Brian Wainaina Ms.

Raymond English 1102 April 1st, 2014

I believe the first source can be used to help determine when exactly the killing of Jews in Europe transitioned to a genocide in the Holocaust case. It was extremely interesting to see that the author of the article and other historians did not think the killing of just Jewish men was not the start of the Genocide. In fact it was until the German Nazis began killing Jewish women and children did the mass murders transition into becoming a Genocide (Kay). However, nobody knows the exact date the orders were passed out to signal the beginning of killing Jewish children and women. Even though historians can tell around what time because there is a mass increase in people killed after women and children began to be murdered. I can use this source as a visual because it contains two pictures of Jewish men before they are executed in remote areas. I can also use this source to explain the steps that led to the ultimate genocide we call the Holocaust. What I mean is that Nazi Germany began the process very subtle by only killing opposing Jewish rebels that being men, enemy soldiers for example Russian soldiers. Then as time progressed they began to kill Jewish men who were in Prisoners of War camps or displacement camps, Jewish men in political offices, or other offices of influence in Germany. Finally once that was done Jewish women and children became the next set of victims along with remaining Jewish men, the Holocaust appeared to be a systematic list with checkpoints needing to be completed before the next phase was entered.