Eugenics and Racism in the Third Reich - National Socialist racial ideology and the Holocaust

These notes are crucial to anyone wishing to understand National Socialist ideology. Said ideas placed a great deal of emphasis on race and ethnicity as being human traits of primary importance for political struggle. To achieve their aim of building German society into what they envisioned as a pinnacle of civilisation, they instituted far-ranging eugenics programs, both to prevent what they considered degeneracy, as well as to improve the quality of the German populace, as measured by NS standards. Along with their eugenic programs, the NSDAP implemented racial policies which focused on keeping Germany “pure” and devoid of foreign racial influence, and especially targeted the Jews, whom they considered to be not only genetically “filthy”, but malicious destroyers of culture as well. The story of race-oriented politics and eugenics in the Third Reich is often used as a warning in the present time, about the potential dangers of this type of political thinking. Many people today are understandably weary of eugenics, given the tragedy of the concentration camps, and the manner in which Europe was bled to the very bone by Hitler’s war. so why not find out more with the notes given here... Ideal for Gifted and Talented students, A/AS level and teaching teachers.