Skip to content
quotesby

About this quote

What does it mean?
Orders SS members to execute the Final Solution, claiming it prevents Jewish retaliation.
In plain terms
He orders SS men to kill Jews to stop them from harming Germans later.
What can you take from it?
Pretext of self-defense is used to justify genocide.

Where it applies

  • political orders
  • mass violence
  • historical crimes

Putting it to work

  • analyzing propaganda
  • studying obedience

Questions to consider

  • How do leaders justify mass violence?
  • What stops orders being followed?

Another view

The justification given is historically contested and morally flawed.

More from Heinrich Himmler

  1. Those who abandon their duties do not deserve from the native land even a piece of bread. The German women and adolescents are invited to receive them, not wit…

    Permalink to quote #17
  2. Whether they live in comfort or die from starvation, only concerns me if they can be used as slaves for our culture. Otherwise it's no concern to me when a ant…

    Permalink to quote #19
  3. It is truly sad that my new assignment only puts me in close contact with the more vile representatives of humanity...with criminals, Hebrews, and enemies of t…

    Permalink to quote #16

Related quotes

  1. In the brief monthly reports of the Security Police, I only want figures on how many Jews have been shipped off and how many are currently left.

    Heinrich HimmlerHeinrich Himmler quote #5
  2. Even the Russians are fighting us. They've brought in Jewish pilots, nurses, and doctors. Everybody's ganging up on us. We didn't think it would happen this wa…

    Josef MengeleJosef Mengele quote #3
  3. This war would be only a partial success if the whole lot of Jewry survived it, while we shed our best blood to save Europe. My attitude toward the Jews will t…

    Hans FrankHans Frank quote #3