MollyKendrick

PreAPHistory
ComparingandContrastingEssay
12December2014
PolPotandHitler
Thereweremanysimilaritiesandmanydifferencesbetweenthegenocidein
CambodiaandtheHolocaust.Liketheleadersneedtoexterminatethepeoplethought
tobebringingdownthecountry.Also,thecampsthatwereusedtoworkcertainpeople
weresimilar.HereiswhatPolPotdid.
PolPotwasleaderoftheCambodianCommunistPartyanddecidedtogoback
toasimplisticfarmingsociety.Hedidthisbykickingeveryoneoutofthecitiesand
placingtheminfieldsofworkcamps.Also,PolPotaskedpeopletoregisterinthese
campsandgivetheirpreviouscareer,ifyouwerewealthy,educated,werealawyer,
teacher,orassociatedwiththeoldroyalgovernmentyouwouldbeexecuted.Many
peoplediedofoverwork,starvation,dehydration,anddisease.
HitlerwantedtomakeGermanyabettercountrybygettingridoftheJewsthat
causedthemtogointodepressionandlosetheirmilitaryalongwithmanyotherthings.
HitlerblamedtheJewsforGermanysdecline.HitlerstartedbyboycottingJewish
businessesandmarkingJewswiththestarofDavid.Thesethingsescalatedinto
ghettoesandexecution.Hitlerusedgaschamberstodomasskillings,andusedsome
oftheyounger,healthyJewstoworkinhiscamps.ManyJewsdiedfromexecution,
starvation,overwork,anddisease.

Justlookingatabriefsummaryofbothperiodsofhistorytherearemany
similarities,likethewaythepeoplewerebeingkilledandtreatedincamps.ManyJews
diedofoverworkintheconcentrationcampsandmanyCambodiansdiedofoverworkin
deathfields.Also,theserulersbothstartedoutwithsmallactsagainsttheirtargeted
race.PolPotstartedbymakingmoneyworthlessandshuttingdownallbusinesses,
HitlerstartedbymarkingtheJewswiththebrightyellowstarofDavid.Thereisamajor
differencethough,HitlerkilledJewsbecausehewantedtohaveamasterrace,PolPot
killedCambodiansbecausehewantedasimplecommunistpeasantfarmingsociety.
ThedifferencebetweenthesetwoactswasthatHitlercommittedgenocideby
tryingtoeraseanentireethnicitybecausehefelttheyweretooweaktobelong.PolPot
wasnottryingtoeradicateanentireraceheonlywantedtogetridofthehighersocial
classesleavingonlythefarmersanduneducatedtoberuledbyhim.Asimilarityof
thesetwoleaderswasthattheybothwantedtoruleandwouldstopatnothingto
achievethisgoal.Bothleadersstartedbymarkingcertainpeopleasexpendableand
thenproceededtobringthemdownfinancialy,removingthemfromsociety,orkilling
them.Inconclusionbothgenocideswereverysimilarlyexecutedbuthaddifferentgoals.