of their journey the Jews were exterminated or forced to work in concentration camps to produce products deemed necessary for the establishment of the Third Reich.Advertising Looking for research paper on history? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Millions of Jews were systematically murdered at the hands of Hitler’s elite soldiers. When the Soviets liberated a major concentration camp, the world saw the true extent of the Holocaust. It is easy to digest statistics especially when it comes to faceless victims. But when confronted with the personal belongings left behind by those who were victims of genocide, the reality sinks in. Consider the following items recovered from Auschwitz alone: a) 348,820 men’s suits; b) 836,255 women’s garments; c) 5,525 pair of women’s shoes; d) 38,000 pairs of men’s shoes; and e) huge quantitie s of toothbrushes, glasses, false teeth, gold caps and filling from teeth and 7 tons of hair (Fischel 117). The seven tons of hair forces the reader to see the evil of the Holocaust. It must be pointed out that it was not only the Jews who were targets of racial cleansing. Hitler wanted to preserve the purity of the German race from Jews, Negroes and Gypsies. In Hitler’s mind, these people have certain genetic flaws that compelled them to act in contemptible ways. Gypsies and Negroes were not Hitler’s priority because unlike the Jews, these people are not owners of business and influential members of society. Six million Jews were murdered by the Nazis and yet it is hard to believe that there was a government that could have authorized such a grisly plan. People must realize the severity of the crisis faced by the Jews during that time period. In order to fully comprehend what the Jewish people faced during that time, it must be pointed out that in 1933 the total popul ation of Jews in Europe were only 9 million. Hitler orchestrated a plan that made it possible to kill two out of three European Jews. d the magnitude of the genocide it is important to point out that in 1933 the Jewish population in Europe was estimated to be over nine million and therefore the Nazis orchestrated a plan to kill nearly two out of three European Jews (Griffiths 12). It can be argued that in the aftermath of the Holocaust there was no Jewish family that did not mourn the death of friends and relatives. Present Day Israel Hitler’s desire to eliminate the Jews in Germany and then, in Europe can be considered as genocide. It was an irrational action from an outsider’s point of view. It is difficult to understand the root cause of the hate and the aggression. The direct victims were the Jews but the rest of the world understood the consequences of inaction and the lack of resources to deal with a tyrant like Hitler. The Holocaust was not possible without Worl d War II or the rise of Hitler to power. Many realized that war could have been avoided if there was a mechanism to resolve conflict and diffuse a tense situation. If the German people were not agitated, Hitler could not have used their vulnerabilities to compel them to thrust him into power. Thus, in the aftermath of the Holocaust, global leaders pledged that the extermination of Jews will not happen again. A few years after Holocaust, the United Nations was established.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on The Holocaust History specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The UN is an example of a mechanism that can help prevent wars and bloodshed. The United Nations is an international agency that helps resolve international disputes so that this will not lead to war. Before a conflict is decided in the battlefield, the UN demonstrates the power of diplomacy. The UN also serves as a guardian that assists member countries . If the UN was immediately established after, World War I bloodshed could have been prevented. It can be argued if the UN was already a functional entity during the time of Hitler, the pressure from the international community could have created problems for Nazi party’s plan to systematically eradicate the Jews. The UN served another major purpose in favour of the Jews. The UN paved the way for the creation of a new Israel. The survivors of the Holocaust were scattered all over the globe. But there were those who chose to go back to Israel. Those who yearned for a fresh start migrated to present day Israel. However, Jews were scattered all over the planet. The United States and Israel account for 82% of the total number of Jewish people (Dashefsky, DellaPergola Sheskin 14). Conclusion The main reason why Hitler was driven to systematically eliminate the Jews, Negroes, and Gypsies can be traced back to racial profiling as a result of studying the characteristics of human be ings. Hitler succeeded and the Nazi party became a formidable force in Germany. Hitler and the Nazi party were responsible for the murder of six million Jews and other members of the minority group. It was a tremendous blow for the Jewish community because two out of three European Jews were killed. Hitler was able to justify his actions and proved to all who listened to him that he had the power to make things happen. Hitler exploited the vulnerabilities of the German people. As a result, they granted him the power to change Germany. But Hitler used his new-found power not to build but to develop offensive weapons and tactics to provide the Nazi party the capability to systematically eliminate the Jews. Those who survived the Holocaust were scattered all over the world. But the majority of the European Jews who survived Hitler’s wrath, majority went to the United States and Israel. Dashefsky, Arnold, Sergio DellaPergola and Ira Sheskin. World Jewish Population  2010. CT: Connecticut University Press, 2010. Print.Advertising Looking for research paper on history? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Fischel, Jack. The Holocaust. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1998. Print. Griffiths, Williams. The Great War. New York: Square One Publishers, 2003. Print. Rash, Felicity. The Language of Violence: Adolf Hitler’s Mein Kampf. New York: Peter Lang Publishing, 2006. Print.

