Introduction
The Jews were a crucial part of the European demographic during the 20th century. This is highlighted by their experiences in the period leading to the infamous holocaust. The events concerning the Jews in Europe were crucial to the social and political landscape in the western world. This can be attributed to the events in the Second World War when the Jews were subjected to discrimination and extermination under the Nazi reign. These occurrences led to the question on how modern Europe would be if the Jews were not subjected to the holocaust. In order to comprehend the effects and significance of the holocaust on Europe, it is crucial to consider the lives of European Jews prior to and during the holocaust. The Jews had carved a position in the European population. This resulted in a significant impact on the cultural and economic sectors of the region. However, the event during the Second World War changed this by diminishing both the numbers and the influence of the community in Europe. The Jews were involved in different sectors prior to the holocaust. They participated in agriculture, accounts, and business and provided industrial labor for the factories in the region. It is crucial to explore the holocaust in order to comprehend how the period influenced the European demographic considering the Jewish populations. This approach will give a clear picture on how the region would have been shaped in the modern scenario.
The Jewish prior to the holocaust
The history of Jewish population in Europe can be traced back to 2nd century. The Jewish culture developed significantly during the middle ages and established its roots in the region. Their culture flourished between the eighth and the twelfth centuries during the Muslim invasion of Spain. However, the Spanish inquisition was one instance where the community was subjected to discrimination and expulsion. This period saw the community moving to Poland, a region that was considered tolerant to the community. The Jewish population also moved to other eastern European countries, which were favorable. The influence of the community in Poland is evident with the development of Judaism in the region. This influenced the culture of Europeans. This period is significant to the buildup to the holocaust. Prior to the Nazi occupation, the population of the Jews was widespread through the European continent. This is evident in the number of the community in the continent prior to the holocaust was 9 million. This was a considerable number considering the effects of the holocaust depleted the numbers of the community significantly. This impeded the contributions of the community in the intellectual, cultural and economic fronts in the region.
The largest Jewish population in the continent was in Eastern Europe. This included the regions of Poland, the Soviet Union, Romania and Hungary. The Jewish influence in the region was apparent since the community lived in towns and villages, which were predominantly Jewish. Despite their influence, they lived as minorities. However, they were able to participate in their communities effectively. They maintained their culture and their language. Their interaction with the European culture led to the creation of Yiddish a combination of German and Jewish. This led to the publication of Yiddish literature and movies. The younger generations of the Jews adopted the European ways including dressing . However, in the regions of Europe where the population was less concentrated, the Jews appeared to assimilate the local culture with Yiddish playing a diminished role. They also participated in acquiring the local education more than their compatriots in Eastern Europe.
The Jews were involved in different sectors prior to the holocaust. They participated in agriculture, accounts, and business and provided industrial labor for the factories in the region. Some of the Jewish families were able to become wealthy due to their business activities in Europe. For instance, the Jews appeared to be influential in the financial sector and the diamond trade, sectors that were highly lucrative. However, there were poor families from the community similar to other European inhabitants. Most of the Jewish children left their schooling early in order to participate in their family crafts . However, other individuals were ambitions education wise and sought to advance to university level. This means that the Jewish population was integral to in the development of Europe prior to the holocaust. However, the occurrence of the holocaust changed the position of the Jewish community in the continent. The victimization of the community impeded their ability to contribute in the development of the region in the future.
The Jews during the Second World War
It is evident from the aforementioned information that the Jews had carved a position in the European population. This resulted in a significant impact on the cultural and economic sectors of the region. However, the event during the Second World War changed this by diminishing both the numbers and the influence of the community in Europe. This was due to the increased power and prominence of the Nazi regime in the period, which had policies, which were unfavorable for the Jewish population . This was evident during the holocaust period where the Jewish population was subjected to inhumane treatment and massacres. It is crucial to explore the holocaust in order to comprehend how the aforementioned change influenced the European demographic considering the Jewish populations.
