Lets strike up some debate on this subject. What does everyone think on the subject generally in terms of who agreed what and when? When did the final solution really become the final solution as we know it. Hitler was a rambler and often said things that indicated what we believe to be the impending genocide of the Jewish population, was it his intention all along to eliminate the Jews by murdering them all? Since Hitlers rise to power in 1933 all sorts of sanctions were placed on Jews and manty discussions took place regarding them, but mostly all the discussions related to resettlement rather than murder. The Wansee conference has widely been attributed to the final solution but was it significant? Jews were being gassed in Belzec before Auschwitz, but was that the start on an intended genocidial act? Was there one single event that triggered the final solution or was many more smaller acts that lead to it? Stalin's expulsion of Germans from Russia certainly stirred Hitler as an example of one. So many questions, looking for lots of views
Wise1 - From what I have read, I believe that Hitler's intention was to get ride of ALL Jews, Homosexuals, mentally retarded, and handicapped individuals as he felt they served no purpose to society. Hitler especially wanted to get ride of the Jews, as he also felt that they were responcible for Germany losing WW1. I am currently reading Rudolf Hoess' Autobiography "Commandant of Auschwitz" (He was ordered to write his Autobiography prior to being executed, which he so happily agreed to) and he tells it that he was given the position to construct a camp in which to extinguish the prisoners on a mass scale. As the refugees were trained into Auschwitz they were sorted, to the right individulas that could be used for slave labor, to the left women, children and the eldery which were sent straight to the gas chambers. The final solution was a plan from the very beginning. Hope this comtinues the debate. Regards, Andy