Biography of Kate Chase Sprague, Political Daughter

Biography of Kate Chase Sprague, Political Daughter Kate Chase Sprague (born Catherine Jane Chase; August 13, 1840–July 31, 1899) was a society hostess during the Civil War years in Washington, D.C. She was celebrated for her beauty, intellect, and political savvy. Her father was Secretary of the Treasury Salmon P. Chase, part of President Abraham Lincolns Team of Rivals, and later served as secretary of state and chief justice of the United States Supreme Court. Kate helped promote her fathers political ambitions before she became embroiled in a scandalous marriage and divorce. Fast Facts: Kate Chase Sprague Known For:  Socialite, daughter of a prominent politician, embroiled in a scandalous marriage and divorceAlso Known As:  Kate Chase, Katherine ChaseBorn:  August 13, 1840 in Cincinnati, OhioParents: Salmon Portland Chase and Eliza Ann Smith ChaseDied:  July 31, 1899 in Washington, D.C.Education: Miss Haines School, Lewis Heyl’s SeminarySpouse: William SpragueChildren: William, Ethel, Portia, Catherine (or Kitty)Notable Quote: â€Å"Mrs. Lincoln was piqued that I did not remain at Columbus to see her, and I have always felt that this was the chief reason why she did not like me at Washington.† Early Life Kate Chase was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, on August 13, 1840.  Her father was Salmon P. Chase and her mother was Eliza Ann Smith, his second wife.   In 1845, Kate’s mother died, and her father remarried the next year.  He had another daughter, Nettie, with his third wife Sarah Ludlow. Kate was jealous of her stepmother and so her father sent her to the fashionable and rigorous Miss Haines School in New York City in 1846.  Kate graduated in 1856 and returned to Columbus. Ohio’s First Lady In 1849 while Kate was at school, her father was elected to the U.S. Senate as a representative of the Free Soil Party.  His third wife died in 1852, and in 1856 he was elected as Ohio’s governor.  Kate, at age 16, had recently returned from boarding school and became close to her father, serving as his official hostess at the governor’s mansion.  Kate also began serving as her father’s secretary and advisor and was able to meet many prominent political figures. In 1859, Kate failed to attend a reception for the wife of Illinois Senator Abraham Lincoln. Kate said of this occasion, â€Å"Mrs. Lincoln was piqued that I did not remain at Columbus to see her, and I have always felt that this was the chief reason why she did not like me at Washington.† Salmon Chase had a more momentous rivalry with Senator Lincoln, competing with him for the Republican nomination for president in 1860. Kate Chase accompanied her father to Chicago for the national Republican convention, where Lincoln prevailed. Kate Chase in Washington Although Salmon Chase had failed in his attempt to become president, Lincoln appointed him secretary of the treasury. Kate accompanied her father to Washington, D.C., where they moved into a rented mansion.  Kate held salons at the home from 1861 to 1863 and continued to serve as her father’s hostess and advisor. With her intellect, beauty, and expensive fashions, she was a central figure in Washington’s social scene. She was in direct competition with Mary Todd Lincoln. Mrs. Lincoln, as the White House hostess, had the position that Kate Chase coveted. The rivalry between the two was publicly noted. Kate Chase visited battle camps near Washington, D.C. and publicly criticized the president’s policies on the war. Suitors Kate had many suitors.  In 1862, she met newly elected Senator William Sprague from Rhode Island.  Sprague had inherited his family business in textile and locomotive manufacturing and was very wealthy. He had already been something of a hero in the early Civil War. He was elected Rhode Island’s governor in 1860 and in 1861, during his term in office, he enlisted in the Union Army. At the first Battle of Bull Run, he acquitted himself well. Wedding Kate Chase and William Sprague became engaged, though the relationship was stormy from the beginning. Sprague broke off the engagement briefly when he discovered Kate had had a romance with a married man. They reconciled and were married in an extravagant wedding at the Chase home on November 12, 1863. The press covered the ceremony.  A reported 500 to 600 guests attended and a crowd  also assembled outside the home. Sprague’s gift to his wife was a $50,000 tiara. President Lincoln and most of the cabinet attended. The press noted that the president arrived alone: Mary Todd Lincoln had snubbed Kate. Political Maneuvering Kate Chase Sprague and her new husband moved into her father’s mansion, and Kate continued to be the toast of the town and preside at social functions.  Salmon Chase bought land in suburban Washington, at Edgewood, and began to build his own mansion there. Kate helped advise and support her father’s 1864 attempt to be nominated over incumbent Abraham Lincoln by the Republican convention. William Sprague’s money helped support the campaign. Salmon Chase’s second attempt to become president also failed. Lincoln accepted his resignation as secretary of the treasury.  When Roger Taney died, Lincoln appointed Salmon P. Chase as chief justice of the Supreme Court. Early Marriage Troubles Kate and William Sprague’s first child and only son William was born in 1865.  By 1866, rumors that the marriage might end were quite public. William drank heavily, had open affairs, and was reported to be physically and verbally abusive to his wife. Kate, for her part, was extravagant with the family’s money. She spent lavishly on her father’s political career as well as fashion- even as she criticized Mary Todd Lincoln for her purported frivolous spending. 1868 Presidential Politics In 1868, Salmon P. Chase presided at the impeachment trial of President Andrew Johnson.  