Yesterday we toured pogrom sites all throughout the northeast. A few consistent themes have been persistent throughout the trip and our tour guide yesterday spoke about many of the Poles that participated and carried out the pogroms.
We have learned throughout the trip it was common practice for both the Germans and Soviets to round up and remove intellectuals from the newly formed governments as a means of gaining control.
My main takeaway from the experience yesterday was with the intellectuals removed. There was no challenging of the new occupational government. The invaders needed to set up new local governments and were seeking new officials. What better way to increase buy in of the new government being formed than giving the disenfranchised, the lesser a voice. Additionally, the new government paired new leaders with loads of targeted propaganda, and probing thoughts like...Remember when you were the afterthought and life wasn't great? What if I told you it wasn't really your fault but it was actually your neighbors fault. Not to mention that now that you are in charge you can take back what was always rightfully yours.
It is unthinkable to consider the brutality of these pogroms that were carried out. Varying from beating with melee weapons to using heavy stones. It is truly brutal to think anyone could do this to anyone let alone their neighbors. Unfortunately it gets worse from burning them inside a barn shown below.
We also learned yesterday of a group of 20 Jewish women that were working outside the ghetto and on their way back home were gathered up taken to the forest raped and beaten to death by melee weapons.
When looking at history we often ask ourselves the question how can human beings do this to other human beings? The more I study the topic and discuss with other historians it tends to be a part of our human nature. We tend to think these acts are incomprehensible and indescribable. However, the question we need to ask and understand what conditions or patterns do we see when these atrocities that occur? From the pogroms, Holocaust, and other genocides is there any correlation, or comparisons of various factors that can help us better understand the past, and their motives? Using the past we need to be more aware and stand up to hate, and prevent genocide. Additionally, talking about this difficult history and memorializing the crimes that occurred importantly prevents the naysayers that downplay genocide or even those that outright denying the Holocaust even occurred.
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