The Similarities Between The Salem Witch Trials And The Holocaust

The Holocaust was the systematic, bureaucratic, government-sponsored persecution that murdered six million Jews by the Nazi’s and other people who helped. On January 1933 Germans believed that they were “racially superior” (better) than the Jews. The Jews were so called “lesser” than human beings. During this time period they not only targeted Jews but people who were disabled, Roma and some of the Slavic people. Other groups were prosecuted on political wise. “During the era of the Holocaust, German authorities also targeted other groups because of their perceived “Racial inferiority…” [US Holocaust Memorial Museum]. Although it was a horrific event it teaches us what abuse of power can lead to. It teaches us the importance of not making the same mistakes and if we are prejudice it can happen again.

September the 1st 1939, the German troop invaded Poland to come in their territory and get victory. In November 1918, after four years of World War One, Germany’s Emperor, Kaiser Wilhelm II was forced to step down. His armies were being worn down by harsh attack from the British, French and US troops. The people faced starvation. The German claimed they weren’t defeated in battle but in any case, deceived by their own politicians. Even so, at 11 in the morning on November 11th, 1918, the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month World War I came into an end. After the defeat it created New nations. In 1919, army veteran Adolf Hitler, who was frustrated by the German’s defeat which had led the nation into economically depressed and political unstable joined an organization called the Germ Workers’ Party. It was founded in the same year by a group of men. It promoted German nationalism and anti- Semitism and felt that the Treaty of Versailles was a burden and that it could never work out. Hitler soon rise as a public speaker and began to attract new members with speeches blaming the Jews for the country’s problem. In July 1921 he became leader which then renamed the organization to “NAZI “When Hilti rand the Nazis came to power in 1933, they aimed to persecute Jewish citizens. By late 1938, they were banned from most public places in Germany. They establish many new anti- Jew laws. They burned books by the Jews, did random attacks on Jews and their properties and they were excluded from having an education. They weren’t allowed to vote nor were they citizens anymore. Their rights were stripped away from them.

Prejudice and accusation on those who may be different were most definitely similarities between the Holocaust and the Salem Witch Trials. The hatred towards the specific groups of people were not a new thing when the time came. Jews were hated worldwide as for witches were a hysteria starting in England the Jews hatred been a part of the world’s society for years, due to their religious beliefs. Most were not normal Christians, so Hitler took racial discrimination ideas and made them his own, he took over their lives. As for the Salem Witch Trials the theories originated in London. But this took witch hunting to a whole new level. Women’s who were blamed for witch craft were considered different in society. Both did not lie and stood to what they believe in or stayed true. They were afraid of the “threats” that was causing the blame on both witchcraft and the economy for the Jews. I believe majority of two event that occurred both connects in a sort of way even if wasn’t the same thing that happened. They both dealt with problems that people accused them of.

From the rise to power in 1933 the Nazi built camps or so called “ concentration camps” to imprison and eliminate the Jews, Roma, homosexuals and people who were deviant. These camps were located in Dachau, Buchenwald, and Sachsenhausen all in Germany. However the concentration camp was for the peoples who were a risk of some sort. The Forced-Labor camps were for embarrassing and humiliating labor. This is also like a prison in modern society but they served three purpose: to imprison people who they saw a threat, remove small groups by murdering them away from the public and judicial review, and to use the people and force them to do work so there wouldn’t be a labor shortage. The first concentration camp was located in Dachau in March 1933. They established of having plans to put gas chambers to whom were weak or to sick to work. It did help kill small groups whom the Nazi wanted to eliminate. The next camp the “ Forced Labor and Prisoner of War Camps” were open forced job where thousands were killed due to tiredness, starving because the lack of food, exposure due to being gassed up and or killed. They did guard the camps and did have doctors who peformed experiments on the prisinors. This was usually the last stop before they went on to the last camp. “Killing Center” as known as the last camp were to help carry out the “ Final Solution”.

Both of these awful events were caused by a main person who was in charged. In this case Abby William would have been the main instigator. She made up a lie of being possessed by a witch whe she blamed her sister Betty’s illness on Tituba. This caused her to impose fear into the girls who also pretended with her. Mary Warren who was one of the girl said “ she’ll kill me for saying that! “ (38). Here Mary is speaking out against John demand to tell the court Abigail is lying. The reason she is afraid of Abigail (Abby) is because Abby has the power to punish anyone who is defying her. Like Abigail, Hitler had followers who were afraid of his ideas yes but both were wrongful leaders using their power to make their private individual person life world better rather than considering how anyone else feels about their unbiased actions. Hitler obviously went many lengths to get what he wanted and didn’t care about who got into his way. Bother were events that should of never happened and lives were murdered due to this cause. Even though this cant be made up for like what Elizabeth said that only heaven can judge men “There be no higher judge under Heaven […] Forgive me, forgive me […] I never knew such goodness in the world!” (60). We should learn that these events cant repeat or occur again. I personally think we can learn a lot of lesson. History repeats itself so we as a nation should not make the same mistakes and tragedies. Like learning how to balance when you have power so that a single person can’t make all the decision but of course some countries do have dictators. Last reason this lesson taught me is how bad discrimination can lead to and what it cause some people to do.