Chase already had his eye on the presidential nomination for later that year and Kate recognized that if Johnson was convicted, his successor would likely run as an incumbent, reducing Salmon Chase’s chances of nomination and election. Kate’s husband was among the senators voting on the impeachment. Like many Republicans, he voted for conviction, likely increasing tension between William and Kate.  Johnson’s conviction failed by one vote. Switching Parties Ulysses S. Grant won the Republican nomination for the presidency, and Salmon Chase decided to switch parties and run as a Democrat.  Kate accompanied her father to New York City, where the Tammany Hall convention did not select Salmon Chase. She blamed New York governor Samuel J. Tilden for engineering her father’s defeat. Historians deem it more likely that it was his support for voting rights for black men that led to Chases defeat.  Salmon Chase retired to his Edgewood mansion. Scandals and a Deteriorating Marriage Salmon Chase had become politically entangled with financier Jay Cooke, beginning with some special favors in 1862.  When criticized for accepting gifts as a public servant, Chase stated  that  a carriage from Cooke was actually a gift to his daughter. That same year, the Spragues built a massive mansion in Narragansett Pier, Rhode Island. Kate took many trips to Europe and New York City, spending heavily on furnishing the mansion. Her father wrote to her to caution her that she was being too extravagant with her husband’s money.  In 1869, Kate gave birth to her second child, this time a daughter named Ethel, though rumors of their deteriorating marriage increased. In 1872, Salmon Chase made yet another try for the presidential nomination, this time as a Republican.  He failed again and died the next year. More Scandals William Sprague’s finances suffered huge losses in the depression of 1873. After her father’s death, Kate began spending most of her time at her late fathers Edgewood mansion.  She also began an affair at some point with New York Senator Roscoe Conkling, with rumors spreading that her last two daughters were not her husband’s. After her father’s death, the affair became more and more public. With whispers of scandal, the men of Washington still attended many parties at Edgewood hosted by Kate Sprague. Their wives attended only if they had to. After William Sprague left the Senate in 1875, the attendance by the wives virtually ceased. In 1876, Kates paramour Senator Conkling was a key figure in the Senate’s deciding the presidential election in favor of Rutherford B. Hayes over Kate’s old enemy, Samuel J. Tilden. Tilden had won the popular vote. The Marriage Breaks Kate and William Sprague lived mostly separately, but in August of 1879, Kate and her daughters were at home in Rhode Island when William Sprague left on a business trip.  According to the sensational stories in the newspapers later, Sprague returned unexpectedly from his trip and found Kate with Conkling. Newspapers wrote that Sprague pursued Conkling into town with a shotgun, then imprisoned Kate and threatened to throw her out a second-floor window.  Kate and her daughters escaped with the help of servants and they returned to Edgewood. Divorce The next year, 1880, Kate filed for divorce. Pursuing a divorce was difficult for a woman under the laws of the time. She asked for custody of the four children and for the right to resume her maiden name, also unusual for the time. The case dragged on until 1882, when she won custody of their three daughters, with their son to remain with his father. She also won the right to be called Mrs. Kate Chase rather than using the name Sprague. Declining Fortune Kate took her three daughters to live in Europe in 1882 after the divorce was final. They lived there until 1886 when their money ran out, and she returned with her daughters to Edgewood. Chase began selling off the furniture and silver and mortgaging the home.  She was reduced to selling milk and eggs door to door to sustain herself.  In 1890, her son committed suicide at age 25, which caused Kate to become more reclusive. Her daughters Ethel and Portia moved out, Portia to Rhode Island and Ethel, who married, to Brooklyn, New York.  Kitty was mentally disabled and lived with her mother. In 1896, a group of admirers of Kate’s father paid the mortgage on Edgewood, allowing her some financial security.  Henry Villard, married to the daughter of abolitionist William Garrison, headed that effort. Death In 1899 after ignoring a serious illness for some time, Kate sought medical help for liver and kidney disease.  She died on July 31, 1899, of Bright’s disease, with her three daughters at her side. A U.S. government car brought her back to Columbus, Ohio, where she was buried next to her father.  Obituaries called her by her married name, Kate Chase Sprague. Legacy Despite her unhappy marriage and the devastation wrought on her reputation and clout by the scandal of her infidelity, Kate Chase Sprague is remembered as a remarkably brilliant and accomplished woman. As her fathers de facto campaign manager and as a central Washington society hostess, she wielded political power during the greatest crisis in United States history, the Civil War and its aftermath. Sources Goodwin, Doris Kearns. Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln. Simon and Schuster, 2005.  Ishbel Ross. Proud Kate, Portrait of an Ambitious Woman. Harper, 1953.â€Å"Notable Visitors: Kate Chase Sprague (1840-1899).†Ã‚  Mr. Lincolns White House, www.mrlincolnswhitehouse.org/residents-visitors/notable-visitors/notable-visitors-kate-chase-sprague-1840-1899/.Oller, John. American Queen: The Rise and Fall of Kate Chase Sprague, Civil War â€Å"Belle of the North and Gilded Age Woman of Scandal. Da Capo Press, 2014