The Holocaust
The holocaust was the historical period where the Nazi government sponsored the extermination of Jewish communities from Europe. The murders and persecution led to the death of an approximated figure of 6 million Jews. This was based on notions promoted by the Nazi propaganda that Germans were the superior race. This meant that minorities including the Jews were inferior and blemished the perfect society. This meant that these communities needed to be exterminated from the society in order to ensure that the Germans retained their superiority and purity. The idea of racial hate appeared in 1933 when the Nazi government took the German reign. This period was significant considering that large populations lived in Eastern Europe a region where the Nazi government would gain prominence during the WW2 period. By 1945, the Nazi government and other collaborators were successful in murdering two out of three Jews in the region. This was an event, which sought to give the regime a final solution concerning the presence of races, which were considered inferior by the Nazi and their collaborators. It appeared that the primary victims of the Nazi were the European Jews. Despite this, other minorities also suffered from massacres, emotional and physical damage after the period. In addition, Germans who were either disabled or mentally impaired were also subjected to death in a bid to purify the community. This was referred to as the euthanasia program despite the irony of the name. The Nazi government established concentration camps to deal with populations of the minority races. These camps enabled the government to keep together and monitor the Jewish populations throughout the period facilitating their death or deportation. The Nazi also created ghettos for the Jews while they were in transit to the camps. This means that the reign ensured that the Jewish population was desolate with limited economic and social liberties in the region. The invasion by the German forces in Eastern Europe saw massive operations to mass murder the Jewish populations. This was evident in regions like the Soviet Union among others. In addition, the Nazi antagonists deported millions of Jews from the region. The holocaust period ended when the allied forces defeated the Nazi army leading to their unconditional surrender . The surviving Jewish populations were put in camps in order to facilitate their resettlement in Europe. The damage of the Nazi regime was evident, and the Jewish population in Europe was significantly depleted. In addition, there was a situation where the different factions mistrusted each other. The ties, which characterized Europe between the Jews and other races, were severed by the events of the period. The dispersal of the Jews saw their migration to Israel, the U.S. and other friendlier nations. The devastation of the holocaust saw the destruction of numerous Jewish communities in Eastern Europe, a situation that has been a blemish in the history of Europe and by extension the globe. The history and significance of the holocaust is crucial in comprehending how the event influenced the future of the continent.
The World War 2
The events, which happened during the holocaust, are inherently tied to the Second World War. Therefore, a mention of this historical period is imperative. Despite the German Reich, actively segregating and persecuting the Jews prior to the war, the Jews were subjected atrocities during the war period. In the event when the war broke out, the German government imposed draconian restrictions to Jews leaving in the country. For instance, there were curfew and restrictions against the community. During instances when there was food rationing, the Jews were provided with insufficient rations. In addition, there were decrees, which aimed to reduce food access by the Jew population. The property of the Jews was seized, and they were forced to relocate to ghettos. In addition, the community was restricted from accessing crucial amenities including transportation. The community was also decreed to wear distinctive clothing, which involved a yellow star for individuals who are over 6 years. The property seizures and the confinement to ghettos ensured that the financial independence and the social rights of the population were effectively diminished. This was preceded by mass deportations and murders in order to exterminate the Jews. The only Jews who survived the period were the ones who were lucky to escape or were married to the Germans. This period saw the Jewish population experience numerous injustices as aforementioned in the holocaust. This led to the decrease of Jewish populations both in Germany and the rest of Europe leading to the community’s dispersal to the U.S. and other friendly nations .
Effects of the World War 2 on Europe
As aforementioned, the presence of the Jews was instrumental in the development of Europe from the medieval ages. However, all the gains, which were made prior to the war, were reversed by the devastation of the holocaust and Nazi policies against the Jewish community . For instance, after the war, all industries and companies formed by the Jews collapsed, or were facing a decline due to the negative environment . In addition, the Nazi government seized the property of the Jews and took their business and investments in the region. This was attributed to the Aryan policy adopted by the Nazi. In addition, there was further economic unrest when the Nazi promoted riots against the Jewish population in order to facilitate their extermination. This was situation early in the war where the prejudice against the Jews was not advanced. This situation affected the economy of the region significantly since the contribution of the Jews was destroyed by the retrogressive Nazi policies.
The encouragement of the riots known as Pogroms saw the ransacking of Jewish homes in numerous German cities. This period saw the looting and destruction of over 11,000 Jewish shops in towns and village across the country. The destruction involved both soldiers and civilians who smashed the buildings with sledgehammers and beat the Jews to death. In addition, synagogues and other places of worship were also destroyed during the period. The effects of the pogroms were not confined to Germany but were also evident in other areas, in Eastern Europe. For instance, in Ukraine, the nationalists in the country also organized mass killings, whereby, 6,000 Jews were killed. The situation was similar in Lithuania and persecution of the Jews began before the entrance of the Nazi soldiers in the region. Romanian officials perpetrated one of the worst pogroms with 1000 Jews being massacred by the civilians, military and police. The decision by Adolf Hitler to destroy all the Jews during the Wannasee conference led to the deportation of the Jewish population in the Nazi controlled Europe . Despite the fall of the German armies during the war, the regime appeared to divert crucial war supplies in order to promote their agenda of purification. In some areas of Europe, over 90 percent of the Jewish population was killed. This included the following countries, Greece, Lithuania, Ukraine, Yugoslavia and Hungary. Other countries including the Netherlands, Latvia and Slovakia, saw the death of 70 percent of the Jewish population during the world war period. It is evident that most of the Jews living in Europe were killed during the war leading to their diminished influence in Europe . Even though, other countries did not lose as many Jews as the aforementioned ones, the effects of the war on the Jewish population are evident. Despite the events during the Spanish inquisition, Spain offered an unlikely sanctuary for the persecuted Jews .
