The holocaust was the murder of approximately six million Jewish men, women and children by Nazi Germany and its collaborators during the Second World War. 

Who were the perpetrators?
The perpetrators of the Holocaust were a range of people, not just Nazis. It’s important that we don’t group all the perpetrators into one group as each one played a different role. Some directed genocide, such as the Nazi party and other governments, some enforced it, such as Nazi soldiers, the SS, and other armies and civilians who helped out, and some were bystanders, such as German civilians. A range of people helped to orchestrate and carry out the holocaust, not just Nazis and the Nazi party. 

 Why did they do it?
It is important to remember that the perpetrators were not simply ‘evil’, labelling them as evil is unhelpful and takes away from our understanding of events. Many perpetrators thought what they were doing was right due to years of propaganda that made such extremist views seem ‘normal’. Propaganda that dehumanised Jewish people had been produced for years and years, making violence and hatred towards the Jewish people normal and acceptable. Perpetrators also participated for different reasons. Reasons varied from being ideologically committed, following orders, advancing careers, or simply out of fear. 

What is the relevance today?
Calling the perpetrators of the Holocaust simply evil or mad, creates this view that they are nothing like us and places distance between us and them. In reality, understanding how ordinary people could commit such horrific acts allows us to recognise signs in modern society and helps us to confront discrimination, authoritarianism, and dehumanisation today. Furthermore, learning how things such as propaganda, obedience, and social pressure can cause horrific events such as the holocaust allows us to recognise these causes and stop such a horrific event happening again.