--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The present destruction of Europe would…" description: "\"“The present destruction of Europe would not be complete and thorough had the German people not accepted freely [the Nazi] plan, participated voluntari..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e1b/raphael-lemkin-45433_germans_the-present-destruction-of-europe-would_1837808.jpg" --- # The present destruction of Europe would not be complete… ![“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/i/e1b/raphael-lemkin-45433_germans_the-present-destruction-of-europe-would_1837808.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e1b/raphael-lemkin-45433_germans_the-present-destruction-of-europe-would_1837808.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/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”” [Raphael Lemkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raphael-lemkin/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. 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. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Germans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/germans/) [Israel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/israel/) [Nazi germany](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nazi-germany/) ## Related quotes > [You've gotta understand: in July of '44, the Allies were still contained on the peninsula in western France and the destruction of Europe had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-mcquarrie/you-ve-gotta-understand-in-july-of-44-the-allies-were-still-contained/) [Christopher McQuarrie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-mcquarrie/) > [“She was a girl. In Nazi Germany. 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One regional German government after another was toppled…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-cross-giblin/all-germany-was-in-turmoil-revolutionaries-seized-power-in-the-cities/) James Cross Giblin ## More by Raphael Lemkin > [Genocide has two phases: one, destruction of the national pattern of the oppressed group; the other, the imposition of the national pattern of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raphael-lemkin/genocide-has-two-phases-one-destruction-of-the-national-pattern-of/) [Raphael Lemkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raphael-lemkin/) > [It is intended to signify a coordinated plan of different actions aiming at the destruction of essential foundations of the life of national groups,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raphael-lemkin/it-is-intended-to-signify-a-coordinated-plan-of-different-actions/) [Raphael Lemkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raphael-lemkin/) > [By genocide we mean the destruction of a nation or of an ethnic group.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raphael-lemkin/by-genocide-we-mean-the-destruction-of-a-nation-or-of-an-ethnic-group/) [Raphael Lemkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raphael-lemkin/) > [If you act in the name of conscience you are stronger than any government in the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raphael-lemkin/if-you-act-in-the-name-of-conscience-you-are-stronger-than-any/) [Raphael Lemkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raphael-lemkin/) > [I became interested in genocide, because it happened so many times. 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You must build the law.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raphael-lemkin/only-man-has-law-law-must-be-built-do-you-understand-me-you-must/) [Raphael Lemkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raphael-lemkin/) [Explore all 9 Raphael Lemkin quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raphael-lemkin/) ## More Germans quotes > [The Germans will make a few scattered attacks, then go away. The Romans will enjoy a fine September.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pietro-badoglio/the-germans-will-make-a-few-scattered-attacks-then-go-away-the-romans/) Pietro Badoglio > [Beating the Germans for the first time in our history was massive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-bardsley/beating-the-germans-for-the-first-time-in-our-history-was-massive/) [Karen Bardsley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-bardsley/) > [“The Germans are sentimental. Their word Heimweh . The English say homesick; the same in plain Swedish. Hemsjuk . Leave it to the Germans…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cynthia-ozick/the-germans-are-sentimental-their-word-heimweh-the-english-say/) [Cynthia Ozick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cynthia-ozick/) > [If you want to have a great party at Wembley, don't invite the Germans.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-shearer/if-you-want-to-have-a-great-party-at-wembley-don-t-invite-the-germans/) [Alan Shearer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-shearer/) > [It was emotional when Chrysler sold out to the Germans.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-iacocca/it-was-emotional-when-chrysler-sold-out-to-the-germans/) [Lee Iacocca](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-iacocca/) > [This is our problem, our dilemma, yes? 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They tried to make the masks…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerald-scarfe/all-the-children-had-to-wear-a-gas-mask-in-case-of-a-gas-attack-by/) [Gerald Scarfe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerald-scarfe/) > [The German people of today bear no guilt. Why are the German people not permitted the right to defend themselves? Why are the crimes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahmoud-ahmadinejad/the-german-people-of-today-bear-no-guilt-why-are-the-german-people/) [Mahmoud Ahmadinejad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahmoud-ahmadinejad/) > [Germans respond well to lies. At least, they always have historically.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke/germans-respond-well-to-lies-at-least-they-always-have-historically/) [P. J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke/) > [ “A dog is der Hund the dog; a women is die Frau the wom\[an\]; a horse is das Pferd, the horse; now you put… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/a-dog-is-der-hund-the-dog-a-women-is-die-frau-the-wom-an-a-horse-is/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) [Browse all 205 Germans quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/germans/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“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”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Raphael Lemkin" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raphael-lemkin/the-present-destruction-of-europe-would-not-be-complete-and-thorough/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Germans" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raphael-lemkin/the-present-destruction-of-europe-would-not-be-complete-and-thorough/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e1b/raphael-lemkin-45433_germans_the-present-destruction-of-europe-would_1837808.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e1b/raphael-lemkin-45433_germans_the-present-destruction-of-europe-would_1837808.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e1b/raphael-lemkin-45433_germans_the-present-destruction-of-europe-would_1837808.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The present destruction of Europe would not be complete and thorough had the German people not accepted…” — Raphael Lemkin", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Raphael Lemkin", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raphael-lemkin/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“The present destruction of Europe would...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raphael-lemkin/the-present-destruction-of-europe-would-not-be-complete-and-thorough/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raphael-lemkin/the-present-destruction-of-europe-would-not-be-complete-and-thorough/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```