The prejudice and massacre of the Jewish population influenced the political and social situation in the region. Some of these effects have prevailed to the contemporary scenario. For instance, the relationship between the Christians and the Jews was severed. In addition, the German nation was associated with the dark period up to the current times. The events of the holocaust promoted the immigration of Jews to new regions including America. This promoted multiculturalism in other regions of the globe.
Impact of the war on victims
The injustices and inhumane treatment of the Jews caused a wave of liberation in the globe. For instance, Britain and America spearheaded the liberation of the Jews from the atrocities perpetrated by the Nazi government. This was essential considering the decision by the Nazi to exterminate the community. The allied forces created liberation camps where the Jews were rescued from the atrocities perpetuated by the Nazi during the war. However, the Jews were not aware of their next move considering that they were chased from the homes they knew for a long time.
Psychological effects
The psychological effects of the period were also apparent. Considering the torture and situation through which the Jews were subjected to during the world war, there psychological inclination of the community was influenced in a complex manner. The shock experienced from the events of the concentration camps during the holocaust had a profound effect on the Jews. Therefore, the effects of the period did not only affect the cultural and economic perspectives of the region, but also had psychological ramifications for the generations, which preceded the period. For instance, the families that survived the period suffered the anguish of being unsure of what happened to their families. This is considering that their physical property was also robbed during the unfriendly times. Despite the international communities providing financial and other material support, the emotional and psychological needs of the patients were not addressed. These factors influenced the assimilation of the community in the different cultures they interacted with after the war. The psychological effects of the period created a sense of isolation in the community, which withstood for generations.
Physical Effects
The maltreatment experienced by the Jews during the period influenced their physical health. For instance, the Jews were faced with situations where they were overworked and starved. These conditions had adverse effects on the health of the holocaust survivors. Despite the endurance of the survivors, it was noticed that the generation experienced incidences of premature aging proving the physical degradation during the war period . Some of the common physical effects, which were observed among the survivors, were respiratory tract diseases. The skeletons of the survivors were also affected negatively due to calcium deficits in the diet provided. It is evident that the physical ailments experienced by the survivors were due to the conditions at the concentration camps during the holocaust.
Displacement of families
Displacement of families was also a side effect of the Jew persecution during WW2. Prior to the world war, Jewish children were relocated from Nazi Europe. Most of these children were moved away from their families forever. The displacement was detrimental for the growth of the community in the region . It also resulted in tragic memories and lack of identities. Most of the children were unaware of their origin, age or even names due to the effects of the war. False identities were necessary in order for the children to survive through the period. This affected the influence of the Jews in the region since they had to adopt new identities that were acceptable in the region.
How the events affected the future of Europe
It is evident from the abovementioned effects that the WW2 affected the future of the European continent. The effects of the holocaust influenced the social and cultural landscape of Europe. The Jews had carved a position in the European population. However, the event during the Second World War changed this by diminishing both the numbers and the influence of the community in Europe. This development was retrogressive to all the gains made by the Jews in Europe. The Jews were prominent in different economic sectors in the continent. They were involved in business and agriculture among other crucial sectors. The events of the WW2 led to the downfall of Jewish business and companies in the region due to the adoption of policies against the Jews and other minorities . This was detrimental to the economy of the region since the Jews had carved an integral position in the development of the continent. Therefore, the efforts to exterminate the Jews impeded their involvement in the commercial world in the continent. If the atrocities were not perpetrated during the period, then modern Europe, predominantly in Eastern Europe where the Jewish populations were pronounced would benefit from their contribution. Therefore, the Jews would be prominent and active contributors to the economy of Europe and consequently the global scenario.
The Jewish populations in Eastern Europe grew over time. This resulted in the community becoming an integral part of the demographic landscape. This is evident in Poland where the Jews were instrumental in influencing the customs of the region. The Jews introduced Judaism in the region. They also contributed to the culture and intellect of the region. For instance, Jewish schools were established in Europe in order to teach Jewish culture. In addition, Jewish thinkers also had an influence on the development of European culture. Therefore, if the WW2 atrocities on the Jews did not occur, the European culture would be influenced by the Jewish culture. For instance, the Jews could have influenced the factors like architecture, language, art and literature in the region significantly. This is evident in the creation of Yiddish, which was a mash up of German and Jew languages. If the Jewish population was allowed to coexist with the European communities, then Yiddish could have been a prominent language in the continent. In addition, the Jews would have intermarried with the local populations creating a more cosmopolitan society in the region. Considering the social and economic effects of the WW2, it is evident that the Jews would have contributed significantly in Europe.
Conclusion
The history of Jewish population in Europe can be traced back to 2nd century. The Jewish culture developed significantly during the middle ages and established its roots in the region. This made the Jews were a crucial part of the European demographic during the 20th century. However, their experiences in the period leading to the infamous holocaust were influential in their future in the continent. The events concerning the Jews in Europe were crucial to the social and political landscape in the west. This is due to the events in the Second World War when the Jews were subjected to discrimination and extermination under the Nazi reign. This diminished their social and economic contributions in the continent.
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