Situation in Europe during the Holocaust - Essay Example

Situation in Romania, Slovakia, and Hungary during the Holocaust Holocaust signified a dynamic era in the history of numerous s, which encompassed mass extermination of people. This was especially to the populace who posed any slight defiance of the then impending regime’s ideologies. It also included high political dynamics characterized by authoritarian rule that instilled fear to the states’ subjects to prompt their total adherence and conformity (Pinder-Ashenden 132). Romania initially maintained a strong relationship with France.

This was the reign of King Carol II, where in the then ongoing wars it tried to embrace neutrality in 1930s. Nonetheless, this did not persist for long until in 1940s when France lost its power and Nazi Germany claimed collaboration of Romania. Romania state lost its authority to the Nazi who heightened the annihilation of Jews claiming they were a threat, and they could be spies for the Soviet Union. Prior associating with Germany, Romania used to instill anti-Semitism to the Jews inhabiting at its borders together with mass elimination undertaken in their concentration camps (Pinder-Ashenden 134).

Most of Romanian’s political activities encompassed associating with Germany in annexation, where with it attained Bessarabia and northern Bukovina from Soviet. It also attained region amid Dniester and Bug Rivers under Antonescu authority (Pinder-Ashenden 134). Slovakia despite being sovereign, they resulted to be more depended on Nazi Germany. This was after their dismemberment from Czechoslovakia where they teamed up in annihilation and extradition of Jews. In 1940, it joined Axis where it instituted a pact; whose demands were to comply with all its set requirements (Pinder-Ashenden 136).

This involved jointly undertaking Soviet Union attack where afterwards in 1941, declared confrontation on Britain and US. In addition, the state agreed on the deportation of Slovak Jews together with mass massacre to eliminate them from their territory. This exercise prompted some Jews fleeing to Hungary when Slovak President in Poland faltered in deporting them due to a papal nuncio’s report (Pinder-Ashenden 133). Nevertheless, Germany chipped in and undertook the exercise hardheartedly where it took some of the deportees to their concentration camps.

Hungary initially was independent, but its politics took a drastic change that underwent various regimes. This encompassed from democratic through Bolshevik revolution to dictatorial state (Pinder-Ashenden 134). During the autocratic period, it collaborated with Germany to execute anti-Semitic ideology. This yielded to annihilation of Jews, for instance, in 1944 where it expatriated 420,000 Jews; Nazis executing 75%. The state’s political structure and its leaders prompted more killing besides collaborating with the Germany.

Germany’s involvement was pretence to supplement its resources that were depleting due to immense war cost while the Jews’ role was a secondary in the Hungarian economy (Pinder-Ashenden 137). The three states despite some having the power to maintain their sovereignty, they collaborated with Germany who by then was more powerful and master of war especially against the Soviet Union. The main trend among the three was the extermination of the Jews who seemed or thought to be Soviet Union’s spies, hence threatening the stability of the German.

Primarily, this was in the states in which German had control over where it instigated extermination of Jews to shun leakage of information to its enemies (Pinder-Ashenden 138).Work CitedPinder-Ashenden, Elizabeth. How Jewish Thinkers Come To Terms With The Holocaust And Why It Matters For This Generation: A Selected Survey And Comment. European Journal Of Theology 20.2 (2011): 131-138. Web. 20 Mar. 2012.