Germans Quote by Raphael Lemkin
![“The present destruction of Europe would not be complete and thorough had the German people not accepted freely [the Nazi] plan, participated voluntarily in its execution and up to this point profited greatly therefrom” quote by Raphael Lemkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/e1b/raphael-lemkin-45433_germans_the-present-destruction-of-europe-would_1837808.jpg)
““The present destruction of Europe would not be complete and thorough had the German people not accepted freely [the Nazi] plan, participated voluntarily in its execution and up to this point profited greatly therefrom””
About This Quote
Source Historical Document: Nuremberg Trial testimony, 1946
He argues that the Holocaust's devastation was facilitated by voluntary German participation in Nazi plans.
In simple terms: Voluntary participation enabled massive destruction.
Key Takeaway
Recognize collective responsibility.
Themes
responsibility
history
genocide
complicity
ethics
Mood
somber
critical
Type
historical
ethical
When to use this quote
- education curricula
- human rights training
- public policy debates
Key Concepts
moral agency
mass violence
historical accountability
Questions to Reflect On
- How can societies prevent voluntary complicity in atrocities?
- What lessons apply to modern conflicts?
A Different Perspective
May ignore coercive pressures on individuals.
![“There are historical analogs, which are not exact, of course, but are close enough to be worrisome. This is a whiff of early Nazi Germany. [Adolf] Hitler was appealing to groups with similar grievances, and giving them crazy answers, but at least they were answers; these groups weren't getting…” quote by Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/081/noam-chomsky-42_analog_there-are-historical-analogs-which-are-n_19392.jpg)
![“This is our problem, our dilemma, yes? We cannot celebrate and declare ourselves to belong to the victorious nations because our brothers and our fathers and grandfathers died in this battle [in Normandy], yes. I understand that the Americans and the British and French celebrate one of the…” quote by Manfred Rommel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/2fe/manfred-rommel-39046_battle_this-is-our-problem-our-dilemma-yes-we-c_97284.jpg)
![“[D]avid began to argue, with the whining intonations of German astonishment, [...] that everyone did it.” quote by Vladimir Nabokov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/d23/vladimir-nabokov-198_germans_d-avid-began-to-argue-with-the-whining-i_104373.jpg)
